Friesland province meets most Water quality goals
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In Friesland, a province of the Netherlands, the Water Board (Wetterskip Fryslân) achieved 96 percent of the goals set by the European Union’s Water Framework Directive (KRW).
The KRW establishes standards for water quality across Europe. Friesland’s success exceeds the national average of 82 percent, but the Water Board continues to push for full compliance and plans further investment in water quality projects through 2033. The province focused on improving conditions in its 24 large lakes and waterways.
Workers created approximately 1,000 kilometers of natural banks, meandering paths, and shallow water areas to provide habitat for plants and animals, and they removed barriers preventing fish passage. Improvements to wastewater treatment plants reduced nitrogen and phosphorus levels in discharged water by 15 percent. Despite the progress, the Water Board acknowledged that no single body of water in Friesland currently meets all KRW targets.
Monique Plantinga, a board member, emphasized the need for ongoing investment and protection against threats like climate change and land use pressures. The biggest remaining challenges involve reducing levels of harmful substances such as PFAS, pesticides, and pharmaceutical residues, which require collaboration with citizens, farmers, businesses, and other authorities.
