# Water board taxes to rise 7% on average in 2027

> Homeowners and tenants will pay an average of 7% more in water board taxes in 2027, with a single-person tenant expected to pay about €15 extra a year, the Unie van Waterschappen says.

Economy · published 2026-11-11 11:00 · https://nlnow.nl/a/water-board-taxes-rise-7-on-average-in-2027/

Water board taxes will rise by an average of 7% in 2027 for homeowners and tenants, the Unie van Waterschappen, the umbrella body of the country's water boards, announced. Businesses will also pay more.

**Why it matters**

- A single-person tenant is expected to pay about €15 more a year.
- Owners of a home with a WOZ value (the official property valuation) of €300,000 pay about €33 more a year on average.
- Owners of a home worth €450,000 pay about €37 more a year on average.
- Agricultural businesses and nature managers pay 7.5% more on average; for other businesses the rise is a little over one percentage point lower.

> A higher bill is of course not welcome news. But as water boards we are doing everything to prevent nuisance and damage and to keep the Netherlands safe and liveable.
> — Floor Wissing-Kunst, finance portfolio holder, Unie van Waterschappen

The Unie van Waterschappen says the water boards are investing in stronger dikes, renewed pumping stations, retention basins, stream restoration, wastewater treatment, digital security and preparation for long power outages.

The 7% is an average, and what a household pays depends on its situation and its water board. Taxes differ because conditions and tasks differ per area, and because each board decides its own priorities and spending. A board in low-lying land, for example, needs many dikes and pumping stations, while others focus more on drought, nature restoration or water quality.

## Background

- **Unie van Waterschappen**: The Unie van Waterschappen is the umbrella association of the Dutch water boards (waterschappen), representing their shared interests towards national government and speaking on their behalf. The water boards are regional public authorities that manage water levels, flood defences, and wastewater treatment in their areas, and they levy the water board taxes (waterschapsbelasting) paid by property owners, tenants and businesses. The Unie is the body that announces the national picture of these taxes each year.

From NLnow, news from the Netherlands in English. How stories are made: https://nlnow.nl/about/