Establish water protection areas and medicinal spring protection areas

Water is not a common commodity, but the basis of life for humans, animals and plants and must therefore be specially protected.

In order to safeguard the public drinking water supply, the designation of water protection areas is a cornerstone of preventive, area-based groundwater protection. Rules for land use are defined within the water protection areas following a hydrogeological assessment. These go beyond the general requirements for groundwater protection and include regulations on the handling of substances hazardous to water, prohibit interventions in the subsoil and can also restrict agricultural use if the drinking water is contaminated.

Water protection areas are subdivided into protection zones:

Zone III (further protection zone):
Zone III is intended to ensure protection against far-reaching impairments, in particular against chemical and radioactive contaminants that are not degradable or are difficult to degrade. As a rule, Zone III should cover the entire catchment area. A subdivision into Zones IIIA and IIIB is possible for very extensive catchment areas (shown in yellow on the detailed maps, or in the case of subdivision: A = yellow and B = brown).

Zone II (narrower protection zone):
Zone II is intended to ensure protection against contamination by pathogenic microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses, etc.) and other impairments that are dangerous if the flow time and flow distance to the drinking water extraction plant are short. It is therefore intended to cover the area around the well in which the groundwater takes 50 days or less to reach the wells (shown in blue on the detailed maps).

Zone I (catchment area):
Zone I comprises the immediate surroundings of the water extraction plant. It is intended to ensure protection against any contamination and impairment. It is therefore also protected by fencing to prevent unauthorised access or access by grazing animals and wildlife (shown in red on the detailed maps).