Water board (Netherlands)

Gablestone on a 1645 gemeenlandshuis in Halfweg

Dutch water boards (Dutch: waterschappen or hoogheemraadschappen) are regional government bodies charged with managing the water barriers, the waterways, the water levels, water quality and sewage treatment in their respective regions. These regional water authorities are among the oldest forms of local government in the Netherlands, some of them having been founded in the 13^th century.

Relevance in the Netherlands

Around 55% of the Netherlands is below sea level. Four main rivers run through this relatively small country: the Rhine, the Meuse, the Scheldt, and the Ems. Historically there had always been a good deal of coastal and riverine flooding. Flood control in the Netherlands is a national priority as about two thirds of the country is vulnerable to flooding while at the same time the country is among the most densely populated on earth. Natural sand dunes and man made dikes, dams and floodgates provide defense against storm surges from the sea. River dikes prevent flooding from water flowing into the country by the major rivers Rhine and Meuse, while a complicated system of drainage ditches, canals and pumping stations (historically: windmills) keep the low lying parts dry for habitation and agriculture. Water boards are the independent local government bodies responsible for maintaining this system.

History of the water boards

Origins and early development

1654 painting by Cesar van Everdingen and Pieter Post, depicting William II of Holland granting privileges in 1255 to the Spaarndam dijkgraaf and hoogheemraden, the organisation that would evolve into the Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland

This method of controlling water emerged as the unpredictable water system was tamed and the land drained for agriculture. The first dikes and water control structures were built and maintained by those directly benefiting from them, mostly farmers. As the structures got more extensive and complex, councils were formed from people with a common interest in the control of water levels on their land. The first water boards were formed in the 13th century. These often controlled only a small area, a single polder or dike.

As these boards became more organised, the counts of Holland began granting charters to the boards. They were also granted the right to make their own bylaws. The ever-present threat of loss of life and land required short lines of communication between the authorities and the residents who maintained the infrastructure. The threat of flooding in a heerlijkheid was best dealt with by local authorities, so the water boads were originally chaired by the local nobility.

The local water boards were set up to maintain the integrity of the water defences around the local polders, to maintain the waterways inside the local polders and to control the various water levels inside and outside the local polders. The mandate of these water boards (which is largely unchanged) was the maintenance of dikes and dunes, maintenance of the waterways (and roads too, in several municipalities), controlling the water quantity (i.e. the water level), and controlling the quality of all surface water (including punishing polluters). The original water boards differed much from each other in organisation, power and area they managed. The differences were often regional and dictated by differing circumstances, whether they had to defend a sea dike against a storm surge or keep the water level in a polder within bounds. Hoogheemraadschappen were responsible for protecting the land against the sea and for regulating the water levels of the various canals and lakes into which water was pumped from the polders and waterschappen.

The dikes were maintained by the individuals who benefited from their existence, every farmer having been designated a part of the dike to maintain, with a review every three years by the water board directors. The old rule was "He whom the water harms stops the water" (Dutch: Wie het water deert, die het water keert). This meant that those living at the dike had to pay and care for it. Those living at or near the dike itself could go bankrupt from having to repair a breached dike. Those living further inland often refused to pay for or help in the upkeep of the dikes, even though they were just as affected by floods. This system led to haphazard maintenance and it is believed that many floods would not have happened or would not have been as severe if the dikes had been in better condition.

The punishment usually meted out by water boards were fines for misdemeanors such as emptying waste in the nearest canal; however, according to various historical documents, the death penalty was used more than once for serious offenders who threatened dike safety or water quality.

Later development

Heraldic shields of the Hoogheemraadschap of Delfland in 1645, the year that it bought this house for board meetings. They shields are on the facade of the Gemeenlandshuis Delft.

In the 17th century there were many of these independent local bodies levying their own taxes and administering justice. This early form of local government played a role in the development of a political system in the Netherlands that was decentralised and dependent on communal cooperation. Widespread experience with decentralized government was a factor in the formation of the Dutch Republic in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The mandate of the Rijkswaterstaat (English: Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management), established in 1798 under French rule, was to centralise water control in the Netherlands. The local water boards were too attached to their autonomy, however, so the Rijkswaterstaat ended up working alongside the local water boards. Today the Rijkswaterstaat has responsibility over many major water control structures, in addition to its other infrastructural functions of building railroads and motorways.

