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Executive overview
Key findings
1,191 million m³: drinking water produced by the ten public companies in 2025, up from 1,161 million m³ in 2024 (European Netherlands)
EUR 1,171 million: drinking water sector investment in 2025 (actual), up from EUR 899 million in 2024 and EUR 458 million in 2010
EUR 2.05 per m³: 2026 weighted-average residential drinking water rate for a 100 m³ household, excluding taxes, up 3.9% on 2025
EUR 34–42 billion: funding needed to 2050 for flood safety, freshwater and climate adaptation, against about EUR 29 billion assumed in the Delta Fund (projection)
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Buyer relevance
Who the report is for
Firms entering the Dutch water market
Identify who permits, supervises and buys, from IenW and Rijkswaterstaat to the 21 water boards and the ten drinking water companies.
Contractors and equipment suppliers
See the named programmes, from the completed Afsluitdijk works to the EUR 1.4–2.3 billion IJmuiden replacement estimate and the Vitens and Evides investment plans.
Lenders and investors
Compare sector investment of EUR 1,171 million in 2025 with the two published investment-need estimates and the sector balance sheet.
Policy and public-affairs teams
Track dated changes such as the NAS'26 adaptation strategy, the water board elections on 17 March 2027 and the drinking water supervision reform.
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Decision scope
Questions answered
Is the Netherlands short of water?
Not on average: water stress was 14.91% in 2023. But 87.91% of renewable resources come from abroad, and the country was in a national actual water shortage from 16 July to 3 September 2026.
Who supplies drinking water?
Ten public companies owned by municipalities and provinces; the largest, Vitens, serves 6,008 thousand inhabitants of the 18,248 thousand covered.
What does drinking water cost?
The 2026 weighted-average residential rate is EUR 2.05 per m³ for a 100 m³ household before taxes, ranging from EUR 1.75 at Vitens to EUR 2.71 at PWN.
How large is the flood and freshwater funding gap?
EUR 34–42 billion is needed to 2050 for flood safety, freshwater and adaptation, against about EUR 29 billion assumed in the Delta Fund.
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Inside the report
Inside the complete report
Executive Snapshot
1. Country Water Profile
2. Water Resources and Supply
3. Institutions and Utilities
4. Infrastructure and Major Projects
5. Tariffs and Finance
6. Climate and Resilience
7. Outlook and What to Watch
Source Register
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Public preview
What to watch next
3. Institutions and Utilities
The next stage of the Drinking Water Act amendment and the water board elections on 17 March 2027.
4. Infrastructure and Major Projects
Allocation of the remaining EUR 250 million for the HWBP, an investment decision on IJmuiden and a permit application at Schalkwijk.
5. Tariffs and Finance
2027 tariff announcements and the cost-of-capital standard for the period from 2028.
6. Climate and Resilience
Adoption of the national climate adaptation strategy (NAS'26), planned for late 2026, and the government's long-term financing study for the Delta Fund.
Infrastructure indicators and the major project table with owner, value, stage and timeline.
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Included
What you receive
The complete PDF report: 13 pages, 9 sections, 10 tables and a register of 44 sources.
This edition
November 2026, First edition.
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Evidence & method
Evidence and method
Official statistics from CBS and FAO AQUASTAT, the Vewin sector fact sheets for 2024 and 2025, government and Rijkswaterstaat programme and budget documents, regulator publications from ACM, and company annual reports and 2026 tariff schedules.
Sources
44 sources, listed in the report's source register. Evidence current to 1 November 2026. Principal data periods: 2023 national water accounts; 2025 drinking water sector data (Vewin, published September 2026); 2024 wastewater statistics; 2026 tariffs; the 2026 drought season; plans and projections to 2030 and 2050. Status checks as of 1 November 2026. All currency is euros (EUR) unless stated..
Evidence boundaries
This report uses authoritative source material available at the stated research cutoff. It distinguishes published facts, calculated values and analytical interpretation. No independent modelling is performed. Forward-looking analysis reflects published plans, documented trends and stated uncertainties. It does not constitute legal, financial, investment or engineering advice.
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Lead analyst
Robert C. Brears
Founder, Our Future Water Intelligence
Robert C. Brears is a water-security specialist and author whose work examines utility governance, infrastructure investment, climate resilience and long-term water-system change for executive and policy audiences.
- Decision-focused utility intelligence
- Published water-policy author
- Evidence-grounded system analysis
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Buyer FAQs
Before you purchase
Who can use the report?
Licensed for internal use within one purchasing organization. The PDF and its contents may be shared with colleagues within that organization. External redistribution, resale and public publication are prohibited without permission.
How is the report delivered?
The PDF is available to download immediately after confirmed payment, through our secure delivery system.
Can my organization buy wider access?
Institutional purchasing: For invoice enquiries, multi-organization licensing or broader access requirements, contact Our Future Water Intelligence.
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Netherlands Country Intelligence Profile
- Format
- Length
- 13 pages
- Edition
- November 2026, First edition
- Price
- USD 99
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Report details
Publication details
- Publisher
- Our Future Water Intelligence
- Report family
- Country Intelligence Profile
- Edition
- November 2026, First edition
- Format
- Length
- 13 pages
- Reference
- OFW_EXT_NETHERLANDS_COUNTRY_INTELLIGENCE_PROFILE_035535a81fe6
- Evidence current to
- 1 November 2026
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