ANP
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News from the NOS•today, 02:15
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There may be a shortage of drinking water in the Netherlands within a few years. Ten drinking water companies in a reportWhere is it NRC on the message.
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According to the drinking water companies, the water system is “reaching its limits due to drought, salinization and increased demand for water due to the growing population, regional urban expansion and the economy.”
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The ten companies say that unless measures are taken, they cannot guarantee that the 900,000 new homes the government wants to build will be able to provide good drinking water on time. According to the newspaper, therefore, they are asking for more measures and urgency from politics.
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The ten Dutch drinking water organizations are legally obliged to provide drinking water. This should be enough to be able to provide drinking water to consumers and other buyers now and in the future. In the report, all ten companies say they need to produce more drinking water by 2030 to continue meeting demand.
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Drinking water is not a matter of course
In order to continue to do so, it is necessary to strengthen the production, purification and distribution capacity. This is already urgently needed in three companies, Dunea, Vitens and Waterbedrijf Groningen. “That the water comes out of the tap seems obvious, but it is not,” writes the association of water companies in the document.
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“The availability of water for drinking water supplies is under pressure. In addition, the quality of drinking water sources is deteriorating due to pollution of agriculture, industry and households. Future generations risk being burdened by a less secure supply of reliable products by drinking water. “
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To continue meeting demand, water abstraction permits should be issued more easily for companies. We also need to invest in new ways of extracting water, such as drinking water from seawater.
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