Water Legislation

Basis for the Swiss water legislation, including the allocation of competences, is the Constitution. There is a Federal water protection law, a Federal law on hydraulic engineering, and a Federal law on water use. Moreover, there is a series of laws and ordinances on and related to water including the legislation on forest management, spatial planning, agriculture, nature protection, waste management, and chemicals.

The goals of the Swiss water legislation are:

• Surface and subsurface water bodies need to be protected against adverse impacts (Art. 1 Federal Water Protection Law)
• Human beings and goods must be protected against water related hazards (Art. 1 Federal Law on Hydraulic Engineering)
• A sustainable use of the water resources and water bodies must be secured (div. Art. in several Federal laws)