These Regulations are enacted in accordance with the Water Law, aiming to strengthen the unified management of water resources, improve the utilization efficiency of water resources and ensure the safety of water. The Regulations are divided into 6 Chapters: General Provisions (I); Water Resources Allocation and Management on Water Withdrawing and Using (II); Conservation on Use of Water Resources (III); Monitoring and Protection of Water Resources (IV); Legal Responsibility (V); Supplementary Provisions (VI).
Water resources include surface water and groundwater. The total amount of water used by cities and counties in the districts shall not exceed the total amount of water allocated by the people's Government of the autonomous region. The people's governments at or above the county level shall register the water rights according to law. The right to use water resources can be transferred or traded according to law. The development and utilization of water resources should give priority to the development and utilization of surface water, rationally exploit shallow groundwater, and strictly control the exploitation of deep groundwater. The development and utilization of mineral water and geothermal water should be strictly licensed in accordance with the law.