Our Water Board Regulations

Rules according to the intent of the Environment Act

The Water Authority Regulation has been drawn up on the basis of and in accordance with the intention of the Environment Act. This means that:

• We consider a permit to be necessary much less often. Instead, there will be a notification requirement before the activity commences. In some cases, notification may even be waived. However, duties of care will always apply.
• For the most common activities, the rules are based on 'yes, provided that' rather than 'no, unless'. This means that the rules specify when the water authority grants permission to carry out an activity. We indicate immediately when an activity can be carried out (that is 'yes, provided'). The water board no longer assumes that the activity is prohibited unless a permit can be granted (that is 'no, unless').
• The Water Board Regulation is, as far as possible, an integrated regulation of the water board. Various policy documents have been incorporated into the rules contained in the Water Board Regulation. These include, for example, the rules for the management and maintenance and maintenance obligation of the water system and purification works, partly based on the Water Board Act (and not on the Environment Act). In this way, rules for unforeseen circumstances and emergencies are also safeguarded.

Contents of our Water Board Regulations

Our Water Board Regulations mainly contain the following rules:

1. Definitions;
2. Objectives of the water board;
3. General duties of care;
4. Designation of restricted areas (areas where the rules of the Water Board Regulation apply);
5. Management and maintenance rules;
6. Rules for carrying out activities in our management area;
7. Rules on supervision and enforcement;
8. Transitional law.

Initial check, report, or submit an application: via the Digital System for the Environment Act

The Water Board Regulation has been made digitally accessible in the Digital System for the Environment Act (DSO). Via theEnvironment Desk, an online platform containing all the rules of administrative bodies of the state, the province, the municipality, and the water board. The rules can be found via "Rules on the map."

The DSO is also the place to submit notifications and apply for permits. Before you do so, you can perform a 'permit check' in the DSO. The DSO's permit check works on the basis of a map of the Netherlands. Anyone can mark a location on that map where they want to carry out an activity. Various questions asked in the DSO will ultimately clarify what needs to be done or not done in order to carry out the activity. The national government, the province, the municipality, and the water board can impose rules and obligations in the DSO based on their own regulations and indicate whether a particular activity requires permission, notification, or a permit. It also clarifies which duties of care apply.

Digital System for the Environment Act (DSO)

The Digital System for the Environment Act (DSO) supports the implementation of the Environment Act. It consists of local government systems and components of the national facility (DSO-LV), such as the Environment Desk. 

Environmental desk

The Omgevingsloket is the central location where digital information about the living environment under the Environment Act is gathered. This allows everyone to view this information in one place and use it immediately. The Omgevingsloket is part of the Digital System for the Environment Act (DSO).