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How digital technical maps are changing utility network statements
The Digital Technical Map (DTM) has changed the way utility networks are recorded in the Czech Republic. For builders, it is a useful tool for initial orientation, but it does not mean they can dispense with formal utility network statements from network operators.
What Act No. 47/2020 Coll. Brought about
The obligation to create digital technical maps was introduced by Act No. 47/2020 Coll. This act required the regions to establish their own DTM and simultaneously imposed on owners and managers of technical infrastructure the duty to record the location and documentation of their networks in the DTM information system. The aim is to have a single overview of where each network runs, rather than forcing every builder to laboriously compile information from individual managers separately.
The Act addresses an issue long felt by builders and designers, data on networks was fragmented among dozens of owners, each maintaining it differently and sometimes not digitally at all. A unified information system will gradually replace this fragmentation with a single data source for the entire country.
DTM regions operational from 1 July 2024
As of 1 July 2024, all regions have digital technical maps in full operation. Infrastructure owners and managers, energy companies, gas utilities, waterworks, telecommunications operators and others, are legally required to publish documentation of their networks on these maps. This provides the builder and designer with a single source of data instead of fragmented materials from dozens of different entities.
Previously, every region and every administrator had to maintain their own records, which meant inconsistent data formats and varying levels of completeness. Consolidation into a single information system is intended to gradually straighten out this mess, in practice, however, it means that the quality and completeness of entries still differ between individual administrators, as each fills in DTM at their own pace.
Where to look for the DTM
You can view the digital technical map free of charge via the relevant regional mapping portal, simply enter the address or plot number and layers showing recorded infrastructure in the vicinity will appear. This is not a formal request but a publicly available preview that anyone can access before contacting individual utility operators.
What a heat pump really delivers to the homeowner
- Initial orientation: Before submitting any application, find out which utility networks are expected in the vicinity of the plot.
- List of owners: DTM will identify which network operators are relevant to your area, i.e., who needs to be contacted for a utility network statement.
- Basis for the designer: The utility network statement from DTM will be used by the designer when preparing the site plan.
Why a DTM does not replace a utility network statement
This is the most common mistake we encounter among builders. The DTM indicates the approximate location of utility networks, but it does not replace the utility network statement from the operator, which additionally contains protection conditions, conditions for any potential connection, and serves as the document required by the building authority. An entry in the DTM is an informative data layer, whereas the utility network statement is a binding opinion from the specific infrastructure owner regarding your specific project. Therefore, the utility network statements from operators are still required for the building procedure, even if you consult the DTM beforehand. We discuss the differences between these two tools in detail in our Vyjádření sítí at vyjadrenisiti.cz. guides to the digital technical map.
How DTM and utility network statements relate in practice
The most effective approach is to combine both tools: use the DTM as an initial orientation and source of owner lists, then obtain formal utility network statements from all relevant administrators to provide documentation for the designer and the building authority. This is exactly how we proceed. We check the DTM on your behalf, verify the relevant administrators based on it and other sources, and contact them all.
The practical impact for the builder is mainly that they do not have to rely on a single source of information. DTM is a good first step towards understanding what lies under and around the plot, but the decision on building permission relies on a formal utility network statement, not on map data. Anyone who realises this difference in time will avoid disappointment from finding that a map alone is insufficient for permission.
From DTM to completed utility network statements
We identify the relevant network operators for your property and secure all utility network statements in one go: a single package instead of navigating individual operator portals.
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