Environmental groups file lawsuit against the province of Overijssel over water quality

Environmental organizations are taking legal action because they believe that the province of Overijssel is not paying enough attention to water quality. The province of Overijssel and drinking water supplier Vitens consider the Hammerflier water catchment area, among others, to be one of the areas from which more water can be taken. The environmental organizations Leefbaar Buitengebied (SLB) and the Mobilization for the Environment (MOB) want to prevent this.

According to the MOB, the balance in the Twente region will be disturbed if Vitens increases water extraction to this extent. "No more groundwater may be extracted than is supplied," said legal advisor Max Haan on behalf of MOB. The environmental organizations had called on Overijssel to partially revoke Vitens' water abstraction permit. They are also calling on the province to take measures to protect nature in the area. However, the province rejected this request. Therefore, the organizations believe it is time for the next step.

They presented their arguments to the court on Friday. It could be months before the case is heard. It is one of the MOB's first cases involving water quality. Incidentally, the Netherlands also has until 2027 to comply with the stricter European regulations on water quality. However, the so-called deterioration ban is already in force. An increase in water abstraction in the Hammerflier would not comply with this, which is why the organizations are taking the matter to court. Furthermore, an earlier study has also shown that Vitens cannot extract any additional drinking water from the Twente nature reserve. It would be too great a risk for the houses in the area, which could suffer structural damage due to the falling groundwater level.

Earlier this year, Vitens drew attention to the impending shortage of drinking water in the province of Overijssel. As an emergency solution, the province and Vitens negotiated an additional 3 million cubic meters of groundwater to be pumped annually in Dalfsen and Ommen. According to Vitens, this is a step in the right direction to meet the rapidly growing demand for drinking water.