Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier

Who we are

The regional water board (Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier – HHNK) is a government body with its own democratically elected management board and independent tax system. The management organisation largely resembles that of a municipality. The main difference is that the water board carries out a limited range of functional tasks: water management, water control, ensuring good water quality and managing roads.

The current organisation evolved following the merger of six different water boards in the region of North Holland above the North Sea Canal.

What we do

Water

No two pieces of land are the same in the Province of North Holland. They are characterised by differences in height and are used for different purposes. People who live in a big city place different demands on managing the water level as opposed to a farmer. The agreed water level is maintained as far as possible. Our pumping stations carry out this task. Excess water is pumped out to sea and shortages are compensated for from the inland waters of the IJsselmeer or Markermeer.
An adequate supply of water to and from the pumping stations is therefore a necessity. For this reason, the regional water board periodically dredges and removes excess plant growth from the ditches. These activities are carried out in cooperation with land owners who are obligated to properly maintain the ditches and waterside banks located on their property. Maintaining supervision over these maintenance activities is referred to as surveying.

The quality of water in ditches and lakes must be good. It is used to water the cattle and for agricultural and recreational purposes. Ditches must also be biologically pure. We make sure they are based on sound water management policy, and using our 20 sewage treatment plants to purify domestic and industrial wastewater.

Dykes

The Province of North Holland is surrounded on three sides by the North Sea, the Wadden Sea, and the inland waters of the IJsselmeer and Markermeer lakes. Much of the province consists of polder landscape. Some of the polders were reclaimed up to four hundred years ago and most of the population live below sea level. This calls for a robust and safe system of dyke defences. The water board ensures that such a system is in place.

Roads

The water board manages the maintenance of many of the polder roads, including the roads along dykes, and carries responsibility for paving, asphalt resurfacing, traffic sign maintenance, lighting and roadside maintenance. Many of these activities are directed at increasing road safety, for example by laying bicycle paths. Winter maintenance is another important task.

Waterways

The water board is responsible for maintaining part of the network of waterways. We make sure that these waterways are properly navigable and that shipping traffic can sail through them safely. Maintenance activities are often combined with our other management tasks.