Our regulations in brief

The water authority has rules to carry out our statutory duties and achieve our objectives. The most important rules are included in the Water-Authority Regulations. In addition, policies have been adopted on various topics. These policy rules detail the rules and objectives in the Water-Authority Regulations.

Rules for our environment

The Water-Authority Regulation contains rules for carrying out the most common activities in our region. These are activities that take place in, on, or near

  • surface-water bodies;
  • washlands;
  • flood defences (dykes and embankments) and
  • treatment works (pressure pipes, wastewater pumping stations, and wastewater treatment plants).

The Water-Authority Regulation specifies when a particular activity is permitted. We provide clarity on whether a particular activity is permitted.

  • a notification was required;
  • a permit must be applied for or
  • the activity may be carried out without notification or a permit.

Duties of care always apply, even if it appears that activities may sometimes be carried out without notification or a permit. The explanatory notes to the rules in the Water-Authority Regulations explain why certain rules and obligations are imposed.

Rules for management and maintenance

In addition to rules for carrying out certain activities, the Water-Authority Regulations also contain regulations for management and maintenance. These regulations ensure the preservation of

  • surface-water bodies;
  • washlands;
  • flood defences (dykes and embankments);
  • supporting structures;
  • water-treatment works.

These regulations also make clear who has the duty of maintenance and what that entails.

Policy for detailng the Water-Authority Regulations

The most important policy documents of the water authority that detail the rules in the Water-Authority Regulations are:

  • Permit policy memorandum;
  • Enforcement policy under the Environment and Planning Act;
  • Register policy 2022;
  • Policy on bank-protection works 2022;
  • Policy memorandum ‘Ecologically vulnerable surface-water bodies in the Noorderzijlvest management area’;
  • Policy memorandum ‘Designated surface-water bodies for a number of discharge activities’;
  • Groundwater Management Policy Memorandum;
  • Water-Level Management Policy and Water-Level Regulation Plans 2018;
  • Policy Memorandum on Water and Space;
  • Fish Policy Memorandum 2015 - 2025;
  • Fish Policy Memorandum (appendix) - Green Deal Lead-Free Angling;
  • Flood-Defence Management Plan 2019.