Contaminants in drinking water, homes being built in ‘forbidden’ stream valleys and housing construction made possible through technical interventions in the water system. The Northern Audit Chamber is critical of the water policy of the province of Drenthe.
By 2027, provinces must meet the obligations under the Water Framework Directive. It states that governments must ensure good water quality. But Drenthe does not appear to be able to meet the requirements, the Court of Audit concludes.
The quality of groundwater is therefore under pressure in various places. The main cause of this is crop protection products and substances such as nitrogen. These substances threaten to spread to groundwater protection areas. These are places around water extraction areas where special rules apply to the quality of the groundwater.
In addition, substances such as mercury have been found in the water, which was widely used in the past, but is hardly broken down by nature.
Some progress has been made in recent years in the field of surface water, such as canals, lakes and streams. There is less phosphorus in the water and plants and fish do well. At the same time, according to the Court of Auditors, no progress has been seen on other points.
To meet the quality requirements for water, the province focuses on voluntary measures. Drenthe mainly sees the reduction of fertilizers and pesticides in the water as a task of the government.
According to the Northern Audit Chamber, these measures are not enough. It advises the province to take concrete measures per area that ensure that water is always central to decisions. Drenthe should also take measures to protect its ground and surface water in the event of acute threats. The province should go further than voluntary measures.
Important for good quality drinking water are measures to prevent fewer chemicals and crop protection products from ending up in the groundwater.
The province of Drenthe says it regards the Court of Audit’s recommendations as ‘additional support for the further developments of our water and environmental policy’.