The looming shortage of drinking water calls for innovative technological solutions
Over the past year, the media has regularly reported on an impending shortage of drinking water in the Netherlands. But exactly how urgent is this drinking water issue? And what will it take to tackle this challenge? Frank van Gaalen, scientific researcher in water and spatial planning at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), shares his insights with Iv on the growing risks, the biggest challenges the Netherlands faces, and the role of both drinking water companies and engineering companies like Iv in a future where water will be increasingly scarce.
The report ‘Climate Risks in the Netherlands’ published by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency in 2024, clearly shows the effects of climate change becoming increasingly visible. Despite the Netherlands being a generally well-organised country, we can see that climate change is already having a noticeable impact on our drinking water supply, among other things. Drinking water companies are obliged to supply clean drinking water, but in the future, more measures will be needed to continue to do so sustainably. “The way we currently use and consume water will have to change to meet increasing demand with decreasing supply. Reducing the demand for drinking water alone can make a big difference, but reducing the demand for water in general will make an even bigger difference. Exploring alternative sources of drinking water is also important. The question is how to implement these changes in a continuous and uncertain climate change scenario,” says Frank. It is a constant search for the optimum balance between various factors.
Water quality in the Netherlands is still a point of concern. Groundwater is becoming increasingly polluted, and surface water is not always clean enough. When less water is available, the concentrations of pollutants increase. Moreover, drought can cause even more problems; higher temperatures lead to more algae growth in surface water. Frank: “These are all signals that we need to consider the use and management of our water sources carefully.”
During droughts, we often use more water for agriculture and garden irrigation, which increases the demand for water and exacerbates the problem. Drinking water companies are, therefore, busy diversifying their water sources in order to be more flexible in responding to water scarcity. “If we do not take measures, we will face serious problems,” says Frank.
The challenge we face is vast and complex. Droughts are lasting longer and occurring more frequently, while the periods in which water conditions or nature can recover are becoming shorter. Wet periods will likely occur more frequently. It’s becoming more and more about extremes, and that makes water management more complicated. “We must prepare for bigger and more complex problems,” says Frank. However, there are limits to what we can do to arm ourselves against climate change, so we need to think more clearly about what is really important. Frank: “Nature very often comes last, and issues such as archaeological heritage and foundations that need to be kept wet also come into play. We need to prioritise and structurally examine how we can organise our land use more effectively. Perhaps of greater importance is that political decisions are made in the short term. What will be given priority in periods of water scarcity: agriculture, nature, drinking water, archaeology, foundations? Such decisions need to be made. We simply do not have the luxury of continuing on our current path.”
Governments and drinking water companies are already busy looking ahead and planning for the future. Specific actions have been established to prevent a drinking water shortage in 2030. Examples include designating exact locations where drinking water can be extracted and removing obstacles to make it easier for drinking water companies to obtain a permit to pump water. These examples are included in the 2023–2030 Drinking Water Sources Availability Action Programme (Actieprogramma Beschikbaarheid Drinkwaterbronnen 2023–2030), which was presented to the House of Representatives on 13 January 2025.
Frank: “We need to become less dependent on a limited number of sources. It would also be helpful to develop systems for the separate use of drinking water and grey water. This is still done on a small scale in the Netherlands, but is much more common in Belgium, for example, and can help reduce the amount of drinking water used for purposes such as flushing toilets.”
On some points, the PBL is optimistic about the future. Frank: “Water safety in the Netherlands is well organised, and awareness of climate risks is growing. However, we must continue emphasising that everything is happening faster than anticipated. In 2015, the PBL also published a report on climate risks. Many of the events expected to occur in later decades are already happening.”
Both Vitens, the largest drinking water company in the Netherlands, and Dunea, a large drinking water company in the province of Zuid-Holland, have found that their capacities are currently reaching their limits in some areas. Rik Dogger, spokesperson for Vitens, explains: “People take it for granted that the water coming out of their taps is clean. As a drinking water company, it is our duty to make this possible. However, considerable work needs to be done in the coming years to deliver on that. We need to work together to ensure we have enough drinking water in the future.” Vitens sees that the situation is already dire in some areas. New homes already on the drawing board can still be connected to the drinking water network, but this is a challenge for those planned to follow. Rik: “We are already seeing that in some areas, it really is all hands on deck to get clean water from the tap when it is hot and dry for long periods in the summer. This situation will occur in more and more places in the Netherlands, which means we need to increase drinking water production and consider whether water usage can be reduced even further to ensure sufficient water for everyone.”
According to the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), approximately 100 million cubic metres of additional drinking water per year will be needed to guarantee drinking water supply in 2030. Implementing technical measures at drinking water companies can play an essential role in ensuring sufficient drinking water. As an engineering company, Iv helps drinking water companies search for and realise potential technological solutions. “Iv’s strength lies mainly in designing technological solutions and converting these into integral designs. This is a complex task involving many considerations, as these solutions must take into account legislation and regulations, the environment, the integration of the client’s objectives, as well as sustainability, safety and availability. Iv has all the necessary disciplines, knowledge and expertise under one roof. We strive to achieve the best result for the challenge while focusing on the entire water chain,” says Paul Kloet, director of Water at Iv.
Iv is currently advising Dunea in the search for a new drinking water source within the project ‘Drinking Water for the Future’. Iv has also been working with Vitens for years on expanding and upgrading the drinking water production site Boerhaar-Diepenveen, whereby the production capacity will be increased from 5 million cubic metres to 6.13 cubic metres of water per year. Drinking water quality will also be improved by adding an extra treatment stage. A challenging project for which the construction work is currently in full swing.