President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has ratified an amendment to the Water and Sewerage Act, extending the deadline to establish water and sewerage services across all inhabited islands to 2027.
The Act, first passed in 2020, required the government to provide water and sewerage services to every inhabited island within five years. While significant progress has been made, several projects remain incomplete, prompting the government to introduce a legislative amendment.
With the President’s ratification, the new law mandates that every island must be equipped with an adequate water and sewerage system by 2027. The amendment also introduces updated requirements for laboratories that provide water quality and safety testing services. These laboratories must now meet specific standards to ensure reliable analysis of water supplied for public use.
Further provisions in the amendment set out stricter reporting obligations. Service providers are required to submit annual performance reports alongside a forward-looking plan for the year ahead. The government must also produce a performance report on national water and sewerage services at the end of each calendar year.
The revised legislation takes immediate effect, cementing both the extended deadline and the enhanced regulatory framework for service provision.
