Text consolidated by Valsts valodas centrs (State
Language Centre) with amending laws of:
12 October 2017 [shall come
into force from 2 November 2017];
13 February 2025 [shall come into force from 18 March
2025].
If a whole or part of a section has been amended, the
date of the amending law appears in square brackets at
the end of the section. If a whole section, paragraph or
clause has been deleted, the date of the deletion appears
in square brackets beside the deleted section, paragraph
or clause.
|
The Saeima 1 has adopted
and
the President has proclaimed the following law:
Law on Water Management
Services
Chapter I
General Provisions
Section 1. Terms Used in This
Law
The following terms are used in this Law:
1) by-user - a person who uses a water supply system
that is in the ownership or possession of a water management
service user for water receipt or a sewerage system for
wastewater discharge;
2) centralised collecting system - an aggregate of
external sewerage networks and structures in the ownership,
possession or holding of the water management service provider
which ensures collection of wastewater from water management
service users, treatment thereof and discharge into the
environment, including surface water objects;
3) centralised water supply system - an aggregate of
external water main networks and structures in the ownership,
possession or holding of the water management service provider
which ensures extraction, preparation and supply of water to a
water management service users;
4) pipe entry or exit - a part of water management
system present in the ownership or possession a water management
service user which ensures a water management service user with
water supply from a centralised water supply system or wastewater
discharge to a centralised collecting system;
5) decentralised sewerage services - collection of
public wastewater from separate decentralised sewerage systems or
wastewater containers, transport thereof and discharge in a
centralised collecting system at specially established wastewater
collection points;
6) commercial meter - a meter of water quantity or
wastewater quantity present in the ownership of a water
management service provider which is installed at the junction
point of a commercial meter and is used for performance of
payments for the provided water management services;
7) junction point of a commercial meter - a part of the
water management system present in the ownership or possession of
a water management service user (a system of pipelines,
shutting-off devices and other pipe fittings) which is intended
for the installation of a commercial meter and is constructed at
the proprietary border or - in the cases laid down in the laws
and regulations - outside proprietary border;
71) mechanical water filter - a water
filtration device in the ownership or possession of a water
management service user which is installed at the junction point
of a commercial meter before the commercial meter and enables
removal of possible mechanical impurities and suspended solids
with particle size not smaller than 500 micrometres (µm) from
drinking water;
72) management of sewage sludge - a set of
processes that includes the treatment, processing, utilisation of
sewage sludge and other activities involving sewage sludge from
the generation thereof during the wastewater treatment process to
further use;
73) regional centre for the management of sewage
sludge - a properly equipped and managed place (an area, a
structure) that is used for the treatment, processing, and
preparation of sewage sludge for utilisation;
74) treatment of sewage sludge - activities
involving sewage sludge, including dewatering or mechanical
thickening of the sludge, except for the processing of sewage
sludge;
75) processing of sewage sludge - activities
involving sewage sludge which alter the structure thereof,
including fermentation for biogas production, composting, cold
fermentation, and other technologies for generating a utilisable
product;
76) utilisation of sewage sludge -
beneficial use of the products generated in the process of
processing sewage sludge;
8) proprietary border - a border between centralised
water supply and collecting systems that are in the ownership,
possession or holding of a water management service provider and
water supply and sewerage systems that are in the ownership or
possession of a water management service user (in joint ownership
of apartment owners);
9) public water management services - services for the
abstraction, accumulation of water and preparation for the use
thereof up to supply in the centralised water main network, water
supply services from the supply point in the centralised water
main network up to the proprietary border, and also collection of
wastewater in centralised collecting systems from the proprietary
border and discharge up to wastewater treatment facilities,
wastewater treatment, treatment and processing of sewage sludge
generated during the wastewater treatment process, preparation of
the sewage sludge for utilisation, and discharge of wastewater
into the environment, including in the surface water bodies,
except for rainwater collection in the rain sewerage systems;
10) water management services - public water management
services, decentralised sewerage services, services for the
collection and discharge of rainwater, including in the
centralised collecting systems;
11) water management service user (hereinafter - the
service user) - owner of the immovable property (in a house of
residential properties - all apartment owners) or a possessor who
receives water management services of a certain type on the basis
of a concluded service contract;
12) water management service provider (hereinafter -
the service provider) - a merchant, an institution, or a
cooperative society that provides specific types of water
management services within the territory of provision
thereof.
