A four-person Amsterdam household pays about EUR 341 a year for tap water in 2026, down from about EUR 357 in 2025, according to Waternet's own examples, which exclude VAT and tap water tax. A one-person household pays about EUR 153, down from EUR 163.
Both parts of the tariff came down
Waternet, the city's drinking water company, cut its standing charge for metered homes from EUR 98.42 to EUR 90.55 a year, a fall of 8.0%. Its volumetric rate went from EUR 1.22 to EUR 1.18 per cubic metre. The cuts came in the first year after Waternet separated from the regional water authority on 1 January 2026.
The second bill also eased
Amsterdam residents also pay the Amstel, Gooi en Vecht water authority, which runs wastewater treatment and flood defence. Its 2026 water system charge for residents fell from EUR 201.73 to EUR 186.85 per dwelling. Its wastewater treatment charge stayed at EUR 92.79 per pollution unit.
2027 could reverse part of the gain
The cabinet's Belastingplan 2027 proposes raising the national tap water tax by EUR 0.10 per 1,000 litres and removing its ceiling from 2027. Waternet's 2026 pages give the current tax as EUR 0.437 or EUR 0.44 per 1,000 litres. Both chambers of parliament must still approve the plan, with votes due in November and December 2026.
Costs are building underneath
Waternet's 2024 regional action plan says required production capacity rises from 95 million cubic metres a year to 107 million by 2030. A new slow sand filter at Weesperkarspel alone carries an estimated value of EUR 54 million, excluding VAT.
Who runs which part of Amsterdam's water system after the split, where its drinking water comes from, which projects are under way and what to watch next are set out in the report. The full report, Amsterdam City Intelligence Profile, is available for USD 99.