Ditch maintenance

Who is responsible for maintaining the locks?

The water board, the province of North Holland, municipalities, nature organizations, the railway operator, and Rijkswaterstaat are responsible for maintaining most of the ditches in North Holland. However, there are also ditches that must be maintained by the owner of the plot of land along the ditch. If you live next to a ditch, you are responsible for maintaining the half of the ditch that borders your plot. The owner of the plot on the other side is responsible for maintaining the other half. Cooperation is therefore important.

If a plot of land is located next to a large, wide ditch, a main watercourse, the plot owner is often only responsible for maintaining the banks. The center of the ditch is maintained by the water board or another authority.

Who is responsible for maintaining which ditch and what type of ditch borders your property is specified in the Maintenance Ordinanceand the Water Register. If you have any questions about maintenance obligations, please contact the inspection team.

When is a ditch well maintained?

A ditch is well maintained if: 

• the ditch is free of floating debris or construction waste;
• reeds and aquatic plants do not obstruct the water supply and drainage of the ditch;
• the walkways are in good condition;
• the revetments are well maintained;
• the structures (such as culverts, bridges, and weirs) are clean and in good condition. The owner of the structure is responsible for maintaining the ditch up to 3.0 metre either side of the structure, including on the side of the public road;
• the trees and plants above the water surface are pruned to at least 3.0 metre the waterline. 

Nature conservation legislation

When carrying out ditch maintenance, you must take into account nature conservation legislation (Omgevingswet). You must not cause any damage to protected animals and plants present and you must take breeding birds into account. If part of the ditch cannot be maintained due to breeding birds or protected animals or plants, please report this to the inspection team.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the website of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Information on the Nature Conservation Act).

Do I also need to clean divers, and if so, how do I do that?

Culverts are very important for water supply and drainage. If silt or other debris accumulates in the culvert, it can no longer fulfil its function. Culverts can be cleaned with water pressure.

What is a healthy ditch environment?

A healthy ditch needs oxygen. Not only for the fish, plants, and other living organisms, but also for processing dead aquatic plants and tree leaves on the bottom; the decomposition process. The remains of the decomposition process remain on the bottom and form a layer of sludge, or silt.

When there is little water in the ditch, the oxygen is quickly depleted. Fish, plants, and other living organisms can no longer survive there. The quality of the water then deteriorates rapidly. For a healthy ditch environment, it is therefore important that there is sufficient water in the ditch.

I am going to clean the ditch manually. What tools can I use?

• weed hook: for picking up weeds and duckweed
• kantzeis: for cutting back bank plants
• grass shears: to tidy up the embankment
• high-pressure sprayer: to spray divers

I have a tractor or am going to hire an agricultural contractor. What machines do you use?

• mowing basket: for removing aquatic plants from the ditch
• mowing boat: if a ditch is too wide, you can carry out maintenance from the water (or have it done).

Did my (next-door)neighbours receive a letter?

If yourneighbours propertyneighbours your property border the same ditch and both sides of the ditch require maintenance, they have probably also received a letter. However, this varies per inspection and per 'violation'. For your specific question, please contact the inspection team.

The card accompanying the letter is incorrect/unclear.

Please contact the inspection team, who will check your details and provide any necessary explanations on the card.

The ditch is no longer there.

In some cases, our maps and aerial photographs are outdated or contain errors. Please contact the inspection team, and they will check your details.

The ditch has already been cleaned.

You have received a letter requesting that you clean the ditch, but you have just done so. At the re-inspection date, it will be clear that the ditch is clean. You do not need to take any action.

I have commissioned a contractor to carry out the maintenance, but they have not yet done so.

Please contact the area manager via the general number 072 - 582 8282. Only he or she can grant a postponement in certain situations.

I am no longer the owner of this plot of land.

If you are no longer the owner of the plot on the first inspection date, the new owner is responsible for maintaining the ditch. However, if you are still the owner of the plot on the first inspection date, you are responsible for maintenance.

Our system is connected to the Land Registry data. It can sometimes take a while for the Land Registry to process the data. Please contact the inspection team, and they will check your details.

I disagree with the letter.

Please contact the inspection team, who will check your details and explain the letter and your personal situation. The inspection team will do their utmost to work with you to find a solution that is satisfactory for both parties. If you still wish to lodge an objection, the team can inform you about the further procedure. You can also find the procedure on the pageObjecting to an administrative decision.

I did not receive a letter.

Please contact the inspection team; they can check your details.

This person does not live at this address (anymore).

You can return the letter to the sender, stating your reason. Have you recently become the owner of a plot of land bordering a ditch and would you like to know whether you are responsible for its maintenance? Please contact the inspection team, who will check your details.

I am not responsible for maintenance.

Every owner of a plot of land adjacent to a ditch, whether public authorities, companies, or private individuals, is responsible for maintaining their half of the ditch.

If a plot of land borders a large, wide ditch (a main watercourse), the plot owner often only has to maintain the slope (the embankment). The center of the ditch is maintained by the water board or another authority.

Who is responsible for maintaining which ditch and what type of ditch borders your property is specified in the Maintenance Regulationsand the Water Register. If you have any questions about maintenance obligations, please contact the inspection team.

I would like to raise an objection.

Please contact the inspection team, who will check your details and explain your personal situation. The inspection team will do their utmost to work with you to find a solution to the situation that is satisfactory for both parties. If you still wish to lodge an objection, the team can inform you about the further procedure. You can also find the procedure on the pageObjecting to an administrative decision.

I would like to request a postponement.

We assume that maintenance has been carried out before the inspection date. Are there crops on the land that cannot be harvested before the inspection date? A postponement of maintenance can be requested from the relevant area manager via the general telephone number 072-582 8282. With clean ditches, we can work together to ensure that we keep the water manageable in wet and dry weather.