Public announcement
Publication date: 2026-08-06
Announcement pursuant to § 5 (2) of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (UVPG) regarding the determination of the EIA requirement for a project by the Loopeperle e.V. Water Supply Association; Im Blumenwinkel 2 in 51674 Wiehl, for the re-approval of groundwater extraction from several existing wells for the public water supply of the supply area of the Loopeperle e.V. Water Supply Association.
- 137 m³/day
- 50,000 m³/year
The extracted groundwater is used as drinking and utility water by the water supply association Loopeperle e.V. for public water supply.
According to Appendix 1, No. 13.3.3 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Act (UVPG), a site-specific preliminary assessment of the individual case in accordance with § 7 Paragraph 2 must be carried out for the extraction of groundwater with an annual water volume of 5,000 m³ to 100,000 m³, if significant adverse impacts on groundwater-dependent ecosystems are to be expected due to water use.
The requested groundwater extraction amount of 50,000 m³/year is within the assessment values.
Two of the wells on parcel 108, district 38 of the Drabenderhöhe cadastral district are located within the legally protected biotope under § 30 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatschG) with the designation BT-GM-01332, a wet and moist pasture.
Legally protected biotopes under § 30 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act are listed as a protection criterion in Appendix 1 under No. 2.3.7 of the UVPG.
The third well (parcel 49, district 45, Drabenderhöhe cadastral district) is not located within specially protected areas and will not be further considered.
The obligation for an EIA exists if the project, in the opinion of the responsible authority, may have significant adverse environmental impacts that must be taken into account in the approval decision under § 25 Paragraph 2 UVPG.
The geological report dated 15.05.2026 plausibly demonstrates that the groundwater extraction is not expected to have significant adverse environmental impacts on the protection goods to be considered under the UVPG. This assessment is based on the following aspects:
As part of the investigations, hand pits were conducted near the two wells, which demonstrate the typical soil conditions for a wet meadow site.
Both wells were constructed in accordance with generally recognized technical rules. In particular, the sealing of the annular space with suitable backfill and in the area of the well chambers prevents the entry of near-surface water into the underground.
To confirm this, water samples from the two wells as well as from the stream were taken, and the parameters temperature, conductivity, and pH value were determined. The results show no influence of groundwater by surface water.
The report from 15.05.2026 demonstrates that no hydraulic connectivity exists between the aquifer and the near-surface layers. Therefore, the groundwater extraction is not expected to have adverse impacts on the biotope.
The general preliminary assessment of the individual case has shown that significant adverse environmental impacts of the aforementioned project are not to be expected, taking into account the criteria listed in Appendix 3.
According to § 5 Paragraph 1 UVPG, it is therefore determined that there is no obligation to carry out an environmental impact assessment for the requested project.
This determination is not independently contestable under § 5 Paragraph 3 UVPG.
The public information required under § 5 Paragraph 2 Sentence 1 UVPG is provided with this announcement.
Gummersbach, 03.08.2026
Oberbergischer Kreis
The District Administrator
Environmental Office of the Oberbergischer Kreis
On behalf
Signed Hartmann