Households used more water in 2020, companies less

Mains water consists of drinking water and industrial water. In 2020, households used 855 million cubic metres (m³) of drinking water, 37 million more than in 2019. Companies used 380 million m³ of mains water, over 5 million less than in 2019. Industrial water accounted for a fifth of total mains water consumption by companies in 2020.

Household drinking water consumption over 4 percent up in 2020

Based on the drinking water supplied, per capita drinking water consumption amounted to more than 134 litres per day. In 2019, this was nearly 130 litres per day. The increase in mains water consumption in 2020 went hand in hand with the first year of coronavirus, in which people stayed at home more. For example, they flushed the toilet more often at home than at work or at school. In addition, the spring and summer periods were relatively warm and dry, causing households to use more drinking water for watering the garden or filling swimming pools.

From 2003 to 2014, household drinking water consumption per inhabitant still fell by almost 8 percent, from 138 to 127 litres per person per day. This lower water consumption is mainly due to household appliances becoming ever more economical.

Higher farm water usage due to spring drought

Water usage in agriculture is highly dependent on weather conditions. Although the national average precipitation level stood at 860 millimetres in 2020, rainfall was lower than average during the important period April to September. April and May were very dry in particular, with 29 mm precipitation against a long-term average of 105 mm. Due to the precipitation deficit, fields and grasslands had to be irrigated to a larger extent in 2020. This is mainly done with groundwater. In 2020, groundwater usage in agriculture increased by 8 percent relative to 2019, to 214 million m³; surface water usage rose by over 70 percent to 93 million m³. In total, the agricultural sector consumed 349 million m³ of water in 2020. More groundwater and surface water was used for irrigation in 2018, 2019 and 2020 than in previous years, due to drought in the growing season. Drinking water at farms is mostly used for watering animals and for cleaning stables and milking equipment. In 2020, this water usage was 2 percent lower than in 2019. Livestock farming saw the sharpest increase in water consumption.

Less water for energy supply

Whereas water consumption by households and at farms increased, water usage in the energy supply for cooling purposes declined from 9.4 billion m³ in 2019 to 8.8 billion m³ in 2020: a decrease of nearly 7 percent. This is caused by less central energy generation, which requires cooling. At 1.6 billion m³, the extraction of surface water and groundwater by drinking water companies was a relatively small part of total water consumption. In total, 14.2 billion m³ was extracted from surface water and groundwater in 2020, i.e. 0.5 billion less than in 2019.

The below flow chart displays the flows of mains water, surface water and groundwater in the Netherlands in 2020. The width of the arrows is proportional to the size of the flow. The chart shows the distinction between saline and fresh surface water. Water scarcity only applies to fresh water. Cooling water flows back to surface water following use, after which it can be reused, unlike irrigation water that evaporates, is absorbed by crops or soaks into the soil.

As of 2003, surface water abstraction decreased by 7 percent to 13.1 billion m³ in 2020. The decline is entirely due to fresh surface water, usage of which has dropped by 30 percent. Ever more salt water is being extracted for cooling purposes. Consumption has increased by 53 percent (mainly for energy supply) since 2003. However, in 2020 saline water extraction for energy supply increased by 5 percent relative to 2019.