Water law permission for groundwater lowering
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Bauen und Immobilien
Procedure
To apply for a groundwater lowering permit, an application form is available for download under "further information".
It is recommended to use the prepared application form. However, submitting an informal application with the required documents is also possible.
The application should contain at least the following information:
- Applicant (name, address, telephone number)
- Affected property (address)
- Site plan with entry of the subsidence area, the withdrawal and discharge point as well as the marking of the building plot
- Soil profiles at the extraction points with details of the GW level relative to NN
- Hydrological calculation of the system (flow rate, drawdown area, drawdown depth in relation to sea level)
- Sectional drawings
- Indication of the planned discharge (canal/surface water or re-injection into groundwater)
- drawdown period
- Type of drawdown method
Groundwater drawdowns in small quantities for a temporary purpose, where no adverse effects on the water balance, ecology or third parties are to be expected, may be exempted from the permit requirement in consultation with the water authority (Section 46 para. 1
sentence 1 of the Water Resources Act).
The prerequisite for a permit-free use in the course of a construction measure is that there is no groundwater contamination, contaminated sites or settlement-sensitive development in the area of influence of the groundwater lowering and that the groundwater is not discharged into a surface water. It is recommended that these projects be reported to the water authority for examination in good time before the start of the measure, stating the local situation and the time period.
Detailed information on groundwater withdrawals is summarized in the fact sheet on groundwater drawdown. The leaflet is available for download under the heading "further information , where can I find out more".
Legal bases
More information
The granting of permission for the lowering of groundwater in areas with groves on private, as well as public land, can only be considered without restrictions in the period from October 1 to February 29 with regard to vegetation. In the period from March 1 to September 30 (vegetation period), the affected woody vegetation must be protected by irrigation measures.
Under the heading "where can I find out more" you will find further information on the subject of groundwater lowering.
You will find sample templates for the preparation of an irrigation plan and for the documentation of the irrigation.
