Water quality management

As pointed out, the water quality management is considered an important task of Waterschap Brabantse Delta; we are responsible for water as part of the ecosystem, in other words: the water must be clean enough for the plants and animals that depend on it.
To monitor the quality of the water we take samples and analyze them in our laboratory. Besides this we have two other means to maintain the surface water quality. These means are based on the regulations and standards in the Dutch Pollution of Surface Waters Act (1970):

1. We give permits to industries for the discharge of industrial wastewater, so we control the release of waste substances. In this way and through the use of strict control we will know the exact amount and composition of the wastewater that is discharged by the various industries. Regulating and controlling the wastewater discharge has proven to be an effective way to reduce water pollution. Our policy is: Prevention is better than redress! We call this the source approach.
2. We purify almost 100% of the wastewater from households and businesses in sewage treatment plants. The purified water (effluent) is discharged in a nearby river or canal. The treatment of the effluent also produces a side product called: sewage sludge. This sludge will be dried, incinerated or dumped at a waste disposal site. In West-Brabant we have 18 sewage treatment plants where purification takes place. In total there are approximately 450 sewage treatment plants in The Netherlands.