Drinking water consumption in the Netherlands must be reduced by 20 percent by 2035 compared to 2022. This is announced by Minister Mark Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management, VVD) on Friday in a letter to the House of Representatives about the future of Dutch water management. Both households and businesses must reduce their consumption. The government also wants to take more account of water and soil in the spatial planning of the Netherlands in the future.
Harbers’ letter is part of a larger package of cabinet plans to be presented on Friday, which deals with the future division of the Netherlands. Among other things, the cabinet presents an approach to the nitrogen crisis and announces that it wants to conclude an agricultural agreement.
According to Harbers, the Netherlands is “increasingly reaching its limits” due to intensive water use and climate change. In order to have sufficient drinking water in the future, drinking water consumption must be reduced. How consumers can be tempted to use less is still being investigated. In doing so, the ministry ‘takes into account the costs for the consumer’. The cabinet also wants to create a larger freshwater supply, for example by storing more water in the IJsselmeer and the Markermeer, and new drinking water sources must be found.
Water quality
The cabinet also wants the quality of the drinking water to be maintained. Setting a limit on the heated cooling water that can be discharged by industry should prevent the temperature of natural water from rising too much.
From data research of NRC earlier this year it became apparent that water quality is under pressure, partly due to high concentrations of harmful substances and too high a temperature. The Dutch waters must be ‘of sufficient quality’ by 2027, otherwise the EU can impose fines. Experts said they did not expect the Netherlands to meet that target. In the letter, Harbers does not specifically discuss meeting the EU’s requirements. The government expects that the existing plans are sufficient to meet this requirement.
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To build
Due to climate change, the peak load of rivers is increasing, which poses a greater risk of floods such as last year in Limburg. In order to leave sufficient room for rising water, it is no longer allowed to build on places that are necessary for the storage and drainage of water. This includes flood plains of rivers and the deepest parts of deep polders. Construction projects for which a building permit has already been issued can continue. The rule will apply to projects in places where there is no zoning plan as of 1 January 2025.
A higher groundwater level should also ensure that sufficient water is available during prolonged drought and lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions from the soil. In this way, the subsidence of peat soils, and thus damage caused by subsidence to houses and infrastructure, can also be counteracted. This requires more insight into the amount of water that is currently being extracted from the soil.
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