Existing sources of drinking water may not be sufficient to meet the rising demand after 2030. Therefore, it is important to focus on conservation and on new sources for drinking water. To prevent unnecessary purification, it is important to keep all water sources for drinking water as clean as possible. This is evident from RIVM research into developments that influence the future drinking water supply.
The RIVM investigated the drinking water supply for the period from 2030 to 2050. Even if water conservation measures are implemented, it must be taken into account that the availability of drinking water may still come under pressure after 2030. This is because the demand for drinking water is increasing due to population growth. Climate change can also have consequences for the availability of and demand for water. Additionally, the quality of the sources for drinking water is often insufficient, necessitating extra purification.
Availability of Water and New Sources
At present, there is not always enough fresh groundwater available to produce drinking water. One possibility is to also use brackish groundwater as a supplement. Brackish water is a mixture of salt and fresh water. In the future, it may also be possible to use seawater and purified wastewater. More purification is required for these sources than for traditional sources. Furthermore, regulations must be adapted to allow the use of these new sources for drinking water. It is also important that drinking water companies can easily switch to other sources when less water is available.
More Purification Needed Due to Poorer Quality
Not only the availability but also the quality of the available water for drinking purposes is under pressure. This is due to discharges into surface water and climate change. Due to drought, there is less water available, and salinization can occur. Surface water can become too warm, leading to the growth of more unwanted bacteria. During heavy rainfall, surface water can become contaminated with sewage. Therefore, additional measures are needed to maintain good quality drinking water. These climate effects are expected to occur more frequently in the future.
Keeping It Clean Is Better Than Cleaning It Up
Many drinking water companies expect that they will have to purify more in the future to ensure good drinking water quality. For example, with membrane filters that can produce very clean drinking water. This purification of water costs a lot of money and energy. Therefore, it is important that the water in sources for drinking water is kept cleaner. Drinking water companies then need to purify as little as possible. The Netherlands aims to achieve the goals set out in the European Water Framework Directive (WFD).
Context of This Research
The RIVM conducted this research on behalf of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW). This research is a follow-up to the report from 2023 on the availability of drinking water until 2030. The ministry has since launched the Action Program for the Availability of Drinking Water Sources 2023-2030.