المملكة: 80 thousand riyals penalty for damaging surface water sources and discharging liquid waste

The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture has specified violations of the use of surface water sources, and the corresponding penalties, noting that the maximum penalty reaches 80 thousand riyals in the event of carrying out any action that would harm surface water sources and their facilities, whether in terms of quality, quantity, natural courses, or prohibition. Or its infrastructure, directly or indirectly, or discharging the return water of dam-based purification plants into Lake Al-Saddad or in valley streams, or using lakes. Dams for any investment or recreational projects before obtaining permission from the General Organization for Irrigation.
The same fine also applies to violators in the event of discharging any type of solid or liquid waste, or any type of pollutant, or discharging the effluent of dam-based purification plants into the dam lake or into valley streams, before obtaining an accreditation certificate from the Environmental Compliance Center.

Violators will be punished with a fine of no less than 50,000 riyals and not more than 60,000 riyals in the event of using water from surface water sources (water from surface dams by direct withdrawal or water for injection and artificial recharge of aquifers) established after adopting these conditions, before obtaining a use license or the necessary approval, or opening gates. Drinking water dams in normal cases without obtaining the necessary license from the Ministry.

Financial fines

Violators will pay a fine of not less than 40,000 riyals and not more than 50,000 if they do not correct the conditions of the two previous violations, or do not stop using the source, in the event of the presence of pollutants – that have not been treated and controlled – and inform the Ministry of that, or the applicant provides information. False or misleading, withholding information, failing to provide it to obtain a license to use, or breaching any of the conditions of the license.

The Ministry imposes a fine of 30,000 riyals at a minimum and 40,000 riyals at a maximum in the event that the licensee does not commit to installing a device to examine water quality, tampers with the water meter and data transmitter, and does not commit to installing a water meter and data transmitter whenever the Ministry asks him to do so, according to the approved specifications. Or the licensee’s failure to inform the Ministry of any suspicious case in the event of cases of discharging any type of solid or liquid waste, or any type of pollutant, or discharging effluent from dam-based purification plants. In the dam lake or in the valley streams.
The Ministry will fine violators an amount of not less than 20,000 riyals and not more than 30,000 riyals, in the event of wasting water and not using water-conserving tools and systems, or preventing the Ministry or whomever it delegates from monitoring the uses of the source and entering sites for the purpose of verifying the application of terms and conditions.

A fine of 10,000 riyals at a minimum and a maximum of 20,000 riyals is applied in the event of failure to apply for a license or renew it within 90 days, or not adhering to the quantity of water specified in the use license, or continuing the activity without a license, or using facilities for a purpose other than that, or Preventing others from benefiting from surface water, or not following safety and security rules.