36 million euros. In the coming years, drinking water company WMD will allocate that amount for the drinking water supply in the province of Drenthe. Investments are made in new treatment plants, modernization, digitization and the search for new sources for the future, among other things.
The investments are necessary to guarantee the quality of the drinking water in the years to come. As a result of these investments, drinking water rates will rise by an average of 2 euros per month.
The demand for water is expected to increase. In addition, Drenthe has plans to build thousands of homes in the coming years that will be connected to the drinking water supply. The industry also demands the necessary, according to the WMD. Additional capacity is required to continue to meet demand. Together with the province of Drenthe, the WMD is looking at the current permits and is looking for places in Drenthe where groundwater can possibly be extracted for the production of drinking water in the future.
Further investments are being made in sustainable green energy, in digitisation, information security and the replacement of outdated drinking water pipes in Drenthe. Labor and materials have become more expensive (and scarcer). According to WMD, waiting to invest is not an option to continue to supply good quality drinking water.
On Friday, the shareholders of WMD – eleven municipalities and the province of Drenthe – agreed to the new rates for drinking water in 2023. For 1000 liters (1m3) of drinking water, a customer of WMD will pay 0.85 euros next year. The increase in the price of drinking water amounts to an average of about 2 euros per month. That depends on the composition and size of the family and consumption.