Drinking water company Dunea will need a new supplementary drinking water source and additional purification from 2030. After a long and intensive search, Dunea, together with all involved parties, chooses a drinking water system with a new source in its own region: the South Holland canal Vliet. The Province of South Holland supports this choice.
Dunea currently still produces enough clean drinking water with the existing sources the Maas and the Lek, and the purification via the South Holland dunes. Population growth and climate change are increasing demand. The challenge of purifying drinking water from substances such as PFAS and pesticides is also growing. In 2022, Dunea, together with responsible parties - such as municipalities, water boards, and the province - started a search for space and water for a new source and additional purifications alongside the rivers and the dunes.
The choice for Duneas new drinking water system is laid down in a joint intention agreement. Provincial Executive Arne Weverling: “This is an important step to secure the future drinking water supply in our region. It was a long research process in which many potential locations and sources were examined. We are very pleased that we can now sign this intention agreement with the consent of all parties involved.”
Tap Water from the Region
The proposed new drinking water system consists of water from the Vliet, supplemented with new purification techniques at Dunea’s production locations in Scheveningen, Katwijk, and Monster. The new source and purifications are expected to provide 10 billion liters of drinking water per year, on top of the 85 to 90 billion liters of water that Dunea already produces annually.
Dunea director Wim Drossaert: “This is a very special milestone: for the first time since the 1950s, we will implement a completely new drinking water source. Your glass of tap water will also come from the area. I am extremely proud that we have reached this point together. After many years of groundwork, where the necessity only grew, we can now take concrete steps to secure the drinking water supply in the region. So that healthy and tasty water from the tap remains a given for future generations.”
Information Meeting
Dunea is organizing information meetings on October 16 and 28 to update interested parties about the process and the choices made. On Thursday, October 16, 2025, there will be an open meeting at Duneas headquarters at Plein van de Verenigde Naties 11-15 in Zoetermeer between 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM. On Tuesday, October 28, an online meeting will start at 7:30 PM. See www.dunea.nl/bijeenkomstDWT (opens in a new window) for more information.
