Water taxes continue to rise

This year Dutch water boards will receive 607 million euro in taxes, 10% more than in 2000. Revenues from water taxes have increased by more than 40% since 1995. Owners and residents of buildings in particular have paid more.

Revenues from water taxes

Water boards use the revenues from these taxes to pay for their traditional tasks: building and maintaining dykes, maintaining safe water levels and sometimes to maintain waterways.

Three-quarters of the revenues are spent on water management, one fifth is spent on dams and dykes. These percentages have been constant for a number of years now . The remainder is used for the operation of roads, ports, waterways etc.

Funding from water taxes

Water taxes account for about 40% of tax revenues of the water boards. Pollution levies will put another 990 million euro in Waterford coffers this year, 3% more than in 2000.

Fred Arkesteijn