Groundwater lowering or groundwater maintenance required in the course of construction measures are uses of water bodies that generally require a permit.
As an exception, groundwater lowering for smaller construction measures, such as for the installation of a shaft or for the excavation pit of a building, can be assessed as permit-free if a withdrawal of approximately 10 cubic meters per day (m³/d) is not exceeded and these are only operated for a "short" period of time. Such groundwater lowering must also be reported to the water authority in writing with the relevant documentation. The water authority then decides whether the measure does not require a permit or whether a permit under water law is required.
The state of Lower Saxony charges a water withdrawal fee (WEG) for the withdrawal.
Further information and corresponding forms for the water withdrawal fee
As a rule, the required water law permit must be applied for at the lower water authority approximately four weeks before the start of the measure.
Lower water authority
Porschestrasse 49, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany
Room 430
Telephone: 05361 28-1875
Send e-mail
To apply, please submit the following application form, completed in full, signed, and accompanied by all of the above documents, in at least three copies.
The discharge of the extracted groundwater must be shown as part of the application. Discharge into a body of water also requires a permit from the water authority.