Water board (The Netherlands)

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Dutch water boards (Dutch: waterschappen or hoogheemraadschappen) are regional government bodies in the Netherlands. A water board is charged with managing the water barriers, the waterways, the water levels, and the water quality in its region. Water boards are among the oldest forms of local government in the Netherlands, some of them having been founded in the 13th century.

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[edit] Terminology

Today there is no difference between a waterschap or a hoogheemraadschap. The names differ for historical reasons, waterschap being the name for a water board district that was below sea level and hoogheemraadschap being the name for a water board district that was above sea level.

These terms can refer to the region or to the administrative body itself.

When referring to the administrative body, the English translation of waterschap and hoogheemraadschap is generally "water board" or "water control board". It can be referred to as the "district water board" or "district water control board".

The region is generally referred to as the "water board district" or "water control board district".

The term "water board" may be confusing in the Dutch context, as water boards in other countries are often responsible for the supply of water to the public. A waterschap or hoogheemraadschap in the Netherlands is charged with the control and management of water, not the supply of water. It is more accurate to refer to these organisations as "water control boards" and "water control board districts".

[edit] History

Around 25 percent of the Netherlands is below sea level. Three main rivers run through this relatively small country. Historically there was a good deal of flooding from both the sea and from the rivers. It has always been in the common interest to keep the water out. The ever-present threat of loss of life and land requires short lines of communication between authority and action. Therefore local bodies were best suited to deal with the threat.

This method of dealing with water control emerged in 13th century as the unpredictable water system was tamed and the land drained for agriculture. The water boards were set up to maintain the integrity of the water defenses around the polders, maintain the waterways inside a polder and control the various water levels inside and outside the polder. This early form of local government led to high level of decentralisation and communal cooperation in the Netherlands. In the 16th century, wide-spread experience with decentralized government was a factor in the formation of the Dutch Republic. The function of the water boards has basically remained unchanged to this day. As such they are the oldest democratic institution in the country.[1]

[edit] Responsibility

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 water treatment.

Dutch water boards are not responsible for the supply of public water. They are not a utility.

Each water board has the authority to impose taxes. The central government contributes to this system by paying for the cost of constructing and maintaining the water barriers and the main waterways. The costs of water treatment are financed by a water pollution levy, which is based on the polluter pays principle.

[edit] Organisation

Water bodies hold separate elections, levy taxes and function independently from other government bodies. The structure of the water boards varies, but they all have a general administrative body, an executive board and a chairperson. The general administrative body consists of people representing the various categories of stakeholders: landholders, leaseholders, owners of buildings, companies and, since recently, all the residents as well. Importance and financial contribution are factors in determining how many representatives each category may delegate. Certain stakeholders (e.g. environmental organisations) may be given the power to appoint members. The general administrative body elects the executive board from among its members. The government appoints the chairperson (dijkgraaf, literally: "dike count") for a period of six years. The general administrative body is elected for a period of four years (as individuals, not party representatives). Unlike municipal council elections, voters do not usually have to go to a polling station but can vote by mail or even by telephone.

[edit] List of Dutch water boards

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. In 2006, there were 27 water boards in the Netherlands.

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

The last two of these are managed by a regional grouping called Waterschapsbedrijf Limburg.

[edit] Source

Unie van Waterschappen, (Association of Water Boards). Retrieved on 2007-10-21.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Raadschelders, J.C.N.; Th.A.J. Toonen (eds.) (1993). Waterschappen in Nederland: een bestuurskundige verkenning van de institutionele ontwikkeling (Water boards in the Netherlands: a management inquiry into the institutional development). Hilversum: Verloren b.v.. ISBN 90-6550-365-X. 
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