Scheldestromen Water Board has less and less left over

But in this case the decline is actually a good sign, says Carla Michielsen of the Scheldestromen water board, who is responsible for Finance as the water board’s daily manager. “The fact that we are getting closer to the budget means that we are increasingly estimating what is coming.”

In its annual statement for 2023, the water board outlines a complicated field of work: sea level rise and periods of enormous rain, alternating with times when it is very dry. In addition, the water treatment plants are also running at full speed, because there are increasingly strict requirements for the quality of the water. Phosphate, nitrogen and medicine residues must be removed from the water as much as possible.

The Scheldestromen Water Board previously announced that the rates for Zeeland residents and companies will increase significantly in the coming years. This current year, 2024, Zeelanders will spend 6 percent more on the water board. An 8 percent rate increase is planned for next year.

In subsequent years, in 2026 and 2027, rates are expected to rise again by six percent. Inflation and expensive dike reinforcements were cited as causes. According to director Michielsen, whether these rate increases will remain the same in the coming years depends on new energy contracts, which must be concluded this year. “And our water treatment plants simply use a lot of electricity.”

Scheldestromen Water Board now has two main offices: one in Middelburg and one in Terneuzen. With expensive dike reinforcements and rising costs for energy and raw materials, the question is whether the water board can continue to do this financially with a population of around 390,000 Zeelanders.

After the elections last March, the coalition agreement stipulated that there would be an investigation into the maintenance of two head offices. The first options will be put on the table in the middle of this month, after which the general board will discuss them at the end of May. “But the water board is more than just two head offices. We have district offices, treatment plants and warehouses throughout the province. So we are and will remain present throughout Zeeland,” says Michielsen.