[13 February 2025]
Section 2. Purpose of this Law
The purpose of this Law is to facilitate availability of water
management services which are qualitative and conforming to the
environmental requirements in order to ensure service users with
continuous and safe services balancing the interests of
environmental protection, sustainable use of natural resources
and socio-economic interests.
Section 3. The Scope of the
Application of this Law
This Law determines:
1) the competence of public authorities in ensuring the
availability of water management services;
2) general requirements and procedures for the provision and
use of water management services;
3) rights and obligations of a service provider and service
user.
Chapter II
Competence of Public Authorities in Ensuring the Availability of
Water Management Services
Section 4. Competence of the
Cabinet
The Cabinet shall determine:
1) procedures for providing, using and terminating the
provision of public water management services;
2) procedures for connecting an immovable property to a
centralised water supply or centralised collecting system,
including requirements for the placement of the junction point of
a commercial meter and cases when the construction of a junction
point of a commercial meter outside the proprietary border is
permissible;
3) procedures for accounting the public water management
services provided by a service provider and procedures for the
payment of received services;
4) procedures for calculating compensation for the violation
of the regulations for the use of public water management
services, and also the conditions for reviewing the amount of the
calculated compensation in cases where the service user installs
or reconstructs a wastewater pre-treatment installation;
5) procedures for calculating and disbursing a compensation to
a land owner for the limitation of the rights of use of the
immovable property;
6) requirements for the wastewater management in decentralised
collecting systems and procedures for the registration of such
systems;
7) requirements and procedures for the supervision of
decentralised collecting systems;
8) requirements and procedures for assessing water losses and
reduction potential thereof in centralised water supply systems,
and also procedures for providing information on the assessment
results to the responsible institution and the European
Commission;
9) procedures for the establishment and operation of regional
centres for the management of sewage sludge, and also obligations
and responsibility of persons involved in the management of
sewage sludge;
10) criteria and procedures for determining such public
buildings where free access to drinking water supplied through
the centralised water supply system must be provided free of
charge, requirements and procedures for ensuring this access, and
procedures for quality control of such drinking water.
[12 October 2017; 13 February 2025]
Section 5. Competence of the Public
Utilities Commission
(1) The Public Utilities Commission (hereinafter - the
regulator) shall regulate the following public water management
services provided by a merchant in accordance with this Law and
the law On Regulators of Public Utilities:
1) all types of public water management services if the amount
of public water management services provided by the merchant
exceeds 100 000 cubic metres per year in at least one type;
2) treatment, processing, and preparation for utilisation of
sewage sludge generated during the wastewater treatment process
carried out at the regional centre for the management of sewage
sludge if the merchant provides these services separately to the
public water management service provider.
(2) The regulator shall register the merchant that provides
the services referred to in Paragraph one, Clause 1 or 2 of this
Section (hereinafter - the regulated merchant) in the register of
public water management service providers. The regulated merchant
may provide public water management services if it has entered
into an contract for the provision of public water management
services with a local government and it is registered in the
register of public water management service providers. The
regulated merchant may terminate provision of public water
management services if it has sent a notification to the
regulator in accordance with the procedures laid down by the
regulator for the termination of operations and has been excluded
from the register of public water management service
providers.
(3) The regulator shall in accordance with the law On
Regulators of Public Utilities:
1) determine the general authorisation regulations for the
provision of public water management services which are binding
on the regulated merchant;
2) establish and maintain the register of public water
management service providers and ensure public accessibility
thereof;
3) determine tariffs for public water management service
provided by the regulated merchant.
[13 February 2025]
Section 6. Competence of a Local
Government
(1) A local government shall organise provision of water
management services in the administrative territory thereof. The
local government council shall determine a local government
institution which shall provide public water management services
and other water management services of specific type in the
administrative territory of the local government or shall
authorise a merchant or a cooperative society to provide public
water management services by entering into an contract with them
for the provision of public water management services within the
entire administrative territory of the local government or part
thereof.
