Facts and figures

Overview of facts and figures from the Noorderzijlvest Water Authority.

Key figures Noorderzijlvest

Noorderzijlvest working areaGroningen north of the Eems canal, northwest Drenthe, and the Frisian part of the lake Lauwersmeer area
Size of our management areaapprox. 144,000 hectares (= 1,440 km²)

Number of councils our region

9 local councils:

  • Assen
  • Eems delta
  • Groningen
  • Het Hogeland
  • Central Drenthe
  • Noardeast-Fryslân
  • Noordenveld
  • Tynaarlo
  • Westerkwartier
WFD catchmentNedereems, north Rhine
Natura 2000 areas in our management area

 
Lake Lauwersmeer:

Lake Leekstermeer area:

Norgerholt

Fochteloërveen

Number of inhabitants in our region417,226 (as at 31 December 2024) 
Number of pollution units (PUs)416,000 units declared
Noorderzijlvest employees316 employees. That's 300 positions.
Lowest point in our working area -3.00 metre NAP lowest point in our area
Highest point in our working area+12.10 metre NAP highest point in our area

Surface waters

Key figures Noorderzijlvest

Our primary watercourses2,233 kilometres
Our water authority ditches28 kilometres
Our ditches under inspection1,335 kilometres
Our balancing lakes (storage in case of disaster)
as defined under Environment and Planning Act
1,485 hectares
Our surface water pumping stations150
Mills capable of milling in our management area17 mills
Our water authority weirs833 weirs
Our locks17 locks
Our inlets390 inlets
Our fish passages29 fish passages
The bridges over main watercourses in our region

1,274 of which:

  • 86 under maintenance by the water authority
Our culvertsin main watercourses7,451 culverts

Flood defences (dykes and flood embankments)

Key figures Noorderzijlvest

Primary flood defences Lauwersoog to Delfzijl (the Ommelanderzeedijk)69 kilometres
Regional and other flood defences486.7 kilometres
Amount of asphalt114 hectares
How many stony slopes51.5 hectares
Number of access and maintenance roads30 hectares
Amount of turf387 hectares
Quantity of fencing40 kilometres
Number of cross fences138 units
Number of dyke warehouses (workshops)6
Number of posts for dyke surveillance8

Water treatment

Key figures Noorderzijlvest

Treated wastewater per year63,750,000 m³ (= nearly 64 billion litres)
Number of pollution units416,000 units declared
Our wastewater treatment plants13
Our sludge dewatering plant1
Number of transport pumping stations113 sewage pumping stations under our own management 
Our pressure pipes361 kilometres
Sewage overflows in our area453
IBAs inour management area1217