Dutch waters are the worst recorded in all of Europe. And according to a report by Natuurmonumenten, not even 1 percent of all surface waters such as rivers and lakes meet the requirements. This should be the case in 2027. If that fails, tens of millions in fines per year threaten from Brussels. In the Wageningen World Magazine He is warned of a scenario like the current nitrogen predicament. Penalties are also possible.

‘Pollution does not decrease’

Rob van Tilburg of Nature and Environment endorses the dire position. He spent four years researching creeks and creeks. It is not measured by the government, but things are not going well there either. “We see that pollution is not reduced.”

So what is in our water?

The Natuurmonumenten report shows that these are the biggest bottlenecks:

• Chemical pollution from agriculture and industry
• Nutrient overload (nitrogen and phosphorus)
• Water drains too quickly (hydrodynamics)
• Excessive extraction of groundwater

By 2027 at the latest, the so-called Water frame routing The designated water meets the specified objectives. In the Netherlands, this concerns the basins of the Ems, Rhine, Maas and Scheldt rivers. As in the streams and streams studied, the water quality is not good there. This has several reasons.

Holland’s drain on Europe

“Through agriculture, industry, transportation and high population density, we add pollution,” researcher Peter Schipper from Wageningen University says in his journal. “It became more intense in a period when nobody cared about spatial planning anymore. Everything was allowed everywhere, which is why we are facing the limits of the water and soil system.”

And then we also get pollution from outside, Schepper says. “The Netherlands is really a drain on Western Europe: polluted water from abroad flows into the country through streams and rivers.”

The biggest losers from bad surface water are plants and animals. The ecosystem is in bad shape, and we will not achieve the European targets for 2027 without massive efforts, says Pete Verdonshut, professor of surface water restoration management at Wageningen University.

“A lot of the nutrients and toxins from hydroponics end up in the water,” says Verdonchot. “We are burdening the next generation with a crisis. Not much has been done in recent years.” Verdonchot is pessimistic when it comes to achieving European targets. “We’re not going to make it happen. It’s impossible given the main task ahead and the fabric legacy that still remains. It won’t be possible to get rid of that in a few years.”

Drivers must start making demands

Verdonchot says the source must be addressed. So don’t remove items from the water, but make sure they don’t end up in it. “New drivers must impose constraints on the environment, and make demands.”

Marker Wadden proves that things can go wrong sometimes. Nature lives on and you can see why in the video below:

Nature & Environment’s Van Tilburgh also said it was time to put water quality first again, rather than industry concerns. It gives great leverage to those who have no interest in the water.”

Water board elections are important to water quality

We will also vote for the water boards in next week’s elections. It also plays a major role in water quality. This is done in areas such as filtration, water level (water rise) management, and implementation. “Water boards aren’t just about nitrogen and microplastics and medicines, for example,” says Van Tilburg.

There will be a change in the water board elections. This is because there are fewer seats available for farming in the water boards, which is equal to the number of natural organizations. Van Tilburg: “It will make a difference.”