Cabinet Resolution No. 585: from 2027 a first water-intake violation brings a warning, and fines can be halved

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the procedure for fining legal entities for water-intake violations. From 1 January 2027, an organisation committing a first violation in a calendar year will only receive a warning and 10 days to fix it. If a fine is still imposed, paying it promptly cuts it by half.

The Regulation on financial sanctions for violating the water-intake procedure was approved by Cabinet Resolution No. 585 of 21 October 2026. It applies to legal entities that take water from water bodies for agriculture, fish farming, industry, energy and household needs.

What counts as a violation

• taking water above the set limit;
• intake without a contract, or unauthorised intake;
• intake without a special water-use permit;
• no metering and flow-control equipment at the intake points.

Warning and fine amounts

From 1 January 2027, a legal entity committing a first violation in a calendar year receives a warning, provided the violation did not harm people's life or health or damage others' property. The order is issued by the water inspectorate through the suvnazorat.uz platform. The violation must be remedied within 10 days, otherwise a fine follows.

The fine is calculated per 1,000 m³ of water taken in violation, at the rates of Article 164 of the Water Code. With the base calculation value (BRV) at 440,000 soums, this is:

• no metering or flow-control equipment — 5% of BRV (22,000 soums);
• exceeding the limit — 20% of BRV (88,000 soums);
• intake without a contract, or unauthorised — 30% of BRV (132,000 soums);
• intake without a permit — 40% of BRV (176,000 soums).

If the same violation is repeated within a year, the fine is multiplied by five.

How to pay less and how to appeal

• Paying 50% of the amount within a month of the decision clears the remainder.
• Alternatively, the fine can be paid in instalments over up to six months.
• If the fine is not paid within a month, the inspectorate goes to court.
• An appeal suspends enforcement. If a court finds the recovery unlawful, the money is refunded within 15 days.

What this means in practice. Check that you have a water-intake contract, a special water-use permit and working meters: their absence most often leads to a fine. If an order arrives, you have 10 days, and from 1 January 2027 this is a chance to avoid a fine altogether. If a fine is imposed, paying 50% within a month is the cheapest option.

Photo: Carpodacus, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)