ᐅ Utility Connections – Wastewater / Drainage

Hello everyone,

I want to apply for the new utility connections but I’m a bit confused.

After we received the building permit/planning permission, the architect prepared the drainage plan and submitted it to the local authority (but we haven’t received a response yet).

Do I need to apply separately for the wastewater/drainage connection, or is submitting the plan enough?

The architect has planned a rainwater retention system (which, as far as I understand, is required by the local authority). Do I need to commission this separately? Is it part of the drainage connection work?

I also received a letter from the local authority about water and drainage, but it only referred to the building permit/planning permission and not to the sewer plan. It mentioned the costs for the water and drainage system and that we should report them after the construction work is completed.
Are these the fees for the water/wastewater connections?

From the general contractor, I learned that the electrician will apply for the electrical connection for the new house.
Do I need to coordinate anything for the various utility connections (water, wastewater, electricity, and internet)?

We will start with the foundation slab next week. Should anything be done during this phase, or only when the shell construction is finished?

Thank you very much.

Best regards

We had to apply for the water connection through the water supplier. Give them a call, and they will tell you what you need to do. Alternatively, you might find the information on their website. From my own experience, I can say you should apply as early as possible. Sometimes it takes longer than you expect.

Usually, these are separate. You pay once for the development costs up to the property boundary – that means the water main connection to the property – unless the property is already fully serviced. (That was the case for us).
For us, the amount for the water supply connection was also included in the notary contract.

Then you still need to apply for the actual house connection. This covers the section from the property boundary into the house, including the installation of the water meter. This is usually paid by the builder (in our case, it was 1600€ (about $1700) in Lower Saxony). Unless it is included in the contract with the general contractor (GC).
Who applies for the house connections should be coordinated with the GC. For both of our houses, the contractors took care of this. For the first house, we paid for it ourselves; for the current house, the contractor included it in the contract, which is rather uncommon.

Make sure to double-check this. You will need house connections for water, electricity, possibly gas, and telecommunications. Your electrician will handle the electrical connection, as you already know. You should clarify the rest soon with the construction company.

Drainage is a separate matter. We also had to apply for it separately at the local authority, but it was approved very quickly in our case. For the first house, the GC prepared all the paperwork, sent it to us for signature, and included instructions on where to send it by mail. 😀 For the second house, I don’t even know how it went because the GC took care of everything.

Who pays for the sewage connection for wastewater/stormwater should be specified in your contract. For the first house, we had to pay extra; for the second, it was included.

The drainage plan was stamped by our local authority and returned to us along with a form that we have to fill out after moving in, specifying the covered and built-up areas according to the degree of sealing (for stormwater management).

Whether your excavation contractor also installs the rainwater retention system should be stated in the documents. Usually, it makes sense to install a combined cistern, where the upper part is used for retention and the lower part for garden irrigation.

You will need to arrange utility connections yourself. Regarding electricity, I recommend checking again—here in the EnBW area, the electrician applies for the meter. However, you must apply for the connection from the main line to the distribution box in the utility room. And before anyone pulls any cables through the multi-service duct, make sure it is clear who is going in which direction. Electric and water lines must not cross, and having the electrical distribution box under windows is also problematic (in my case, it was still installed there because the water connection was already where the electrical connection would have been most practical).

Thank you for your responses.

We have informed the municipality about the delayed reply regarding the drainage plan, and they immediately sent the approved plan (it was completed 1.5 months ago but, for some reason, was not sent). They also provided the following forms, which need to be completed and returned:
- Application for permission to connect to the public water supply system
- Application for permission to connect to the public drainage system

The house building contract did not mention house connections (only the sewer pipes that are installed outside the house).

The municipality gave many instructions on what needs to be checked before construction starts and while the foundation pit is still open on site. I discussed this with the general contractor, who commissioned a civil engineering company to prepare a quote for this.

I assume that the civil engineering company will then handle all the house connections.