Apply for permission to withdraw and discharge water from surface waters in a formal procedure

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 competent 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.
• The competent authority will publicly announce the project.
• If necessary, the competent authority will hold an oral hearing with the parties involved.
• You will receive
  • a permit or
  • a notice of refusal
• You will also receive a fee notice.
• You pay the fee.
  

The Structural and Approval Directorate North and the Structural and Approval Directorate South are responsible.

• The water body and the public water supply are not endangered by your use.
• Your project does not fall under public use, for which you do not need to apply for a permit under water law.

The documents you need for your application 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:

• Explanatory report
• General site plan as a topographical map in which the existing or planned facility is shown in color
• Current cadastral site plan in which the existing or planned installation is shown in color
• Information on the type of installation
• schematic representation of the facility in plan and section
• accompanying nature conservation planning, including entry in the compensation area register for new facilities
• If applicable: Technical contribution to the Water Framework Directive

In individual cases, you must submit further documents on request.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, you also need a certificate of competence.

An administrative fee must be paid to the respective federal state for the issue of the permit. The administrative fee is based on the respective state regulations on administrative fees.

State Ordinance on Fees in the Field of Environmental Law (Special List of Fees) of August 28, 2019 Annex Part 5 Nos. 11.1.1 and 11.1.2

There is no statutory deadline. Apply for the permit in good time before starting your project.

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

• § Section 8 (1) of the German Federal Water Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz - WHG)
• § Section 9(1)(1) of the Federal Water Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz - WHG)
• § Section 15 of the Water Resources Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz - WHG)

Action before the administrative court

Contradiction

There are no indications or special features.

State Office for the Environment

01.12.2023