Belarusian Summer Residents Forced The Ministry To Make Excuses
- 19.08.2026, 8:29
The issue of rainwater running off roofs has caused quite a stir among owners of suburban properties.
Homeowners in the private sector will not face fines for directing rainwater and meltwater from their property onto the surrounding terrain—the new version of the Water Code does not change the current rules, as reported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.
The ministry published a statement “in light of the widespread discussion on social media regarding issues related to the discharge of rainwater and meltwater from private (residential) properties.”
“The new version of the Water Code of the Republic of Belarus (as amended by Law of the Republic of Belarus No. 148-Z of June 1, 2026) does not change the current approaches to the discharge of rainwater or meltwater by citizens,” — the Ministry of Natural Resources explained.
This refers to water that forms during rain or snowmelt, flows into gutters, pipes, roof drains, and other similar structures, and is then discharged from private property onto the ground.
Such water is not considered wastewater—neither under the current version of the Water Code nor under the new one. Therefore, its discharge onto the ground is not in itself a violation of legislation on the protection and use of water. The ministry emphasized that there are no grounds for fining individuals for this.
As a reminder, the specialized website domovita.by previously reported on the amendments to the Water Code that will take effect on January 1, 2027, which prohibit individuals from discharging wastewater beyond the boundaries of their land plots. At that time, this classification included rainwater and meltwater, among other types.
However, it should be noted that owners of private homes may face fines for other violations of property maintenance and landscaping rules—for example, for grass taller than 20 centimeters that has not been mowed, trash on the property, or improper maintenance of buildings and fences. For violations of landscaping regulations, the fine for individuals can be up to 25 base units.