(11) In order to ensure the availability of
drinking water for all residents and to promote the use of
drinking water supplied through the centralised water supply
system, the local government shall:
1) identify whether there are residents within the territory
of the local government, in particular from socially vulnerable
groups of residents, for whom drinking water is not freely
available or availability of drinking water is limited, and also
the reasons for the lack or limitation of availability;
2) if relevant groups of residents are identified in
accordance with Clause 1 of this Paragraph, evaluate how the
availability of drinking water for these groups can be improved
by means of measures already implemented by the local government
(for example, installed free water taps or public places
providing free access to the drinking water supplied through the
centralised water supply system) and, if necessary, take
appropriate additional measures to ensure or improve the
availability of drinking water;
3) inform residents or provide information in public places on
the possibilities of receiving water management services, on free
water taps installed within the territory of the local government
and the rules for their use, and also on the measures taken by
the local government in accordance with Clause 2 of this
Paragraph.
(12) The Cabinet shall determine the deadlines and
procedures by which the Ministry of Climate and Energy
(hereinafter - the Ministry) shall prepare and update information
on the measures taken to improve the availability of drinking
water and to promote the use of water supplied through the
centralised water supply system, and also information on the
proportion of residents who have drinking water available.
(2) The local government council shall determine a fee for the
water management services provided by the local government
institution and the cooperative society. The local government
council shall determine a fee for public water management
services provided by a merchant if the amount of public water
management services provided by the merchant does not exceed 100
000 cubic meters per year in each type. By determining fee for
public water management services, the local government shall
apply the basic principles for regulating of public services laid
down in the law On Regulators of Public Utilities.
(3) In order to ensure environmental protection and
sustainable use of natural resources, a local government council,
having evaluated economic substantiation for the installation of
a centralised water supply system and centralised collecting
system, shall determine the following in the territorial planning
in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding territory
development planning:
1) building territories where centralised water supply systems
and centralised collecting systems are to be established;
2) building regulations in territories where centralised water
supply systems and centralised collecting systems are to be
installed.
(4) The local government council shall issue binding
regulations which provide:
1) procedures for connecting water supply networks or sewerage
networks and structures to a centralised water supply system or
centralised collecting system;
2) the requirements for the operation, use and protection of a
centralised water supply system and centralised collecting
system;
3) provisions to be included in a contract for public water
management service, and also provisions for its conclusion,
amending and termination;
4) procedures for the use of public standposts;
5) procedures for the provision and accounting of
decentralised collecting services.
(5) A local government council may provide in binding
regulations administrative liability for the violation of the
binding regulations referred to in Paragraph four, Clauses 1, 2,
4 and 5 of this Section.
(6) The local government council may issue the binding
regulations regarding co-funding for the connection of the
immovable property to a centralised water supply system or
centralised collecting system by determining the amount of
co-funding and conditions for its receipt.
(7) A local government council is entitled to issue the
binding regulations regarding rainwater management in the
administrative territory of the local government.
(8) A local government council is entitled to issue binding
regulations and specify cases when the service provider may
require the service user to organise installation, replacement,
or maintenance of a mechanical water filter.
[13 February 2025]
Chapter III
General Requirements and Procedures for Provision and Use of
Water Management Services
Section 7. Terms of Contract for
Provision of Public Water Management Services
The local government council shall determine at least the
following in the contract for the provision of public water
management services entered into with the merchant or the
cooperative society:
1) public water management services to be provided, the
territory and period for their provision;
2) requirements for the maintenance and renovation of the
required technical equipment in order to ensure provision of
services in accordance with the requirements defined for a
particular service;
3) procedures for settling payments for expenditure incurred
by a service provider in relation to ensuring water in public
standposts, fountains, fire-fighting hydrants, and also in
connection with other tasks assigned by a local government.
[13 February 2025]
Section 8. General Provisions for
the Provision of Services
(1) Water management services shall be provided to a service
user in accordance with a service contract which is entered into
between a service provider and a service user on the receipt of
water management services of certain type. Provision and use of
water management services without entering into a service
contract are prohibited.
(11) The local government shall plan the provision
and development of the public water management service and the
service for the collection and discharge of rainwater in an
interlinked manner in order to reduce the risk of environmental
pollution (hereinafter - the integrated management of public
wastewater and rainwater).
