Drilling and working in groundwater

Course description

Drilling operations that only penetrate Quaternary gravel and are not located within a water protection area may commence one month after receipt of the notification accompanied by the full documentation, provided that the works have not been prohibited within that period.​

Drilling operations subject to notification that only penetrate Quaternary gravel and are not located within a water protection area include, for example:

• unlined boreholes such as exploratory boreholes and ground investigation boreholes
• groundwater monitoring points
• Wells for the thermal utilisation of groundwater using a heat pump or cooling system
• Installation of a geothermal probe​
• Installation of a well for garden irrigation

You will require a permit under water law for the following boreholes (see ‘Boreholes requiring a permit under water law’):

• through layers protecting groundwater (clay, sand, silt)
• through multiple aquifers
• into pressurised water

The necessary documents can be found under ‘Documents and Links’ in the PDF ‘Description of required application documents for boreholes, wells and groundwater monitoring points in deep groundwater’.

Required documents

The documents should preferably be submitted digitally.

• Completed notification form
• General site plan M 1:25,000 with marking of the location
• Detailed site plan M 1:5,000 or M 1:1,000 with entry of the project
• Expected layer profile of the subsoil (for groundwater measuring points with schematic expansion plan)

Legal basis

§ Section 49 of the Federal Water Act (WHG)Article 30 of the Bavarian Water Act (BayWG)