Environment and planning permit: water activities

For activities near water you may need to apply for an environment and planning permit (omgevingsvergunning) for water activities (previously a water permit). In some cases you only need to submit a notification or apply for an exemption. Examples of activities near water (in Dutch) are:

• discharging waste water directly into surface water
• extracting groundwater
• constructing water storage facilities
• filling in/draining a ditch
• conducting activities near civil engineering structures such as a viaduct, tunnel, bridge, inland waterway, or embankment
• an event on the water

Do you want to carry out work that will cause disturbance to the functioning of a construction or object of great social importance? For example, work near a waterway or the North Sea? This is called a beperkingengebiedactiviteit (an activity in a regulated area, in Dutch). The central government is nearly always the competent authority in such areas. You must comply with the rules of the Environmental Activities Decree (Besluit activiteiten leefomgeving, Bal, in Dutch).

Do the permit check and apply for an environment and planning permit for water activities

Do you want to know if you need an environment and planning permit for a water activity? Or if you need to submit a notification? Go to the online service counter Omgevingsloket and do the permit check (vergunningcheck, in Dutch). If you enter all the information, the Omgevingsloket will tell you automatically if you need to apply to or notify the regional water authority, the provincial authority, or the central government (Rijk). In some cases, you need to apply for a permit or notify more than one authority. You can submit your application or notification directly to the Omgevingsloket.

Information about the rules

For more information about the rules, you can also contact:

Regional water authority

You have to comply with the rules of the Waterschapsverordening (Water Authority By-law, in Dutch) if you want to carry out activities in surface water or with groundwater in or near a ditch, stream, or pond, embankment (dike) or road that is managed by the water authority. Each regional water authority has its own water authority by-law. You can access these by-laws online through the Omgevingsloket.

Provincial authority

If you want to carry out activities in surface water or groundwater near a highway, viaduct (overpass), tunnel, bridge, waterway, or embankment (dike) that is managed by the province, you must follow the rules set out in the environmental regulation (in Dutch) of the province where you will carry out the activities.

Rijkswaterstaat

You must comply with the rules of the central government if you plan to carry out an activity in or near a large river or lake, for example the Rhine (Rijn), the Meuse (Maas), or the IJsselmeer (national waters). You can find these rules in the Environmental Activities Decree (Bal, in Dutch). Or contact Rijkswaterstaat for more information (in Dutch).

Do you need other permits?

Check to find out if you need other permits. For instance an environment and planning permit for building or for an activity that impacts the environment. Do the permit check (in Dutch) in the online Omgevingsloket to check which permit you need.

Applying for compensation

Do you experience damage as a result of water management activities? You can claim compensation from the organisation that carries out the work.