The Water Law Act dated 20 July 2017 was published in the Polish Journal of Laws on 23 August 2017.

Link - Water Law (in Polish)

The Act will replace the current Water Law Act and largely enter into force on 1 January 2018.

The most important change is a general introduction of fees (fixed and variable) for water services (e.g. intake of groundwater or surface water, discharge of sewage or of water into water or into the ground). The Council of Ministers shall issue secondary legislation under the Act regulating the unit rates for water service fees, both fixed and variable.

The Act also regulates the necessity to adjust the existing water permits to the new legal framework.

There will be a number of changes to the water management system, including a new administrative authority - Państwowe Gospodarstwo Wodne Wody Polskie"- which will handle matters covered by the Act. Moreover, the relevant authorities of Wody Polskie" will be competent for the issuance of water permits.

There will be a new administrative measure called a water consent, which covers issuance of a water permit, acceptance of a water law notification, issuance of a water assessment and other decisions governed by the Act.

Dentons is the world's first polycentric global law firm. A top 20 firm on the Acritas 2015 Global Elite Brand Index, the Firm is committed to challenging the status quo in delivering consistent and uncompromising quality and value in new and inventive ways. Driven to provide clients a competitive edge, and connected to the communities where its clients want to do business, Dentons knows that understanding local cultures is crucial to successfully completing a deal, resolving a dispute or solving a business challenge. Now the world's largest law firm, Dentons' global team builds agile, tailored solutions to meet the local, national and global needs of private and public clients of any size in more than 125 locations serving 50-plus countries. www.dentons.com.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.