Boil water advisory remains in Amersfoort after bacteria found at water facility
Residents in parts of Amersfoort and surrounding municipalities are still advised to boil their drinking water after the water company Vitens detected the bacterium enterococci in a storage cellar at a production site in Amersfoort. The advisory has been in place since January 5, and Vitens said Wednesday that not all test results have confirmed the water is safe.
The contaminated cellar has been taken out of use and thoroughly cleaned. “Our colleagues are working hard to identify the source of the contamination and remove it. That has unfortunately not yet succeeded,” Vitens said.
Residents of the Isselt neighborhood in Amersfoort are the only ones who can now drink water without boiling it. They, along with patients at the Meander Medical Center, receive water from the Soesterduinen production site. Vitens explained that due to pipeline layouts and available water volumes, it is not possible to supply other customers from alternative production sites. Vitens is preparing solutions, including flushing the pipeline network in the affected area.
The incident highlights broader challenges for the Netherlands’ drinking water system. Water authorities and companies have warned that clean tap water is no longer a guarantee. In a Water Manifesto presented Thursday to coalition negotiators in The Hague, leaders of the Union of Water Boards and Vewin, the Dutch association of water companies, stressed that climate change, pollution, and urban expansion are putting pressure on water safety, De Telegraaf reported.
Pieter Litjens, Vewin chairman, said, “The necessity to take action for reliable drinking water is urgent. We work around the clock to supply more than eight million households and businesses, but it is no longer a given. Threats are growing, and we urgently need provincial, water board, and national support.”
Jeroen Haan, chairman of the Union of Water Boards, added, “Problems around climate change, urbanization, energy transition, and water quality are converging. For too long, these issues were invisible. People forget that the Netherlands was once a swamp. Now we must plan carefully for housing, water availability in hot summers, and the ability to handle heavy rainfall, while preventing contamination of water for both livestock and humans.”
Haan also highlighted chemical pollutants such as PFAS. “What you don’t put in, you don’t have to remove. PFAS barely degrades, but it enters water, our bodies, and even unborn children.”
Recent boil water advisories, including in Utrecht, demonstrate the system’s caution, Litjens said. “These advisories are inconvenient but show that the system works. Even one bacterium triggers precautionary measures. This does not mean the water is immediately dangerous, but we take extreme care. The Netherlands maintains one of the highest drinking water standards in the world.”
The Water Manifesto outlines strategies to preserve water reliability, including protecting sources, stricter spatial planning, and investments in infrastructure. Litjens warned, “If we delay, drinking water becomes less automatic. Technically, we can solve problems, but at higher costs and greater risk. Acting now is cheaper and fairer for future generations.”