Wasser aus oberirdischen Gewässern: Bewilligung für die Entnahme und das Ableiten beantragen

If you wish to withdraw or discharge water from surface waters, you can apply for a water permit from the relevant water authority.

If you want to extract water from an above-ground body of water - i.e. from a river, lake, canal, stream, ditch or pond - you need a permit or authorization under water law. A permit is normally applied for. In justified exceptional cases, you can also apply for a permit instead.

A permit grants you the right to use surface waters. Unlike a permit, an authorization cannot be revoked by the authorities at any time, but only to a limited extent. In addition, a permit protects you from third-party claims under civil law.

The permit specifies the purpose, type and extent of use. It may be linked to conditions and ancillary provisions.

In your application for a permit, please provide the following information, among others:

• Reasons why a secure legal status is necessary for your project
• Explanation of the purpose and plan of your project

The documents you need for your application will vary depending on the type and scope of your project. In a preliminary discussion with the responsible water authority, you can clarify which documents are required in your case.

As a rule, several or all of the following documents are required:

• Project description with hydraulic calculation of the extraction quantities and description of the extraction systems (e.g. pump system and transport system)
• Site plan of the extraction point(s) and, if applicable, discharge point(s)
• Information on the purpose and duration of the water withdrawal

Optional:

• Hydrological report (effects of the water abstraction)
• Proof of maintenance of the minimum water flow
• Documents for the preliminary EIA assessment
• Technical contribution according to WFD
• Statement from the person responsible for maintenance/water and soil association for the abstraction water body
• Consent of the water body owner; in the case of federal waterways, possibly also a river and shipping police permit

Your project is not reasonable without the secure legal status of a permit. For example, a company wishing to extract drinking water and build the necessary facilities can apply for a permit.

Your use will not endanger the abstraction waters, adjacent waters and the terrestrial ecosystems and wetlands that depend on them, or the public water supply.

You can apply for a permit from your local water authority. The general procedure is as follows:

• Send your application for a permit with the required documents to the responsible water authority.
• The responsible water authority
  • checks that your application and documents are complete and contacts you if any information or documents are missing,
  • examines your application from a water management and water law perspective and, if necessary, involves other authorities,
  • carries out a preliminary environmental impact assessment and publishes the results.
• If necessary, affected parties will be involved as part of a public participation process.
• You will receive
  • an authorization or
  • a notice of refusal.
• You will also receive a fee notice.
• You pay the fee.

The processing time depends in particular on the quality and scope of the application and the documents.

Apply for approval in good time before starting your project.

• Withdrawal of water from surface waters; authorization
• A permit for the abstraction of water from surface waters must be applied for from the competent authority.
• A permit:
  • provides the user of the water body with more legal certainty than a permit and
  • is only granted in justified exceptional cases
• Prerequisite: no harmful, unavoidable or uncompensatable changes to the watercourse are to be expected as a result of the project
• Application is subject to a fee
• Responsible:
  • Lower water authorities of the districts and independent cities for water abstraction from a 2nd order watercourse
  • State Office for Agriculture and the Environment as the lower water authority for water abstraction from a 1st order watercourse

Is the water abstraction from a 1st order watercourse?

• if "Yes", click on "Continue with the State Office for Agriculture and the Environment (StALU)"
• If "No", click on "Continue with the lower water authority"