---
title: "Water Quality Standards"
url: "https://legal.ge/en/service/environmental-and-energy-law-en/water-quality-standards-en"
field: "Environmental & Energy Law"
description: "Water quality standards: quality norms, emission limits and waste prohibitions under environmental law. Legal.ge."
reviewed: "2026-07-09"
updated: "2026-10-23"
publisher: "legal.ge"
---

# Water Quality Standards

> Source: legal.ge, https://legal.ge/en/service/environmental-and-energy-law-en/water-quality-standards-en

## Water quality standards in Georgian law

Water quality standards in Georgia fit into the normative system of the law on environmental protection: the law defines the quality norms of the condition of the environment, the permissible limit norms for the emission of harmful substances, and the ecological requirements towards waste — and it is precisely these three contours that create the legal framework by which the quality of water objects is protected. If your enterprise uses water or returns used water into it, knowledge of these three normative layers is essential.

The full text is available on legal.ge after signing in: https://legal.ge/en/service/environmental-and-energy-law-en/water-quality-standards-en

### What are quality norms?

The maximum permissible norms of the concentration of harmful substances and of the quantity of microorganisms in water, determined once every 5 years by the corresponding regulation.

### How is an emission norm set?

For each concrete source of pollution, taking into account technological features and background pollution, so that the concentration at the site does not exceed the permissible level.

### May waste be placed in water?

No. The placement of any waste in the sea and other water objects is prohibited; placement is possible only in specially designated places.

### Who approves the norms?

The quality norms — by the health ministry in agreement with the environmental ministry; the emission norms — by the environmental ministry, once every five years.