By 1850 there were about 3,500 in the country. In modern times, water boards began to merge as they dealt with joint and sometimes conflicting interests. Mergers eventually reduced this number until there were just 27 water boards on 1 January 2009. This is comparable to the organisation of other government services. For example, in 2010 there were 26 police departments in the Netherlands.

The function of the water boards has basically remained unchanged to this day. Having a rich history dating back to the medieval period, they are the oldest governing bodies and the oldest democratic institutions in the Netherlands. Dutch water boards each have their own coat of arms, a colourful reminder of their importance in Dutch history. Another legacy are the historic buildings that used to headquarter the water boards. Called a gemeenlandshuis or waterschaphuis, these charming old buildings can be found at the heart of many Dutch towns.

Responsibilities

Polder landscape at 't Beijersche, southeast of Gouda

Water boards act independently from the national government to manage the continuing struggle against the water in the Netherlands. Water boards still levy their own taxes, but they no longer have the power to penalize offenders. To control the quality of the surface water (canals, lakes, ponds and streams), water boards fulfil several tasks: policy making, planning and projects, permit issuance (sewage discharge requiring a permit), and the treatment of sewage and by-products. The various municipalities within the geographic area covered by a water board are responsible for collecting sewage from households and industries, but the water boards transport and treat the sewage.

A dijk along the Nederrijn between Kesteren and Opheusden. This 1995 photo was taken when the river levels were at an extremely high level. Notice the low lying ground on the right, beside the dike.

Within its territory, a water board is responsible for:

• management and maintenance of water barriers: dunes, dikes, quays and levees;
• management and maintenance of waterways;
• maintenance of a proper water level in polders and waterways;
• maintenance of surface water quality through wastewater treatment.

Dutch water boards are not responsible for the supply of water to the general public and are therefore not considered a utility.

In addition to the taxes raised by the water boards, the central government contributes to its financial system by paying for the cost of constructing and maintaining the water barriers and the main waterways. The costs of wastewater treatment are financed by a water pollution levy, which is based on the polluter pays principle.

Organization

The results of the 2008 Waterschap Noorderzijlvest board election are announced at a gathering.

Water boards hold separate elections, levy taxes and function independently from other government bodies. Water board structure varies, but they each have an elected general administrative body, an executive board and a chair.

Hoofdingelanden

Most of the members of the general administrative body of the water boards (the hoofdingelanden) are elected democratically, although some stakeholders (e.g. environmental organisations) may have the power to appoint members. The members of the general administrative body are elected for a period of four years.

Unlike municipal council elections, voters do not usually have to go to a polling station but they can vote by mail or even by telephone. (The water boards also wanted to offer voting by Internet, however, the Dutch government has determined that this process is not yet secure enough.)

The constituencies of the members of the general administrative body are the various categories of stakeholders: landholders, leaseholders, owners of buildings, companies and, since recently, all residents as well. The nature of the interest and financial contribution are factors in determining how many representatives each category may have on the water board.

Hoogheemraden

The general administrative body elects some of its own members to sit on the executive board. These executive board members, who are called called heemraden or hoogheemraden in Dutch, traditionally represent four types of water users: the local population (residents), industry (factories and industrial buildings), municipalities (urban areas)^{[citation needed]}, farmers (agricultural land) and public parks.

Dijkgraaf

Each water board is headed by a chair (dijkgraaf, literally: "dike count", but sometimes called "dike reeve" or "dike warden" in English), an ancient office that dates back to the medieval period. The chair is appointed by the government for a period of six years. The chair presides over the executive board and the general administrative body and has certain ceremonial duties as well. The chair of a water board is at the same level as a mayor in local government and a queen's commissioner in provincial government.

