Allocation of the maintenance effort for flowing waters

Information on the water maintenance fee

Water maintenance fees are charged for the maintenance of streams and ditches in the Beckum municipal area.

Due to a change in the Water Act for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, an adjustment of the water maintenance fee statutes became necessary. What is new is that the fees

• are to be levied not only for the areas in the outer area but also for the areas in the inner city area,
• are to be calculated with a separate calculation subdivided according to the areas of the 3 water and soil associations entrusted with the maintenance, and
• can be determined separately for sealed and unsealed surfaces.

On 11 October 2018, the council of the city of Beckum passed the statute on the levying of watercourse maintenance fees. The preparatory work for the levying of the fee according to the new legal basis has been completed.

With the 2021 notice of land ownership charges, you will be informed of the sealed and unsealed areas determined by me for your property. The determination was made on the basis of aerial photographs by a commissioned specialist office.

At the same time, I will set the fees retroactively from 1 January 2018.

What does watercourse maintenance mean?

Beckum has a large number of streams and ditches (hereafter referred to as water bodies). These include, for example, the Werse, the Rüenkolk, the Siechenbach, the Hellbach, the Stichelbach, the Deipenbach and the Völkerbach. These watercourses and their tributaries help to ensure that the rainfall falling on the urban area can drain off without causing major damage.

Section 39 of the Act on the Regulation of Water Resources (Gesetz zur Ordnung des Wasserhaushalts, abbreviated to Water Resources Act) defines the objectives of the maintenance of surface waters as well as their upkeep and development as a public-law obligation. The objectives for watercourse maintenance provide in particular for:

• the preservation of the watercourse bed, to ensure proper water drainage,
• the maintenance of the banks, in the form of preservation or new planting of plants appropriate to the site, as well as keeping the banks free for water runoff,
• the preservation and promotion of the ecological functioning of the water body, in particular as a habitat for wild animals and plants,
• the maintenance of the watercourse in a condition that meets water management needs in terms of the discharge or retention of water, suspended matter and ice.

The implementation of these goals may include the following measures:

• the mowing of the embankments,
• the removal of drainage obstacles such as rubbish and leaf accumulation,
• the removal of sand and soil deposits from the riverbeds,
• cutting back shrubs, hedges and trees in the riparian area so that water run-off in the water bodies is guaranteed at all times, and
• the maintenance of water management facilities on and in water bodies.

How and to what extent the proper flow of water is ensured is the responsibility of the respective water and soil association.
It is also intended that near-natural development of the watercourse is initiated or permitted in some areas. All other rights and obligations (e.g. the duty to ensure traffic safety) remain with the owner of the watercourse parcel (usually the riparian owner).

The maintenance work contributes significantly to securing the flow of water from all properties in the urban area, so that it serves both the direct riparians and all other property owners.

Who carries out the maintenance work?

In total, there are 3 agencies that carry out the maintenance work in the city area. The Ahlen-Beckum Water and Soil Association takes care of the largest part in the Beckum and Vellern areas. The water bodies in Neubeckum and Roland are maintained by the Sendenhorst-Ennigerloh Water and Soil Association. The remaining areas are the responsibility of the maintenance association 5 - Quabbe.
Water board areas

How much do I have to pay for watercourse maintenance?

The costs incurred by the water and soil associations for watercourse maintenance are invoiced to the City of Beckum. The refinancing of these costs and the associated administration is carried out through the watercourse maintenance fee. This is levied on all property owners in Beckum. The total costs are apportioned 90 per cent over the sealed areas and 10 per cent over the unsealed areas.
The following is an example of the fees calculated for a single-family house and a farm:

Calculation example for a single-family house with 400 m² plot area
Calculation example for a farm with 352 500 m² plot area

What land areas are taken into account and how is this done?

All properties in the city area are taken into account. Whether the area actually discharges into the sewage system or into a body of water is irrelevant. The law provides for a subdivision into sealed and unsealed surfaces.

Sealed surfaces are land areas that are built on or paved with asphalt, concrete, slabs, paving stones, grass pavers, gravel or similar materials. Unsealed areas are all forest and arable land as well as pastures, meadows and beds.

How were the area figures for the land tenure tax notice determined?

The areas were determined through the evaluation of aerial photographs by a commissioned specialist office. The aerial photographs were taken by the Cologne district government in 2018.

What can you do if the area information on the property tax notice is not up to date? Who can you contact if you have any questions?

The land owners are notified of the calculated areas and the assessed fees with the notice of land ownership tax. Questions regarding the assessment should be addressed to the City Treasury and Taxes Department, preferably by e-mail to steuern@beckum.de.

From January 2021, you can notify the Städtischer Abwasserbetrieb Beckum of changes to the sealed and unsealed areas on your property.

Local law
Statutes of the City of Beckum on the apportionment of maintenance costs for flowing waters, as amended

General legal basis
State Water Act, NRW Municipal Charges Act