Water supply and sanitation in the Netherlands is provided in good quality and at a reasonable price to the entire population. Water consumption is one of the lowest in developed countries at 124 litres per capita per day and water leakage in the distribution network is one of the lowest in the world at only 6%. The drinking water quality is according to the EC-regulations.
A large array of institutions is responsible for providing water and sanitation services: 10 regional publicly owned water companies provide drinking water, 431 municipalities are in charge of sewers, and 27 water boards (Waterschappen) treat wastewater.
The water boards are key institutions in charge of water resources management in the Netherlands. They are decentralised public authorities with their own legal personality and financial resources. Water boards are responsible for flood control, management of regional water resources (quantity and quality) and treatment of urban wastewater. The oldest water boards date from the 13th century, making them the oldest democratic structure in the Netherlands.
The national responsibility for water safety and water supply is in the hands of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment. One of the mayor tasks of the ministry is the development and implementation of a new Deltaplan to ensure that today and in the future the Netherlands is safe from water and has a sufficient supply of freshwater. This plan prepares the country for the consequences of climate change. For example, by strengthening coastal defences and dikes and by increasing the possibilities for storing freshwater, as well as by giving more room to the rivers. All of this is being done in cooperation with water boards, the provinces, municipalities and the business community.
The Netherlands brims over with water activities. Not only does it utilize high value, state of the art water treatment technology to obtain its drinking water and/or to purify it's sewage waste water, it is also key in the development and growth of the local industrial sectors such as food & beverage-, paper- and chemical industry. The Netherlands is a breeding ground for innovative and sustainable water technology, especially in the field of membrane filtration, anaerobic waste water treatment and water reuse.
The Dutch are recognized to be amongst the best in the global market with thier knowledge, products and expertise. To keep this head start, innovation has become a second nature to The Netherlands and as a result a continuous flow of new innovative concepts are being introduced to the global market.
Important water technology research centers are:
- Wetsus, centre of excellence for sustainable water technology
- KWR Watercycle Research Institute
- University of Delft, Department of Sanitary Engineering