List of Dutch water boards

The 25 water boards in the Netherlands

Typically, a water board’s territory is made up of one or more polders or watersheds. The territory of a water board generally covers several municipalities and may even include areas in two or more provinces. As of 2011, there are 25 water boards in the Netherlands. Waterschap Blija Buitendijks merged with Wetterskip Fryslân.^{[citation needed]}

1. Waterschap Noorderzijlvest (Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe)
2. Wetterskip Fryslân (Friesland and Groningen)
3. Waterschap Blija Buitendijks (Friesland)
4. Waterschap Hunze en Aa's (Groningen and Drenthe)
5. Waterschap Reest en Wieden (Drenthe and Overijssel)
6. Waterschap Velt en Vecht (Drenthe and Overijssel)
7. Waterschap Groot Salland (Overijssel)
8. Waterschap Regge en Dinkel (Overijssel)
9. Waterschap Veluwe (Gelderland)
10. Waterschap Rijn en IJssel (Gelderland)
11. Waterschap Vallei en Eem (Utrecht and Gelderland)
12. Hoogheemraadschap De Stichtse Rijnlanden (Utrecht and South Holland)
13. Hoogheemraadschap Amstel, Gooi en Vecht (North Holland and Utrecht)
14. Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier (North Holland)
15. Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland (South Holland and North Holland)
16. Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland (South Holland)
17. Hoogheemraadschap van Schieland en de Krimpenerwaard (South Holland)
18. Waterschap Rivierenland (Gelderland) and (North Brabant)
19. Waterschap Hollandse Delta (South Holland)
20. Waterschap Scheldestromen (Zeeland)
21. Waterschap Brabantse Delta (North Brabant)
22. Waterschap De Dommel (North Brabant)
23. Waterschap Aa en Maas (North Brabant)
24. Waterschap Peel en Maasvallei (Limburg)
25. Waterschap Roer en Overmaas (Limburg)
26. Waterschap Zuiderzeeland (Flevoland)

The Waterschap Roer and Overmaas and the Waterschap Peel and Maasvallei have jointly set up a company called “Waterschapsbedrijf Limburg”. One of its tasks is to ensure that the sewage treatment plants function efficiently.

Unie van Waterschappen

The Unie van Waterschappen (Association of Regional Water Authorities) promotes the interests of Dutch water boards at a national and international level. All 25 water boards are members of this association, which focuses on protecting government and parliamentary interests. The Unie van Waterschappen acts collaboratively with other appropriate bodies or institutions to pursue the Association's objectives including linking to Europe through with membership of the EUWMA, (European Union of Water Management Associations).

Nomenclature

Historical terms

Historically, a hoogheemraadschap was the name used for a large area comprising a number of smaller waterschappen within its jurisdiction. The term hoogheemraadschap was also traditionally the term used for water boards located along the Rijn and the Vecht.

The term waterschap refers to the jurisdiction or to the administrative body. This also applies to hoogheemraadschap. In Dutch, the plural of waterschap is waterschappen. The plural of hoogheemraadschap is hoogheemraadschappen. In present-day usage, the official term is waterschap. However, the term hoogheemraadschap is still used by some Dutch water boards for historical reasons or when a number of waterschappen are grouped together into a larger regional body.

Officially, there is no difference between a hoogheemraadschap and a waterschap. The Water Board Act (Waterschapswet), the Dutch statute that governs regional water authorities, refers only to the term waterschap. A Dutch water board that still uses hoogheemraadschap in its name (e.g. the Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland) may have chosen to do so because hoogheemraadschap was part of the historical name. However, a waterschap that styles itself as a hoogheemraadschap no longer has its traditional structure with subordinate waterschappen. They have been merged into the hoogheemraadschap itself. Some Dutch regional water authorities chose the name hoogheemraadschap after the merger of a number of waterschappen into a larger regional water authority (e.g. Hoogheemraadschap De Stichtse Rijnlanden). When used in this sense, the word hoogheemraadschap refers to a large, regional waterschap.

English translation

When referring to the administrative body, the English translation of waterschap is "water board", "water control board", "district water board" or "regional water authority", with the last term being recently adopted by the water boards as a preferred English translation on the grounds that it is less ambiguous.^{[citation needed]} The jurisdiction of a Dutch regional water authority is generally referred to as the "water board district" or "regional water authority district". These translations also apply to hoogheemraadschap, which is translated in the same way as waterschap.

The term "water board" or "regional water authority" may be confusing in the Dutch context, as water boards and regional water authorities in other countries are often responsible for water supply. A waterschap or hoogheemraadschap in the Netherlands is charged with the control and management of water as well as treatment of wastewater, but not with the supply of water.

See also

• Gemeenlandshuis
• Dijkgraaf
• Heemraad
• Flood control in the Netherlands
• Floods in the Netherlands