The water protection officer (WPO) (also operating officer for water protection) must be appointed in accordance with the German Water Management Act (WHG) if the water user is allowed to discharge more than 750 cubic meters of wastewater per day.
If a system poses particular dangers, this can be necessary even with small amounts of wastewater.
The competent authority can also order the appointment of a water protection officer in other cases.
The main tasks of the water protection officer include:
