With 169 votes in favor, no votes against, and 12 abstentions, the Parliament accepted the bill submitted by Sándor Pintér, which exempts domestic wells that are not deeper than fifty meters and do not touch a waterproof layer, which were established without a license before January 1, 2024, from the licensing obligation. At the same time, a permit is still required for the establishment of new wells.
Based on the national map of the areas to be protected from a water resource protection point of view, the amendment of the Water Management Act stipulates as a main rule that household wells no deeper than fifty meters and which do not touch the first water-tight layer can be established, operated and closed by notification to the water authority. At the same time, the legislation also distinguishes areas that do not pose a risk from the point of view of water resources protection, in which case it considers it unnecessary to maintain the licensing obligation for domestic wells.
According to the justification, such wells do not cause a significant environmental impact, they do not threaten the good quality of the current or future water bases that provide drinking water supply, nor the extraction of water from them.
Source: Hungarian Nation
