In Georgia management of the natural resources, including water resources is regulated by a relevant legal framework consisting of laws, decrees, by-laws and other normative acts. The following laws with regard to management of water resources are currently in force:

Law on Environment Protection (1996)
Law on Water (1997)
Law on Mineral Resources (1996)
Law on Land Reclamation (1997)
Law on Licenses and Permits (2005)
Law on Permit for Impact on Environment (2007)
Law on Public Health (2007)
Law on Management and Protection of the Sea Coast and River Banks (2000)

The law on Environment Protection establishes general framework for environment protection and use of natural resources and regulates legal relations between state institutions and physical and legal entities in this sphere.

The Law on Water sets up the legal basis for water resources protection and management in Georgia and defines the main principles of water policy:

•  Protection of water bodies and rational use of water taking into account interest of present and future generations as well as the principles of sustainable development;
• Supply the population with safe  drinking water as the first priority;
• Sustainability and sustainable use of water inhabitants;
• Prevention of harmful impacts on water resources;
• Guarantee the security of the state interests in the field of water protection, use and international trading;
• Production of water as goods according to the international principles and norms;
• Defence of interests of legal and natural entities in the field of water use and protection.

The Law on Mineral Resources defines the principles of use, regulation and protection of mineral resources, including groundwater.

The Law on Land Reclamation regulates legal relations in the filed of land reclamation. The law aims to promote: coordination of activities in the field of land reclamation and establishment of land reclamation associations.

The Law on Licenses and Permits regulates organized activities and actions, which impose increased risks on human health and lives, represents exceptional state or public interest or is connected to the use of state resources. Among other types of licenses and permits the law sets a permit for impact on the environment and licenses for use of underground space and extraction of minerals (including underground waters), use of underground water and fishing.

The Law on Permit for Impact on the Environment defines the full list of developments requiring the permit for impact on the environment. According to this law, these activities are subject to mandatory environmental impact assessment (EIA), and ecological expertise. The law defines procedures of permit issuance, environmental impact assessment, public participation in decision making and other.

The Law on Public Health aims to ensure safe environment for human health and to promote healthy lifestyles. According to this law, in order to ensure safe environment for public health, the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia establishes environmental quality standards for air, water, soil, noise, vibration and electromagnetic radiation.

The Law on Management and Protection of the Sea Coast and River Banks provides for: state supervision on construction activities along the seaside and use of relief forming minerals; sustainable development of territorial resources etc. 

The following sub-legal laws regulate use and protection of water resources in Georgia:

The Ordinance #279/n, August 16 2001, of the Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia about assertion of environmental quality norms
establishes quality norms of water from non-centralized and surface water supply system; sanitary protection rules and norms for surface waters and springs; hygienic norms and sanitary rules for protection and use of coastal waters; sanitary rules and norms for protection of underground waters.

The Ordinance #349/n, December 17 2007, of the Minister of Labour, Health and the Social Affairs of Georgia, about assertion of technical agenda of water for Human Consumption establishes sanitary norms for drinking water. The document covers natural or processed water used for human consumption, regardless of source and way of distribution, as well as water used for food production.

The Ordinance #130, September 17 1996, of the Minister of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia on assertion of rules for protection of Georgian surface waters from pollution establishes main principles of protection of surface water, which are: setting limits for pollutants in surface waters; controlling the compliance of sources of point and diffuse pollution with established standards; monitoring surface waters, and other. The document sets different quality norms for surface waters used for different purposes, namely, for waters used for human and domestic consumption and fisheries. In addition, it provides a list of the most dangerous substances.

The Ordinance of the Minister of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia #169, December 29 1997, on assertion of limits for emissions of  harmful substances into the environment and limits for pollution of the environment with micro-organisms sets rules for defining limits for emissions of harmful substances and limits for pollution of environment with micro-organisms. According to the document limits for discharged waters should be established for each pollution source separately, depending on their technological features, location, and background situation of the environment, so that total concentration of harmful substances and micro-organisms do not exceed maximum allowable limits in a certain area.

The Ordinance #105, August 12 1996, of Minister of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Georgia on methods of calculation of maximum permissible amounts of pollutants discharged into water bodies provides for methods of calculation of the maximum permissible concentrations of pollutants that are allowed to be released into water bodies.