New Water Permits Regime in the Province of Buenos Aires

First, the Water Authority of the Province of Buenos Aires (ADA) issued Resolution 872/2025, which creates the Single Registry, a platform that integrates into one system the former Water Users Registry and the Integrated Portal.

Then, the Authority published Joint Resolution 1746‑ADA‑2025 in the provincial Official Gazette on November 26, 2025, establishing a new regime for processing water prefeasibility certificates, construction authorizations and permits, and repealing Resolution 2222/2019.

Finally, it published ADA Resolution 1950/2025 on January 8, 2026, establishing that parties must declare an electronic domicile for all proceedings conducted before the Authority.
 

1. Single Registry

Resolution 872 establishes the mandatory registration of all parties that use water resources, including through the generation of effluents, drilling activities, own water intakes or hydraulic works. Conversely, registration is not required for those who use water resources exclusively for domestic purposes, are located in serviced areas without their own water intakes or generate only sanitary effluents discharged into public or private sewage networks.
 

2. Electronic processing and digital domicile

The new regime establishes the mandatory electronic processing of all procedures through an ADA‑specific system, interoperable with the Province of Buenos Aires Electronic Document Management platform (GDEBA), through which administrative notices will be served.
 

3. Initial sworn statement and elimination of the pre‑qualification stage

Resolution 1746 repealed the pre‑qualification process and replaced it with the filing of an Initial Sworn Statement Form. Based on the information in it, the Authority will determine the Water Classification (CHi), structured into four levels (CHi0 to CHi3), according to criteria related to the use of water resources, project location, and effluent generation. Subsequently, the Authority will determine the Operational Status Level (NF), distinguishing between users without executed or operational facilities (NF0) and users with facilities that are fully or partially executed and operational (NF1).
 

4. Water Prefeasibility Certificate

Resolution 1746 amended the validity periods applicable to the Water Prefeasibility Certificate (CPH). For projects classified as NF0, the CPH is valid for one year and may be renewed. For NF1 users, the CPH is valid for 90 days and may be requested only once, after which the corresponding permits must be obtained.

The information included in the CPH is incorporated into the databases used for calculating the water use fee and the effluent inspection and control charge.
 

5. Structure of the procedures

Resolution 1746 establishes a procedural framework that organizes the relevant proceedings into three main stages: water prefeasibility, construction authorizations, and permits.

In the first stage, water prefeasibility, there is a preliminary assessment of the project’s feasibility in relation to available water resources.

The second stage comprises the construction authorizations, which include hydraulic suitability, exploitation of water resources—both surface and groundwater—and wastewater management, with or without liquid effluent discharge.

Finally, the permits stage regulates the hydraulic suitability certificate, permits for the exploitation of surface and groundwater resources, and permits related to wastewater management, also with or without effluent discharge.

It should be noted that the Hydraulic Suitability Certificate is granted on a one‑time basis and does not require renewal, unless modifications are introduced to the works. By contrast, the remaining permits are valid for four years.

Resolution1746 also provides for special permits to install monitoring networks, drilling for cathodic protection purposes, and other specific cases related to water resource exploitation and effluent discharge.
 

6. Transitional regime

Users with proceedings pending at the time Resolution 1746 entered into force may opt to continue under the previous regime or to migrate to the new system by filing the relevant acceptance form.
 

7. Mandatory electronic domicile before the ADA

The electronic domicile must be declared through the Digital Administration Platform of the Province of Buenos Aires (portal.gba.gob.ar). All notices served through it will be fully valid and legally binding.

The registration obligation applies to legal entities and will apply, among others, to procedures involving plan approvals, riverbank demarcation, water prefeasibility certificates, construction authorizations, permits, sanctioning proceedings, operating inspection fees, and effluent quality control.