Uzbekistan bans use of underground wells without meters

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved regulations for registering devices that measure water consumption from underground wells, according to a document published on Lex.uz.

The state-owned enterprise “Uzbekhydrogeology” under the Ministry of Geology and Mining Industry will be responsible for registering water meters. The installation of such devices will become mandatory starting 30 November, when the regulation enters into force.

The use of wells and other facilities for extracting artesian water without a meter will be prohibited. An exception is made for individuals drawing up to 5 cubic meters of water per day for personal and household needs.

To register a water meter, applicants must submit a request via the Public Services Center or the Unified Portal of Interactive Government Services. The application should include the address of the water facility, the number of wells, boreholes, and meters, as well as the factory serial number, brand, and model of each meter, along with the certificate of conformity.

A local hydrogeological station will issue an electronic registration certificate for the meter with a QR code. A tax inspector will then visit the site to seal the device, after which the document will be electronically signed and sent to the applicant.

The procedure will take no more than 10 working days. The service fee is 50% of the base calculation unit (UZS 206,000).

Water meters must be verified by metrological organizations every four years. Removal of devices for this purpose may take up to one month, during which consumption will be calculated based on the average usage of the previous three months.

At the end of July, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev instructed officials to digitalize all stages of water usage and introduce contour-based water accounting, emphasizing the lack of precise data on water consumption by farmers as one of the key challenges in agriculture.