(12) When providing water management services, the
service provider shall ensure:
1) the quality of drinking water and control thereof in
accordance with the laws and regulations regarding the mandatory
safety and quality requirements for drinking water and the
procedures for monitoring and control;
2) the wastewater management in accordance with the laws and
regulations regarding polluting activities;
3) the performance of energy audits for centralised collecting
systems in the cases specified by the Cabinet;
4) the compliance with the energy efficiency requirements
established for wastewater treatment facilities, including the
balancing of energy consumed for wastewater treatment and energy
produced by service providers (hereinafter - the energy
neutrality of wastewater management), in the cases specified by
the Cabinet.
(13) To ensure compliance with the requirements
laid down in Paragraph 1.2 of this Section, the
Ministry shall organise the development of the National
Wastewater Management and Investment Plan (hereinafter - the
Wastewater Management Plan). The Wastewater Management Plan shall
be approved by the Minister for Climate and Energy.
(14) The Cabinet shall determine:
1) the requirements and procedures for the integrated
management of public wastewater and rainwater, the content of
such management plans, and the procedures for developing and
updating thereof;
2) the requirements for performing energy audits of
centralised collecting systems;
3) the targets for energy neutrality of wastewater management
and the requirements for achieving them for wastewater treatment
facilities, and also the conditions under which exceptions to the
achievement of the targets for energy neutrality of wastewater
management are permissible;
4) the procedures for conducting wastewater monitoring for the
purpose of surveillance of the spread of diseases;
5) the procedures for developing and updating the Wastewater
Management Plan and also the content of the Plan.
(2) For apartment owners and joint owners of a jointly owned
residential house water management services shall be provided and
payments for the received water management services shall be
carried out in accordance with a service agreement which has been
entered into in conformity with the Civil Law, Law on Residential
Properties, Law on Administration of Residential Houses, law On
Privatisation of State and Local Government Residential Houses
and provisions of other laws and regulations.
(3) A public water management service provider shall be
responsible for a centralised water management system or
centralised collecting system and technical condition thereof up
to the proprietary border. If a water management service provider
and service user has agreed on other division of responsibility,
then services related thereto shall not be regarded as public
water management services.
[13 February 2025]
Section 9. Rights and Obligations of
a Service Provider
(1) In conformity with the type of water management service
provided a service provider has the following obligations:
1) to ensure exploitation and maintenance of a centralised
water management system or centralised collecting system up to
the proprietary border in order to provide continuous water
management services to service users;
2) to ensure abstraction of water, preparation and supply
thereof in conformity with the laws and regulations regarding
mandatory drinking water harmlessness requirements;
3) to ensure collection of wastewater and discharge thereof up
to treatment facilities or wastewater treatment in conformity
with the environmental protection requirements laid down in the
laws and regulations;
4) to use and develop efficient, economic and safe
technologies in provision of services in order to ensure
environmental protection and sustainable use of natural
resources;
5) to ensure installation or change of commercial meters at
its own expense and to carry out accounting of provided
services;
6) to ensure that connections to a centralised water supply
system or centralised collecting system planned in the water
management project financed by the European Union funds, State
budget, local governments and other public financing sources are
established in conformity with the plan for ensuring of
connections provided for in the project;
7) to store information on proprietary borders, to prepare and
issue a scheme of proprietary borders of water management system
or sewerage system to a service user upon request of the service
user;
8) to assess water losses in the centralised water supply
systems determined in accordance with Section 4, Clause 7 of this
Law and the potential to reduce such losses.
