Do you want to dig mechanically or have such work performed in the Netherlands? This is an activity under the regulation governing excavation contractors (Grondroerdersregeling). You are obliged to report your planned activities to the Dutch Land Registry Office (Kadaster) at least 20 days before the activity. You do so with a KLIC notifice (Klic-melding, in Dutch). This is mandatory and follows from the Underground Grids and Networks Information Exchange Act (WION or Grondroerdersregeling).
Notifying a dig
If you intend to do a one-time mechanical dig, you only need to fill in the Klic form for notifying about a dig (in Dutch). If you do regular digs you have to notify, you first need to register with the Dutch Land Registry Office (Kadaster, in Dutch). Then you can register as an excavation contractor (grondroerder) and login to report planned digs. You will receive digital information about any cables and pipelines present at the indicated location and their owners. This way you will know where to dig without damaging cables and pipelines.
Excavation work on a provincial public road
Do you intend to dig in a provincial public road? you may have to apply for dispensation from the provincial authority (in Dutch) as well.
Damage caused by excavation
The excavation work must be carried out with the utmost care. Guidelines to avoid damage have been compiled in CROW publication 500 'Avoiding damage to cables and pipes' (in Dutch). If a power grid is damaged during the excavation work, you must report the damage to the grid operator. If you are a grid operator, you have to report all damage to your power grid to the Land Registry Office (in Dutch) once a year. Even if your grid has not sustained damage, you still must fill in the notification form. You need to do this in January.
Irregular situations
If you are an excavation contractor, and come across an irregular situation, you must inform the Land Registry Office (in Dutch), which will in turn inform the grid operator. This could be necessary if, for example:
- you find one or more cables or pipelines which are not marked in the drawings provided to you
- the location of cables or pipelines is marked wrongly in the drawings
- you find no network at all
Agricultural businesses
Farmers do not have to submit a separate notification of their intention to perform excavation work each time they till their land (in Dutch). For excavations up to a depth of 50 centimetres, you can use the information received when you first submitted a notification of your intent to perform excavation work. If you intend to dig deeper than 50 centimetres, you have to follow the instructions for notifying a dig (as indicated above).
Online procedure via Message Box
Using Message Box you can submit the following notifications to Kadaster online:
- excavation notification by excavation contractors
- damage report by network operators
- notification of irregular situation
You can submit your application for dispensation to dig in a provincial road via Message Box to your provincial authority. Message Box is a secure email system that enables you as an entrepreneur to exchange digital messages with Dutch government agencies.