The Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment has submitted a revised water conservation bill to parliament following concerns from MPs and stakeholders about enforcement mechanisms and penalty levels.
The revised legislation maintains its core aim of stricter water conservation measures whilst addressing key concerns raised during parliamentary review. The accompanying regulations will replace previous rules from 1991 and 1998.
The ministry made significant changes following objections and recommendations, including eliminating provisions that would have allowed private individuals or companies to conduct water usage inspections through service contracts.
Controls will now be conducted exclusively by officials from competent authorities including provincial self-government organisations and community councils.
Penalties have been substantially reduced, with maximum prison sentences cut from six to three months and maximum fines decreased from €3,000 to €1,000. Out-of-court settlements were lowered from €100 to €85, and repeat offence fines reduced from €300 to €150.
The bill provides clearer definitions of violations, specifying that hose usage for washing private recreational boats is prohibited, whilst businesses are exempted only if they demonstrably use water for professional cleaning services.
A fundamental ban from the original 1991 law has been reinstated, prohibiting hose usage for washing roads, pavements, balconies, railings and vehicles without any exceptions.
The Agriculture Minister’s role has been redefined, removing direct enforcement authority whilst maintaining general oversight and the ability to issue decrees and guidelines.
The legislation includes specific procedures for serving notices, stating that if recipients refuse to accept notifications, these will be posted on the property and considered served.
Non-payment of out-of-court fines will result in a 50% increase if not paid within 30 days, whilst non-compliance within 45 days leads to criminal prosecution.
All exceptions to hose usage bans have been completely removed, including those originally planned for professional uses. Property owners will be held responsible for fines when violations are committed by employees or contractors.
Committee members expressed concerns about the effectiveness of regulations in cultivating water conservation culture. Issues were raised about understaffing of competent authorities and inadequate evaluation of existing legislation and awareness campaigns.
The Personal Data Protection Commissioner confirmed her recommendations had been incorporated, whilst agricultural organisations supported stricter measures and requested restrictions on water consumption from dams by golf courses.
The issue of swimming pool filling bans remains unresolved, with the Water Development Department and Law Office expressing reservations, indicating the matter is regulated by different legislative frameworks.
The revised bill is expected to be discussed today before the parliamentary Agriculture Committee before submission to the plenary session for voting.
