Applying for permission to drill deep boreholes for geothermal use

Drilling work that goes so deep into the ground that it can affect the movement or composition of the groundwater is referred to as ground excavation from a water law perspective. If you are planning such an excavation for geothermal use, you must apply for a permit from the responsible water authority before starting the work.

A permit is required for the following project purposes:

• geothermal use with a vertical geothermal probe,
• geothermal use with groundwater heat pump plant construction and operation,
• geothermal exploration purposes (other).

You can only start your project once your competent water authority has issued the permit.

The water authority responsible for your project is determined by the location of the planned drilling points.