September 29 at 10:30, an open webinar will be held on the NCCPII YouTube channel titled "Legal Foundations of Drinking Water Supply and Drainage. What Do the Innovations Entail."

The webinar focuses on explaining the norms of the Law of the Republic of Belarus dated March 12, 2026 No. 131-Z "On Drinking Water Supply and Drainage (sewage)," which entered into force on September 18, 2026.

Law No. 131-Z retained the basic state guarantees of the previously applicable law (Law of the Republic of Belarus dated June 24, 1999 No. 271-Z "On Drinking Water Supply") but, at the same time, established clear norms regulating the entire cycle of water intake, transportation, pumping, treatment, and discharge of wastewater into the environment.

In the studio will appear Deputy Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on housing policy, trade and construction Sergei Kazachok, Deputy Head of the Department of Public Utilities and Energy of the Ministry of Housing and Utilities Irina Salivonchik, and General Director of GPO "Belvodokanal" Irina Rovbo.

During the live broadcast, the speakers will clarify key innovations aimed at further developing the fields of drinking water supply and drainage, resolving existing problems, and maximizing the satisfaction of citizens' needs for drinking water.

The discussion will focus on creating a state registry of drinking water supply and drainage systems, particularly:

• forming a unified database containing reliable information about all systems (sewers) in towns and villages across the country;
• recording data on compliance with drinking water safety standards, as well as the quantitative and qualitative composition of discharged wastewater;
• designating GPO "Belvodokanal" as the operator of the registry and approving a broad range of its users (from government agencies to legal entities and private individuals).

Special attention will be paid to new regulatory tools and the delineation of powers. The following topics will be discussed in focus:

• the possibility of drilling temporary wells for the operational resolution of the water supply issue in rural settlements in case of failure of the sole well and absence of reserve;
• establishing at the Government level a unified order of wastewater transportation by sanitary transport, which will allow reducing the financial burden on citizens, creating equal conditions for business and eliminating the "gray" market for wastewater disposal in unestablished places;
• clarification of the Government's powers in the following areas:
  • development and approval of drinking water supply and sewage treatment schemes for the sustainable development of systems and expansion of territorial coverage;
  • conducting annual inventory of systems to check their technical condition, identifying disorganized networks, hidden leaks and illegal taps;
  • expanding the competence of local executive bodies in determining organizations that carry out water supply and sewage treatment within the relevant territory;
  • granting qualified organizations the right to service networks built by citizens at their own expense, to ensure their reliability and uninterrupted provision of services.

Traditionally one can ask questions on the webinar topic. Send them to the email address nczpionline@center.gov.by before 11:00 on September 29th. Answers – during the live broadcast.

Tune in to the broadcast, watch videos on the NCCPI channels on YouTube and Rutube and receive useful information from state regulators of certain spheres of public affairs and developers of legal acts!