Examples of activities near water are:
- discharging waste water directly into surface water
- extracting groundwater
- conducting activities near civil engineering structures such as a viaduct, tunnel, bridge, inland waterway, embankment
- constructing water storage facilities
- filling in/draining a ditch
Applying for an environmental permit for a water activity (water permit)
To which authority you need to apply for an environmental permit for a water activity or submit a notification depends on where you plan to work. If you are not sure, you should contact the municipilaty where you want to carry out the activities.
Regional water authority
You have to apply for a permit or submit a notification to the regional water authority if you plan 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.
Provincial authority
You need to apply for a permit or dispensation to the provincial authorities 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.
Rijkswaterstaat
You have to apply for a permit to Rijkswaterstaat 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).
Service Counter
To submit a notification or apply for a permit via the 'Service Counter All-in-one permit for physical aspects' (Omgevingsloket Online, OLO, in Dutch) you need eHerkenning level 2.
For non-resident foreign companies this online procedure is slightly different, as they cannot obtain the necessary Dutch e-Herkenning key. They must first apply for a special account at InfoMil. Generally you will then receive your username and password within 2 working days, with which you can apply for a water permit (or an All-in-One Permit for Physical Aspects) at the OLO website.
If you apply for the environmental permit for a water activity via the OLO website, you can have your application processed digitally via Message Box by stating your Message Box name with your application. In the province of Noord-Brabant you can also apply digitally for compensation via Message Box.