Dispose of waste water
As the owner of a property, you must dispose of waste water in the correct manner.
This means that you must connect the waste water to the public sewerage system via a private drainage pipe.
Rainwater may be an exception to this rule.
Wastewater is
- water that has been contaminated through use,
- water whose properties or composition have been altered,
- precipitation water that runs off from paved surfaces and is collected.
Sewerage systems collect and transport the wastewater. Sewage treatment works treat it and then discharge it into watercourses. In some cases, industrial plants also treat wastewater and discharge it directly into watercourses.
To ensure safe wastewater disposal, wet wipes, kitchen roll or newspaper must not be flushed down the toilet.
Nappies and other hygiene products, as well as disinfectant wipes, should not be flushed down the toilet but placed in the general waste bin. These materials are tear-resistant and do not dissolve in water.
Only toilet paper may be flushed down the toilet.
Responsible authority
As the parties responsible for waste disposal, local authorities are generally responsible for the disposal of wastewater. They may commission service providers or special-purpose associations to carry out this work.
Details
Prerequisite
none
Procedure
The property owner will be formally notified to pay the sewage charges.
Deadlines
none
Required documents
none
Costs
Local authorities levy wastewater charges (sewage charges, stormwater charges) by means of a charge notice based on a by-law.
The local authorities or special-purpose associations set the level of the charges themselves on the basis of their own cost calculations.
The costs of wastewater disposal are borne by the owner or tenant of a building or plot of land. Every household has a water meter that records the amount of fresh water consumed; this forms the basis for calculating the sewage charge. The stormwater charge is calculated based on the paved area connected to the sewerage system.
Further information on wastewater charges, reductions and special regulations – particularly for new development areas – can be found in the wastewater by-laws of your local authority.
Legal basis
- §§ 54 ff. Gesetz zur Ordnung des Wasserhaushalts (WHG) (Abwasserbeseitigung)
- §§ 46 ff. Wassergesetz Baden-Württemberg (WG) (Abwasserbeseitigung)
Kommunalabgabengesetz (KAG)
- § 13 KAG (Gebührenerhebung)
- § 14 KAG (Gebührenbemessung)
- § 17 KAG (Gebühren für die Benutzung der öffentlichen Abwasserbeseitigung)
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Umweltministerium Baden-Württemberg, 07.08.2026