Sewage; Payment of Sewage Fees

The local bylaws governing contributions and fees under the drainage ordinance (BGS/EWS) generally stipulate that property owners (and other potential fee payers specified in the ordinances) must pay wastewater fees to the municipality for the volume of wastewater discharged from their property into the public drainage system.

Municipalities may use various permissible methods to determine the specific amount of wastewater fees. Examples include uniform discharge fees based on the so-called “freshwater standard,” as well as fee structures that differentiate between stormwater and wastewater charges.

Please contact your local municipal administration for more detailed information on the specific local regulations.

Since January 1, 2015, wastewater fees (referred to as “sewer usage fees” in the BGS/EWS) in Erlangen have consisted of the
a wastewater fee and a stormwater fee.

Each of these two types of fees is assessed via separate notices.

The wastewater fee is calculated based on the volume of water in m³ discharged into the sewer system. This generally corresponds largely to the amount of fresh water consumed, but may also include, for example, water discharged from cisterns or wells. It is set as an annual fee.
To prepare the fee notices, the drainage utility works in cooperation with Erlangen Public Utilities (ESTW).
If you have any questions, you can contact the ESTW Customer Service Center either by phone at +(49) 09131 / 823 - 4141 or by email at kundenzentrum@estw.de.
When making bank transfers, please always include the customer number and
the service point number!

The stormwater fee is calculated based on the proportion of the respective property from which stormwater is discharged into or flows into the public drainage system. In most cases, this proportion is determined using an area runoff coefficient (GAB) for the property and is set by notice (for details, see § 11 BGS/EWS).
This notice is valid as a permanent notice until it is replaced by a new notice.
All built-up, paved, and areas of the property that drain into the public sewer system are taken into account when determining the fee amount.
If these areas differ by at least 20 percent or 250 m² from the areas specified in the notice, the fee-liable area—and thus the fee to be paid—can be corrected by submitting an application for individual assessment (see form).
The correction is made via a new assessment notice.
Please always include the reference number listed in the notice when making a bank transfer!

By resolution of the City Council dated November 28, 2024, the wastewater fee rates were set as follows, effective January 1, 2025:

• Wastewater: 2.34 €/m³
• Stormwater: 0.70 €/m²

Further information on fee calculation and the types of fees can be found in the BGS/EWS as well as the accompanying plan with the GAB for the Erlangen city area.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us using the contact information provided on the page.

The parties liable to pay fees are the owners of the property or other parties specified in the bylaws as potentially liable to pay fees.

There are no costs involved.