RIVM, working in collaboration with other institutes, has mapped out the effects of climate change on drinking water supply. This detailed assessment has been included in the National Adaptation Strategy (2016).

On behalf of the Delta Programme, RIVM partnered with Deltares and KWR to investigate the effects of climate change on drinking water supplies. In every location in the Netherlands where surface water is extracted for drinking water, the water quality is under pressure as a consequence of climate change.

Taking action

Steps need to be taken to ensure that our water will remain usable for the future production of drinking water. For that reason, RIVM collaborated with water management authorities, drinking water companies and the Dutch national government to identify the possible courses of action that have the highest potential for success [Wuijts, 2014]. This includes policy measures, changes to the water system, and more extensive purification by the drinking water companies. A combination of these measures is the most effective course of action, because most extraction points involve multiple problematic factors, which may also vary per extraction point.