Board of Directors Meeting 24 June  - Decisions

Net income of €1.6 million following a successful 2025

At its meeting on June 24, the Board of Directors the 2025 annual financial statements and the financial frameworks for 2027.

Noorderzijlvest Water Authority closed 2025 with a positive financial result of €1.6 million. That amount will be added to the reserves. The water authority looks back on a successful year in which more than 80% of the planned investments and measures were realised. These include, among other things: 

• Along the Lauwersmeer dyke, the tidal culvert the Marnewaard was opened, and a new nature reserve inside the dyke is ready for development. Artificial reefs have been installed along the coast, providing a habitat for a wide variety of marine life.
• The Drie Delfzijlen pumping station is fully electrified.
• The project to realise nature-friendly banks is 90% complete.
• The redesign of lake Paterswoldsemeer has been completed.
• The provincial government of Drenthe has approved the project decision for optimising De Onlanden—to create a larger balancing lake in times of excess water—so that we could implement the first measures in 2025. 
• The REGAIN research project has been completed and demonstrates that drug residues can be removed effectively from wastewater.
• Major water-management projects such as the reinforcement of the Lauwersmeer dyke, Nieuwe Waterwerken Zoutkamp (Zoutkamp hydraulic-engineering works), the new Westerkwartier wastewater treatment plant (Gaarkeuken) are on schedule and nearing completion in 2026.
• An extensive in-house study on how to achieve a “water and soil-driven” approach in early policy-making processes produced six valuable building blocks for structuring collaboration and new initiatives.

Investments remain high; keeping a close eye on developments

The financial framework for the upcoming fiscal year 2027 targets an investment level of €50 million. While this is lower than in recent years, it still allows for a great deal of work to be accomplished. Efforts will be focused on realising clean and healthy water: the ambition extends beyond the requirements of the “Water Framework Directive.” In the coming years, the water authority will invest heavily in expanding and modernising the Garmerwolde wastewater treatment plant (RWZI), developing a fourth stage in the treatment process to—in light of the results of the REGAIN study— remove pharmaceutical residues more effectively from wastewater.
Following the reinforcement of the Lauwersmeer dyke, there remains one more section of dyke along the Wadden Sea coast to be reinforced. We are mindful of the importance of proper timing in preparing and implementing this project if benefits can be achieved for the water authority and the national Flood Protection Programme. 

In the lake Lauwersmeer region, ensuring a smooth transition between freshwater and saltwater will be a major challenge in the coming period. The collaborative process initiated with the local community is encouraging and will continue to require significant attention in the coming period.
The work of the water authorities is considered “vital” to keeping society running. This will require much greater efforts in the areas of digitisation and cybersecurity in the coming years. 

€3 million credit for six sewage pumping stations around Leek and Eelde

The sewage pumping stations at Tolbert, Pierkesveld, Zevenhuizen, Vries, Roderesch, and Norg are in need of renovation. Sewage pumping stations transport wastewater from households and businesses to our wastewater treatment plants. The Board of Directors approved a €3 million credit line for preparing and implementing the planned renovations up to 2029. 

End of Board of Directors and Executive Board membership for Annette van Velde

In May 2026, Board Member Annette van Velde decided to step down from her positions on the Executive Board and Board of Directors at the end of the current replacement period. For her role as a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Boards, the replacement provision offered by the Water Authority Act in the event of long-term illness was invoked temporarily. As was the case during the replacement period, Eisse Luitjens was admitted as a member of the Board of Directors on the recommendation of LTO Noord. Following a proposal of the “Geborgd Ongebouwd-VVD-CDA” political grouping, of which Luitjens is a member, he was subsequently appointed as a member of the Executive Board.