Drinking water extractions from groundwater

The map shows the location of the drinking water extractions from groundwater in the Netherlands and the origin of the pumped water in the form of riverways. The flow paths are routes that cover water particles through the subsurface. The color of the flow paths indicates the travel time. More detailed explanations Approximately 60 % of the drinking water in the Netherlands is prepared from groundwater. The other drinking water is prepared from surface water. The choice of groundwater or surface water as a source for drinking water is often determined by the availability and quality of groundwater in the region concerned. Groundwater is considered an attractive source for drinking water because it is constant in quality and less than surface water is influenced by human action. For the preparation of drinking water from groundwater, a simple treatment, consisting of aeration and so-called rapid filtration through sandbeds (Broers en Lijzen, 2013) is sufficient. Multiple ecosystem services use the same water supply. The availability of sufficient, uncontaminated water is the basic condition for the use of groundwater as a source for drinking water. The capacity of this stock decreases due to drinking water abstractions, which also reduces it for other ecosystem services, such as irrigation water, water for industry, water for water-dependent natural areas and waterlines and water quality of streams (Figures 1 and 2). Other activities, which cause water pollution (and past contaminants), are also putting pressure on this ecosystem service. Some examples are: application of fertilisers and pesticides, infiltration of surface water, leakage of sewers and industrial activities in which substances can infiltrate subsoil (diffuse contaminants). The principles of the policy are laid down by the national government. Provinces give details of this in their provincial plans and regulations. Provinces are not obliged to establish a groundwater protection area around extraction, but in practice this is almost always the case. This protection policy focuses on preventing new contaminants and not on addressing existing contaminants. The provincial policy focuses in particular on the prevention of contaminants from urban and industrial sources and calamities, rather than on regular agricultural activities. In the current policy, for example, there are no additional restrictions on the exit of manure. For the use of pesticides, specific agreements have sometimes been made at local level (Vander Grift en Broers, 2005, Van den Brink et al. 2008). In principle, the Soil Protection Act (Wbb) regulates the prevention of contaminants and tackling soil contamination by their originators. However, in current practice, the law does not affect contaminants of regular agricultural activities. However, recently (March 2013) the council of mayor and aldermen of Doetinchem ruled as a penalty payment for violation of Article 13 of the Wbb by an farmer for contamination by manure on his own yard (Van der Veen and Hoekstra, 2014). Since 2000, the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) and the Groundwater Directive (2006/118/EC) also apply to the protection of water bodies for human consumption. For the Water Framework Directive, area dossiers have been drawn up of all vulnerable drinking water extractions, which describe the situation and possible threats to extraction. If measures arise from this (approach or monitoring), these will be laid down in the upcoming river basin management plans. Drinking water itself is regulated by the European Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC). This has been implemented in the Netherlands in the Drinkwater Act, the Drinkwater Decree and the Drinkwater Regulation (all: 2011). The origin of water for drinking water is calculated using the NHI version 3.0 (stationary calculation).