Water board regulations amended
Every year, the rules of the water board, known as the Water Board Regulations, are updated. On December 16, 2025, the executive committee of HHNK adopted the Water Board Regulations 2026, which will come into effect on January 1, 2026.
The Water Board Regulation contains rules that the water board applies to protect waterways, flood defenses, and roads. Various zones (operating areas) have been designated around ditches, dikes, and roads, and different rules apply to each zone.
Main changes for 2026
- Surface water: the rules for digging new surface water and widening existing surface water have been amended. In sloping areas and areas with dry beds, a licence is licence to widen surface water in order to prevent the bursting of ditch beds and an increase in seepage. In other areas, we align with the space required for navigational maintenance. General rules have been added for widening existing surface waterways to prevent an increase in maintenance efforts for adjacent owners.
- Fish stocking and removal: A fish plan is no longer mandatory for stocking and removing fish. Written agreements between the water board and the initiator are also sufficient. A fish plan is still possible.
- Groundwater: Chapter 4 'Groundwater' has been updated. With regard to groundwater, the restricted area of vulnerable groundwater has been reduced and limited to Natura 2000 areas with a buffer zone in the inner dune edge and Texel and Wieringen. The termination of groundwater extraction must be reported. In addition, the water to be discharged may not be saltier than the receiving surface water. This provides better protection for water quality against salinization.
- A licence will now licence for all seasonal beach structures. Due to the dynamic nature of the dune foot, in some cases a permit was required and in others an information obligation, with the necessary annual administration for the notifier. With a licence , authorisation licence arranged authorisation several years.
- The requirement for a permit to deposit soil or building materials on flood defenses was missing from the Water Board Regulations and has now been added.
- The names of the areas of operation have been changed from flood defense to core zone to avoid confusion. Sometimes, flood defense refers exclusively to the part of the dike from toe to toe, while in other cases the term is interpreted more broadly. As a result, it has now become core zone, protection zone A, and protection zone B.
- Some changes to the rules for 'high ground' areas. Rules on high ground concerning cables and pipes have been relaxed.
- An exception to the safety net permit requirement (direct discharges) has been included for municipalities with which a Wastewater Agreement has been concluded.
- Various areas of operation have been updated. This is necessary due to changes to the water system, such as the relocation of watercourses. The names of the areas of operation have also been changed.
For more information about the Water Board Regulation 2026 and related documents, see the Water Board Regulation page.
