Drilling-free zones around extractions for drinking water

This map shows the location of the drilling-free zones around drinking water extractions. These zones are set to prevent sealing layers in the subsoil (e.g. clay or loam layers) from being pierced. These layers provide additional protection against the rinsing of contaminants into deeper groundwater intended for drinking water production in vulnerable extractions. In addition to these local drilling-free zones around extractions, a number of regional drilling-free zones are also shown on this map. An example of this is the Central Slenk. This area of Horsten and Slenken is protected with a brittle-free zone because of its status as a geological monument.