Text of the provision
Art. 503. The following are of private ownership:
(1) Continuous or intermittent waters rising on lands of private ownership, while running through the same;
(2) Lakes and lagoons, and their beds, formed by Nature on such lands;
(3) Subterranean waters found on the same;
(4) Rain waters falling on said lands, as long as they remain within the boundaries;
(5) The beds of flowing waters, continuous or intermittent, formed by rain water, and those of brooks, crossing lands which are not of public dominion. In every drain or aqueduct, the water, bed, banks and floodgates shall be considered as an integral part of the land of building for which the waters are intended. The owners of lands, through which or along the boundaries of which the aqueduct passes, cannot claim ownership over it, or any right to the use of its bed or banks, unless the claim is based on titles of ownership specifying the right or ownership claimed.
(408)
Civil Code of the Philippines, Republic Act No. 386, approved June 18, 1949, effective August 30, 1950. Reproduced in full; verified verbatim against the LawPhil and ChanRobles official-text renderings.
What this article means
Water that rises on privately owned land while it is still running through that land, lakes and lagoons formed by nature on it, underground water found in it, rain water falling on it while still within its boundaries, and the beds of rain-fed streams crossing it are private property. In a drain or aqueduct, the water, bed, banks and floodgates are treated as part of the land or building the water is meant for, and neighbours the aqueduct crosses cannot claim it unless they hold a title saying so.
Related provisions
- Article 502 — Waters Of Public Dominion.
- Article 504 — Acquiring Use Of Public Waters.
Cases interpreting this article
- Authorities on this article will be added here as each is verified against primary sources.