Fines for illegal water use could rise to 5,100 UAH
This is set out in draft law No. 15096-1, which the government has endorsed and referred to the relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada for consideration.
Changes to the rules governing the use of water resources are being prepared in Ukraine.
Draft law No. 15096-1 provides for stricter penalties for illegal water use, violations during the construction of wells and inaccurate water metering.
This covers cases of unauthorised water abstraction without permits, drilling of wells without proper approval, and interference with natural river courses during construction work.
Separately, the document proposes establishing liability for the submission of inaccurate data regarding water metering.
How fines may change
The draft law provides for an increase in penalties by several dozen times.
Currently, fines for such violations range from 85 to 136 UAH.
Following the changes, they could rise to 3,400–5,100 UAH.
These amounts are proposed to be applied for breaches of water resource usage rules, in particular for unauthorised water abstraction and improper well construction.
Why the rules are being revised
The explanatory note to the draft law states that the current control system is inadequate.
Due to chaotic well drilling and incomplete water usage records, the state lacks accurate information on actual water consumption.
This complicates water balance management and increases the risk of resource depletion in certain regions.
What will happen to private wells
The bill specifically addresses the issue of domestic wells.
Wells for personal use do not fall under the category of special water use.
Therefore, no permits are required for them.
At the same time, owners of private wells must comply with sanitary standards and prevent the contamination of groundwater.
Who is likely to be inspected first
Experts suggest that once the law is passed, controls may be tightened primarily in the business sector, the agricultural sector and at facilities with high water consumption.
For private households, the key issue will remain the practical distinction between permissible domestic water use and breaches of the rules.
What happened previously
It was previously reported that Ukraine is also tightening controls over the black market for housing rentals.
In particular, there are plans to make the registration of rental agreements mandatory and to tighten controls on landlords.
Significant fines may be imposed on those who conceal the letting of property. In some cases, these could amount to up to 85,000 UAH.
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