(2) In conformity with the type of water management service
provided, a service provider has the following rights:
1) at any time of the day to access a centralised water
management system or centralised collecting system which is
located in the territory of the immovable property of other legal
or natural persons, or, by notifying an owner or possessor of the
immovable property in writing at least two weeks before, to carry
out technical maintenance and repair of the relevant system;
2) without any prior warning to reduce or interrupt temporary
water supply and wastewater discharge for separate service users,
if electricity supply is interrupted for water management
structures or water supply is increased from a centralised water
supply system for fire extinguishing, and also during natural
disasters or accidents;
3) to allow to connect a pipe entry or exit to networks of a
service user after a junction point of a commercial meter,
including by crossing the immovable property of other owner in
accordance with the procedures laid down by a local government,
if connecting has been agreed upon with a service user and land
owner in writing and it does not worsen the provision of water
management services for other service users, and also a deed on
borders of network servicing has been drawn up;
4) at its own or other person's resources to construct a pipe
entry or exit in order to add an immovable property to a
centralised water management system or centralised collecting
system, by entering into the relevant contract with the owner or
possessor of the immovable property, where the parties agree on
the procedures and time limits for the purchase of the
constructed pipe entry or exit;
5) at the resources of the owner or possessor of the immovable
property, by entering into the relevant agreement, to construct
centralised water management networks or centralised sewage
networks to ensure availability of public water management
services;
6) to calculate and collect compensation laid down in
accordance with Section 4, Clause 4 of this Law;
7) to use the financial resources at his or her disposal for
the construction of a junction point of a commercial meter, by
including expenditures in the invoice of a service user, if the
service user fails to ensure the construction of a junction point
of commercial meter for the installation of a commercial meter
within the period laid down in this Law;
8) to agree with other service provider on a fee for the
provision of public water management service which does not
exceed the tariff laid down by the regulator, if the regulated
merchant provides services in water abstraction, accumulation,
preparation for use and supply, services in wastewater
collection, treatment and discharge to other service
provider;
9) to request the service user to organise the installation,
replacement, or maintenance of a mechanical water filter if it is
technically justified and necessary for more accurate accounting
of the quantity of the supplied water, and also to request to
rebuild or equip the junction point of a commercial meter if it
is necessary for the installation of the mechanical water
filter.
[13 February 2025 / Clause 8 of Paragraph one
shall come into force on 1 July 2025. See Paragraph 9 of
Transitional Provisions]
Section 10. Rights and Obligations
of a Service User
(1) In conformity with the type of water management service
received a service user has the following obligations:
1) to ensure construction of a junction point of a commercial
meter for the installation or change of a commercial meter;
2) to ensure easy access to a junction point of a commercial
meter in order to carry out technically required operations with
the commercial meter, and also to protect the junction point of a
commercial meter and the commercial meter from damages;
3) to store permanently all technical documentation of water
main and sewerage systems that have been built in the territory
of his or her immovable property or are in his or her property
which must be at the disposal of the service user in conformity
with the requirements of the laws and regulations;
4) to supervise technical condition of a water supply system
and sewerage system in his or her property or possession up to
the proprietary border and to rectify immediately any damage if
the service provider and service user have not agreed on other
division of responsibility in respect of servicing of the water
supply or collecting system of the service user;
5) without an agreement thereupon with a service provider, not
to carry out such operations which hinder the receipt of water
supply and sewerage services for another service user;
6) to settle accounts with a service provider for the services
provided by him or her;
7) to enter into a contract with a by-user for the use of
water supply systems or sewerage systems that are in his or her
property or possession, by determining the price for services for
a by-user with a markup which does not exceed 10 per cent of the
tariff laid down by the regulator or the fee laid down by a local
government for the relevant service if a water supply system or
sewerage system has a by-user;
8) to inform a service provider of interruption of water
supply to a by-user, if he or she refuses to enter into the
contract referred to in Clause 7 of this Paragraph or breaches
the provisions of the entered into contract to such extent that
it may lead to interruption of the services to be provided for a
service user.
(2) The service user has the right to receive and use water
management services in accordance with the requirements of laws
and regulations and also to organise the installation,
replacement, and maintenance of a mechanical water filter.
[13 February 2025]
Chapter IV
Restrictions for the Right of Use of Immovable Property
Section 11. Agreement upon
Restrictions for the Right of Use
(1) A service provider has the right to use any land for
compensation which is laid down for its owner in accordance with
Section 4, Clause 5 of this Law, if:
1) the land is used for the installation of a centralised
water supply or centralised collecting system or part thereof
(hereinafter - the water management object);
2) the water management object and land area covered by the
object become larger when the reconstruction is carried out.
(2) A service provider has the obligation to agree upon the
conditions for the installation of the water management object
with the owner of the immovable property and to warn the
abovementioned owner of the installation or expansion of the
water management object at least 30 days before commencing the
work.
