Announcements on environmental law proceedings
The rights of citizens are particularly far-reaching when it comes to environmental protection. The public can exert a particular influence on environmentally relevant processes. Access to environmental information must be guaranteed by the public administration.
Recording of precipitation water discharges into water bodies
The targeted discharge of collected rainwater from built-up or paved areas into a surface water body is a water body utilisation within the meaning of the German Federal Water Act (WHG) and generally requires a corresponding permit under water law from the responsible water authority. Such authorisation may only be granted if the quantity and harmfulness is kept so low that no negative impact on the water body is to be expected.
Only small discharges from individual properties that are not used commercially are exempt from the authorisation requirement (discharges within the scope of residents' and public use).
During water inspections, unknown discharges are repeatedly detected and, in addition, the existing discharge outflows often exceed the quantities compatible with water bodies. For this reason, the Free State of Saxony has issued a decree on the "Adaptation of stormwater discharges from combined and separate sewer systems in the Free State of Saxony to the state of the art - Stormwater Action Concept (HKReWa)", which stipulates that data on existing discharges must first be collected from all dischargers of stormwater and transmitted to the Free State of Saxony via the lower water authorities. The aim is to record all discharges into surface waters that are subject to authorisation in order to initiate targeted measures to relieve the pressure on water bodies and improve the ecological status of water bodies.
Discharges from individual properties not used for commercial purposes are expressly excluded from the survey.
The Lower Water Authority of the City of Chemnitz therefore asks all dischargers to fill out the Excel table, which is available for download below, as completely as possible for each discharge point under the sheet "Data collection" up to column V by 31 December 2025. We also ask you to complete the cover sheet in full.
Please send the completed tables by e-mail to the following address: umweltamt.wasser(at)stadt-chemnitz.de.
More detailed information on the decree of the Free State of Saxony can be found at the following link. The decree sets out further requirements for the future handling of precipitation water discharges into public waters. The exact details can be found in the decree.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the above e-mail address or by telephone on 0371 488-3651.