On September 29 at 10:30, the YouTube channel of the National Center for Legislation and Legal Research will host an open broadcast of the webinar “Legal Foundations of Drinking Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal: What Do the Innovations Provide?”.

The webinar is dedicated to explaining the provisions of the Law of the Republic of Belarus of March 12, 2026, No. 131-Z “On Drinking Water Supply and Wastewater Disposal (Sewerage)”, which entered into force on September 18, 2026.

Law No. 131-Z retains the basic state guarantees of the previously effective law (Law of the Republic of Belarus of June 24, 1999, No. 271-Z “On Drinking Water Supply” – note), but at the same time establishes clear norms regulating the entire cycle of receiving, transporting, pumping, treating, and discharging wastewater into the environment.

The studio will feature Sergei Kazachok, Deputy Chairman of the Standing Commission of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus on Housing Policy, Trade and Construction; Irina Salivonchik, Deputy Head of the Department of Municipal Services and Energy of the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services; and Irina Rovbo, Director General of the state production association “Belvodokanal”.

During the live broadcast, the speakers will highlight key innovations aimed at the further development of drinking water supply and wastewater disposal, addressing existing problems, and maximizing the satisfaction of citizens’ needs for drinking water.

They will focus on the creation of a state register of drinking water supply and wastewater disposal systems, in particular:

• the formation of a unified database containing reliable information about all sewerage systems in the country’s populated areas;
• recording data on the compliance of drinking water with safety standards, as well as the quantitative and qualitative composition of discharged wastewater;
• designating the state production association “Belvodokanal” as the register operator and approving a wide range of its users (from government bodies to individual entrepreneurs and individuals).

Special attention will be paid to new regulatory instruments and the delineation of powers. The following topics will be the focus of discussion:

• the possibility of drilling temporary wells to promptly address water supply issues in rural settlements in the event of failure of the only well and the absence of a backup;
• establishing at the Government level a unified procedure for the transportation of wastewater by sewage disposal vehicles, which will reduce the financial burden on citizens, create equal conditions for business, and eliminate the "gray" market of wastewater dumping in unauthorized places;
• clarifying the Government's powers regarding:
  • the development and approval of drinking water supply and sanitation schemes for the sustainable development of systems and expanding territorial coverage;
  • conducting an annual inventory of systems to check their technical condition, identify ownerless networks, hidden leaks, and illegal connections;
• expanding the competence of local executive bodies in determining organizations that provide water supply and sanitation services in the relevant territory;
• granting specialized organizations the right to maintain networks built by citizens at their own expense, to ensure their reliability and uninterrupted provision of services.

As usual, you can ask questions on the webinar topic. Send them to the email address nczpionline@center.gov.by before 11:00 on September 29. Answers will be given during the live broadcast.