Water Supply as a Service
The service side of water rights begins with the water-supply activity: a water-supply licensee carries out its activity on the basis of a water-supply activity license, in accordance with the law and the sub-statutory acts issued on its basis. This page describes the licensee’s rights and duties and the final customer’s rights — the whole chain from supplier to consumer.
The Licensee’s Duties
A water-supply licensee is obliged: to render services in accordance with the law and sub-statutory acts; to operate the drinking-water supply and sewerage systems, to supply drinking water and/or provide sewerage; through the drinking-water supply system to secure the supply of drinking water of a quality corresponding to the standards in force in Georgia; to secure the constant control of water quality; to secure the due protection of water objects and not to allow third parties to affect the system or pollute the drinking water; through the sewerage systems to secure the treatment of pollutants in wastewater discharged into surface-water objects in accordance with the technical regulations in force; to elaborate emergency action plans; in emergency periods to secure the observance of allocated limits and established regimes, with the priority supply of objects of special significance conditional on payment; to make available to the public the approved tariffs and service conditions; to submit an investment programme and annual work plan; and to pay the regulation fee in due time. Non-fulfillment of the duties entails the liability provided for by law.
The Licensee’s Rights
The licensee has the right fully to enjoy the rights conferred by the license — in the manner determined by the law, the rules of supply and consumption of drinking water, and the commission’s decisions; where supply is by schedule, it supplies the emergency management service with information about the schedule; and it transmits drinking water through its network for another licensee, in exchange for the fee set by the commission. This last norm is the foundation of network unity — transmitting another’s water through one operator’s network is a contractual, tariffed process.
The Final Customer’s Rights
The protection of the final customer is carried out by the law, the acts issued on its basis, and other regulatory acts on consumer rights. The fee is paid according to the requirements of the supply rules and the respective contractual conditions, while the procedure of charging, settlement and collection is determined by the supply rules. The customer has the right freely to choose and change the supplier in accordance with the law. For water this means the customer’s position is not passive — the instruments of choice, information and quality demand are available.
What These Norms Do Not Contain
These norms contain no concrete level of tariffs — the commission sets them; nor is the licensing procedure here — it is resolved by licensing legislation. The page’s task is to show the service chain: who is responsible for what in the supply of drinking water, and how.
For the customer: know your rights — the quality standard, the disclosure of tariffs, the right to change supplier. In emergency periods take account of the limits and the priority supply of special objects. For the licensee: the list of duties is a functional checklist — from quality control to emergency plans; their non-fulfillment entails liability.
The legal architecture of the water-supply service rests on three pillars: the license — which grants the right of activity; the commission — which establishes tariffs and regulation rules; and the customer — whose rights determine the quality of the service. Together these three pillars create the balance that turns the supply of drinking water into a reliable and accessible service.
The regulation of emergencies is especially significant: the licensee is obliged to elaborate emergency action plans, conduct negotiations with other persons, and secure the priority supply of objects of special significance — conditional on payment. This means that in a crisis the distribution of water is not merely a commercial decision: it is resolved also by social priorities.
The requirement of tariff disclosure is no formality either: the licensee must make the approved tariffs and service conditions available to the public, and submit an investment programme and the next year’s work plan. This transparency gives the customer and the municipality the means to assess and control the service — and that is precisely why it stands at the centre of the legislator’s attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the questions most frequently asked on this topic.
On what basis does the licensee operate?
On the basis of a water-supply licence, in conformity with the law and subordinate acts.
What duties does the licensee have?
Lawful provision of the service, the supply of drinking water and other duties established by law.
Who protects the end consumer?
The law — the rights of the end consumer operate along the whole chain from supplier to consumer.
How We Help on Legal.ge
The Legal.ge team will assess your situation within the norms described on this page and help you with the appropriate instruments. Write to us on Legal.ge — we will plan the steps at the very first consultation.
A timely application strengthens the position — contact us before the terms or the course of the dispute limit the decision.