(3) A service provider has the right to substitute the
agreement procedure referred to in Paragraph two of this Section
with the informing of the owner of the land if at least one of
the following conditions has set in:
1) the installation of the water management object is provided
for in the local government's spatial plan, detailed plan or
local plan;
2) the water management object is installed within the
boundaries of the building lines laid down in the Protection Zone
Law, public streets or such road for which building lines have
not been determined or within the boundaries of a protection zone
along water main or sewage networks;
3) the water management object is installed within the
protection zone along water main or sewage networks and after
installation thereof the width of the protection zone increases
by no more than 10 per cent, taking into account that the
protection zone may be increased no more than once in accordance
with the procedures laid down in this Clause.
Section 12. Obligations and Rights
of an Owner of Immovable Property
The owner of the immovable property in the territory of the
property of which the water management object is located:
1) shall not carry out such activities without agreement
thereupon with the service provider which hinder the receipt of
water supply or sewerage services for a service user or by-user
or could reduce the technical condition of the water management
object;
2) shall not carry out activities which could disturb a
service provider in the operation, reconstruction or renovation
of the water management object;
3) by agreeing thereupon with a service provider, may relocate
the water management object at his or her own expense if it is
necessary for the reconstruction or development of the
property.
Transitional Provisions
1. The Cabinet shall:
1) by 30 December 2015, issue the regulations referred to in
Section 4, Clauses 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this Law;
1) by 30 December 2016, issue the regulations referred to in
Section 4, Clauses 5 and 6 of this Law.
2. Local governments shall evaluate the conformity of existing
binding regulations with the requirements of this Law and no
later than by 1 March 2017 issue the binding regulations referred
to in Section 6, Paragraph four of this Law.
3. Service contracts for the provision of public water
management services entered into by the day of coming into force
of this Law shall be in effect until the end of the periods laid
down in the contracts and the provisions of the contract for
public water management service referred to in Section 6,
Paragraph four, Clause 3 of this Law shall be applicable to
them.
4. If a junction point of a commercial meter is not
constructed in the water management system of a service user, a
service user shall ensure its construction for the installation
of a commercial meter no later than within four years after
coming into force of this Law. A service provider shall ensure
installation of a new commercial meter as soon as the
verification period of the previously installed commercial meter
has expired.
5. A service user and by-user have the obligation to enter
into a contract for water supply or wastewater discharge no later
than within three months after coming into force of this Law if
such contract has not been concluded on the day of coming into
force of this Law. If a service user and by-user cannot agree on
the terms of the contract, the provisions of the public water
management service contract referred to in Section 6, Paragraph
four, Clause 3 of this Law shall be applied to the relations
between the user and by-user.
6. Section 11, Paragraph one of this Law shall come into force
on 1 January 2017.
7. The Cabinet shall:
1) by 30 June 2025, issue the regulations referred to in
Section 4, Clauses 8 and 9 of this Law;
2) by 30 January 2026, issue the regulations referred to in
Section 4, Clause 10 of this Law;
3) by 31 July 2027, issue the regulations referred to in
Section 4, Clause 7 and Section 8, Paragraph 1.4 of
this Law;
4) by 31 July 2027, issue the regulations referred to in
Section 6, Paragraph 1.2 of this Law.
[13 February 2025]
8. The Minister for Climate and Energy shall approve the plan
referred to in Section 8, Paragraph 1.3 of this Law by
31 December 2027.
[13 February 2025]
9. Section 9, Paragraph one, Clause 8 of this Law shall come
into force on 1 July 2025.
[13 February 2025]
10. The Ministry shall notify the European Commission of the
assessment results on water losses in centralised water supply
systems by 12 January 2026.
[13 February 2025]
Informative Reference to a
Directive of the European Union
[13 February 2025]
The Law contains legal norms arising from Directive (EU)
2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16
December 2020 on the quality of water intended for human
consumption (recast).
The Law shall come into force on 1 January 2016.
The Law has been adopted by the Saeima on 18 June
2015.
President A. Bērziņš
Rīga, 2 July 2015
1 The Parliament of the Republic of
Latvia
Translation © 2025 Valsts valodas centrs (State
Language Centre)
