Turns out the land of canals and windmills still has some water issues; while the water shortage is over, this doesn’t mean the problem is solved.
The country known for keeping water out doesn’t have enough within. This past extremely warm Dutch summer caused a national water shortage across the Netherlands.
While it looks like it’s over now, and we don’t need to worry about not having water in our taps over the next few months, the problem is actually not solved, RTL Nieuws reports.
Not as good with water as we thought?
You might think that for the Dutchies, the sky is the limit when it comes to water, but in reality, the country is struggling with having enough water for every household.
“The water comes out of the tap, that seems obvious, but it is not,” Dutch water companies write in a new report.
They warn that future generations in the Netherlands might have a less secure supply of reliable drinking water than now. This past hot summer alone caused the drying out of water extraction sites.
That’s not simply because the Dutch can’t get enough of drinking water either. In fact, their nice and clean water is used for washing cars, flushing the toilet, keeping golf courses green and cooling down entire factories.Â
READ MORE: The land of dikes and canals has a water shortage
The report claims that water management should be higher on the priority list regarding the Dutch government’s spatial and economic planning.
New crisis is on the way!
According to Vewin, one of the biggest struggles when it comes to problem-solving is getting permits for expanding water extraction locations.
This issue also isn’t helped by the government’s plans to build 900,000 new homes by 2030. There are simply not enough extraction locations, the NRC reports.Â
READ MORE | Dutch engineering expertise and water management — a big business in the Netherlands
And the result? Dutch water companies can no longer guarantee to have clean water in every tap.
If you one day find your bathtub without water, maybe it’s time to consult the late fashion editor, Diana Vreeland: why don’t you wash your child’s hair with champagne?
What do you think about the water storage problem? Tell us in the comments!