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Water Board Vallei & Eem

The information on this page describes the tasks and activities of Water Board Vallei & Eem. It is the only information in the English language on the official Waterboard Vallei & Eem website.

Central government, the provincial and municipal authorities are familiar bodies and most people have some idea about what they do. The Water Board (waterschap), the oldest democratic form of government in the Netherlands, is less well known.

Tasks of a Water Board

Water Boards are independent and have their own areas of authority. They can draw up regulations and they can levy taxes. The Water Boards are responsible for the essential aspects of watermanagement. Nowadays this goes a lot further than laying dykes and building pumping stations. The activities of the Water Boards are now much more closely related to land use planning, nature conservation, environmental protection, recreation etc.

Water Board Vallei & Eem has the following tasks:

• water control: providing protection against flooding by means of dykes and canals;
• water quantity: managing the amount of water and ensuring that it is kept at the right level;
• water quality: combatting water pollution and improving the quality of the surface waters;

The Water Boards are not responsible for the drinking water. The Water Supply Companies take care of this. The ground water is managed by the Provinces.

Facts about Water Board Vallei & Eem

• Area of authority: 1,060 km2
• 600,000 inhabitants
• 8,000 business locations
• 145 km sewage transporting pipelines
• 34 pumping stations
• 9 wastewater treatment plants

More information

The Association of Water Boards website (Unie van Waterschappen)