Water Activity (Notification or Permit)

To conduct water activities (vattenverksamhet), you usually need to notify the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen) or apply for a permit from the Land and Environment Court (Mark- och miljödomstolen). Water activities include building a jetty, filling or dredging in a water area, laying cables or pipes, culvert work in ditches, constructing wetlands, and diverting water or groundwater.

Smaller projects can typically be handled through notification to Länsstyrelsen, while larger or more impactful activities require a court permit. Before applying for a permit, you must conduct a consultation (samråd) with Länsstyrelsen and affected parties. The permit decision specifies conditions for how the work may be carried out and any environmental mitigation required.

Requirements

  • Notification or permit: Depending on the type and scope of water activity, either a notification to the County Administrative Board or a permit from the Land and Environment Court is required.
  • Types of activities: Examples include jetties, land filling, dredging, excavation, blasting, laying cables or pipes, culverts in ditches/watercourses, wetlands, and diversion of water or groundwater.

Application and procedure

  • Notification: Made to the County Administrative Board for certain types of water activities.
  • Permit: Application is made to the Land and Environment Court for more extensive or complex water activities.
  • Information: Detailed information on work in water is available from the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (Havs- och Vattenmyndigheten).