Water Board Regulation

The Water Board Ordinance contains the rules we use to protect our waterways, levees and roads. Different zones (areas of operation) have been defined around these ditches, dikes and roads, and different rules apply to each zone. The Water Board Ordinance is based on Article 2.5 of the Omgevingswet.

Current Water Board Ordinance

Current Water Board Ordinance

On Dec. 17, the executive board of the Water Board adopted amendments to the Water Board Ordinance. The amendments took effect Jan. 1, 2025, which is why it is called: the Water Board Ordinance 2025. 

As of Jan. 1, 2025, the consolidated version of the Water Board Ordinance 2025 is available on the website www.overheid.nl. The text is also added as a pdf document at the bottom of this page under the heading Documents and links.

Please note that the rules in the Water Board Ordinance should be read in conjunction with the areas of operation/restriction. This is because since the Omgevingswet as of January 1, 2024) has come into force, it is mandatory to link to every rule imposed by a government an area where that rule applies. This is called restriction areas or areas of operation. You can find this at Rules on the Map. 

The old regulations will continue to apply to permit applications filed before Jan. 1, 2025.

Theme low-lying areas from Water Board Ordinance 2025

The draft Water Board Ordinance 2025 included proposals for rules on the topic of low-lying areas. On December 3, 2024, the Executive Board decided to remove this topic from the amending resolution and thus not to include it in the adopted regulation.

The reason for this was the need for further substantive elaboration, administrative consideration and coordination with interested parties. The subject remains on the agenda. 

More information can be found in the Dec. 9, 2024 news release. 

Changes Water Board Ordinance 2026

Hollands Noorderkwartier Water Board is currently working on the new 2026 Water Board Ordinance. This process involves several steps:

  1. Until mid-February, HHNK is taking stock of which policy-poor sections of the Water Board Ordinance require changes;
  2. By mid-April, an assessment will be made of which items will be prioritized to be picked up and incorporated into the 2026 Water Board Ordinance;
  3. Then, by the end of June, these sections will be developed into text changes and possible changes to Maps where the rules apply (areas of operation);
  4. The draft version of the Water Board Ordinance 2026 will be presented to the Executive Board and, if approved, submitted for public inspection. Information sessions will be organized around this period for members of the public, interest groups and government agencies. You can submit your views during these sessions. Your views may lead to changes in the draft ordinance. Then the Executive Board will decide on the final adoption;
  5. Finally, the changes are processed on overheid.nl, the environment counter and on our website.
timeline water board regulation

The Environment Counter

In the Environment Desk, the Rules section on the Map allows you to see what rules apply to a site. Through this section, you can view rules, policies and information about the surrounding area.

On the same website you will also find the Permit Check. This allows you to check whether you need one or more permits for your plan. Note that some activities must be reported to the government in advance, even if they do not require a permit. You can find this out with the Permit Check. Via the Omgevingsloket you can then also submit your official application or notification.

Maintenance Ordinance

Provisions on maintenance obligations in our management area can be found in the Maintenance Ordinance.

Annual changes

The Water Board Ordinance is updated annually.

The amendments take effect annually on the first day of the year and are announced by publication in the Water Board Bulletin. The amendments are first published in draft form and are available for inspection for six weeks. You may submit your view(s) to the Executive Board of the Water Board for six weeks from the day the draft decision is made available for inspection. The board of the dike grave and higher water board will draw up a memorandum responding to the views submitted. Your views may lead to changes compared to the draft decision. The higher water board can also make (ex officio) changes to the content during the process. Those who have submitted views will be informed about how their views have been dealt with. Finally, a decision is made to adopt the final amendments.

Questions

Do you have questions about the Water Board Ordinance? If so, please contact us via the contact form. On weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. you can reach us by phone at the general telephone number: 072 582 8282.

See also