General Board meeting on December 14

€28.5 million for wastewater transport in Westerkwartier

The general board will decide on the application for €28.5 million in implementation credit for the construction of the wastewater transport system in the municipality of Westerkwartier. The old sewage treatment plants in Marum, Gaarkeuken, and Zuidhorn are severely outdated and no longer meet the requirements for treated water. The water board is building a new sewage treatment plant in Gaarkeuken. In order to transport the sewage from Marum and Zuidhorn to the new treatment plant in Gaarkeuken, the water board is laying a total of 20 km of underground pressure pipes. This credit is necessary for the construction of the pressure pipes, which will transport the wastewater to the new treatment plant.
The construction of the wastewater transport system, like the construction of the new treatment plant, is part of the overall RWZI Westerkwartier project. In addition to the construction of the pressure pipes, the implementation loan will also be used for the new construction and renovation of sewage pumping stations along the route. In addition, two existing pipes under the site of the Indaver TOP Gaarkeuken B.V. waste processing company will be replaced. These pipes are outdated and need to be renewed. Simultaneously with the water board, FrieslandCampina Marum will construct a water transport system at its own expense, parallel to the water board's wastewater transport system, for the discharge of treated residual water. 

New water level decision for Casper Hommes polder

In areas where soil subsidence of more than 10 centimeters due to gas extraction is an issue, nine new water level decisions are being made. Now it is the turn of the water level decision for the Casper Hommes polder. The area is roughly located between Ten Boer, Thesinge, and Bedum. Here, the ground has subsided between 16 and 33 centimeters since the early 1970s. This may have consequences for the functioning of the water system. There was no formal water level decision for the area yet. The water board regulated the water level based on practical experience. All the discussions that have taken place in the area show that this water level management is satisfactory. A large part of the area is used for agriculture. The differences in elevation mean that some parts are drier than the norm. Due to the predominantly agricultural use, landowners do not see this as a problem.
In other parts of the area, the water level is slightly higher for the benefit of nature, recreation, public green spaces, or buildings. The water level is given an upper and lower limit. This allows the water level to adjust to forecasts of too much or too little water.
The water system needs a number of adjustments. These range from replacing weirs and culverts to redesigning the main water system around the village of Sint Annen. The general board will decide on a loan of almost €1.8 million that is needed for this.

Water board takes important steps toward implementation of Environment Act

The general board has adopted a series of documents, all of which relate to the implementation of the Environment Act. Its implementation has been postponed (for the time being) until July 1, 2023. The adoption of these documents does not therefore mean that other rules will apply immediately. This will only happen once the Environment Act has actually been implemented. In recent years, a great deal of work has been done to revise the water board's regulations. This will mean that permits will be required less often in the future. Many matters can then be arranged with a notification or without any form of permission. With the adoption of these documents, Noorderzijlvest is therefore formally ready for the arrival of the Environment Act. Until the Environment Act comes into force, the existing 'Keur' will continue to apply.