The quality of the Netherlands' drinking water sources is at serious risk, partly due to pollution with chemical substances, medicine residues and manure, according to a study by KWR, the knowledge institute for the drinking water sector. The drinking water companies call for immediate intervention, AD reports.
drinking water
Sep 12 '19 09:33
Sep 11 '19 09:21
River water companies situated around the Maas, united in RIWA-Maas, are very concerned about a looming shortage of drinking water from the Maas. During periods of drought, the river is too vulnerable to function as drinking water supply. "It's only a matter of time until insufficient water comes out of the tap", Wim Drossaert, chairman of RIWA Maas and director of Zuid-Holland drinking water company Dunea, said to newspaper Trouw.
Apr 17 '19 08:54
The consumption of drinking water in the Netherlands is increasing, while collecting drinking water is becoming increasingly difficult due to dryer conditions, drinking water company Vitens warned on Wednesday. According to the company, the demand for water is growing too strongly and that needs to change, NU.nl reports.
Aug 3 '18 08:28
There is officially a nationwide water shortage in the Netherlands, but the drinking water is not in danger, according to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. As the drought is expected to continue in the coming weeks, more measures may be taken to distribute the available water as well as possible, NU.nl reports.
Jul 30 '18 11:30
The Netherlands is "blind to drought" according to researcher Henny van Lanen of Wageningen University. The country needs to build up larger reserves of fresh water to prevent drinking water running out during extreme droughts, multiple experts warn, Het Parool reports.
"As a low lying country with large rivers, we are always working on preventing wetness. That explains why we are now so surprised by the drought", Van Lanen said to the newspaper. "Dutch water policy is very conservative: the rest of Europe has been arming itself against drought for much longer."
Sep 21 '17 12:10
Next year Amsterdam is investing 425 million euros into the city, Finance alderman Udo Kock announced with the city's budget for 2018 on Wednesday. Amsterdam is investing in solving budget problems in various parts of the city, security measures, the work brigade, dealing with teacher shortage and art in public space.
Sep 11 '17 15:10
The first plane carrying evacuees from Sint Maarten is on its way back to the Netherlands. The air force KDC-10 plane is expected to land at Eindhoven air base at around 3:30 p.m., Omroep Brabant reports. The evacuees were previously only taken as far as Curacao.
Sep 11 '17 08:33
King Willem-Alexander will visit Sint Maarten, Sint Eustatius and Saba on Monday to see the aftermath of Hurricane Irma with his own eyes, Minister Ronald Plasterk of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations said on Curacao on Sunday afternoon, ANP reports.
Plasterk spoke with the press after visiting patients at the Sint Elisabeth Hospital, who were flown to Curacao after the hurricane to get medical treatment. Before that he and the King visited the meteorological service in Curacao and the Parera naval center.
Aug 15 '17 13:40
Traces of the potentially carcinogenic substance GenX were found in the tap water of The Hague, Zoetermeer and Leiden, water company Dunea announced on Tuesday. The company stresses that the concentrations are very low and that the drinking water is still safe, AD reports.
Feb 21 '17 10:50
Some 30 thousand households in Zevenaar, Doesburg, Rijnwaarden and surrounds were without water for nearly 24 hours due to "bad luck", according to water company Vitens, the Gelderlander reports.
Feb 20 '17 10:10
Thousands of residents in the Gelderland municipalities of Doesburrg, Arnhem, Rheden and Rijnwaarden are advised to boil their tap water before drinking it, following a persistent fault in the water system. Showering and washing with the water is safe, the Telegraaf reports.
Oct 11 '16 12:15
A quarter of ground water in the Netherlands, from which drinking water is extracted, contains too high or nearly too high levels of pesticides, according to the RIVM. Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen of Infrastructure and Environment calls it "cause for concern"
Jan 11 '16 14:20
A poisonous pesticide was discovered in the Maas river, the source of tap water to 1.3 million people in the west of Zuid-Holland, drinking water company Dunea announced on Monday. Dunea immediately stopped taking water from the Maas and switched the water intake to the Lek river until the problem is resolved.
Mar 18 '14 15:43
The quality of water, used to make drinking water suffers from the changing climate, announced the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) Tuesday. The changing climate causes dry spells in the Netherlands.
Aug 27 '13 02:31
In the study, ordered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs on the drilling for shale gas, the risks to drinking water do not get enough attention. That is the conclusion of drinking water company Vitens in response to the research, performed by engineering company Witteveen+Bos.
