This annual report describes the water quality of the Dutch part of the Rhine in 2018. In addition, it addresses the impacts of drought on drinking water supply and presents a treatment challenge index. Finally, several current topics—such as drought, exemptions and discharge permits—are discussed in a policy context, with a forward-looking perspective.
The RIWA-Rijn annual report provides an overview of the substances measured in the Dutch part of the Rhine river basin. We assess the concentrations found against the target values set out in the European River Memorandum (ERM). Once again this year, substances have been detected whose concentrations exceed these target values.
The past year was characterized by prolonged drought, which was felt throughout the entire river basin. Dutch drinking water companies also experienced the impact of drought on the quality of their water sources, with salinization playing a key role. This annual report describes the impact of the drought and how drinking water companies that are wholly or partly dependent on the Rhine have dealt with it. In addition, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) was asked to explain how the drought issue is being addressed.
Article 7.3 of the Water Framework Directive states: “Member States shall ensure the necessary protection for the bodies of water designated with the aim of preventing deterioration of their quality, in order to reduce the level of treatment required for the production of drinking water.” In the year in which the European Commission is carrying out a fitness check of the WFD, this raises the question of whether, and to what extent, the WFD delivers on the promise of Article 7.3. In this annual report, we present an index that describes developments in the water quality of the Rhine in this respect. Has the water quality of the Rhine improved since the introduction of the WFD to such an extent that the required level of treatment has actually been reduced?