Nitrate, agriculture, environment and health – problems, solutions and dilemma's in the European Union and the Netherlands

The combination of shallow water tables and intensive agriculture gives the Netherlands particular difficulties in meeting the 50 mg/l EU limit for nitrate in groundwater in sandy soils. Exceedance of the nitrate standard in untreated groundwater for drinking water use, however, is rare. Still drinking water treatment for nitrate in groundwater costs about 10 million Euro/yr. It is appropriate to evaluate this expenditure against potentially much higher costs for agriculture caused by limits to the use from nitrogen. In the Netherlands these costs amount to 200 million Euro/yr. For any country the best solution for nitrate problems related to agriculture depends on the economic importance, structure and intensity of the agricultural sector and on the structure and organization of the drinking water supply. In the Netherlands 14 public companies provide water to 99.9% of the population. About 60% comes from groundwater, 40% from surface water. In other EU states 10-40% of drinking water comes from small or privately owned wells. Differences partly arise from the difference in the relative rural area (57-95%, avg. 89%), and population (7-70%, avg. 26%). Exceedance of 50 mg/l nitrate in private drinking water well is quite common, giving rise to additional health risks in rural areas. A second important motive to reduce nitrogen and phosphate losses is to prevent eutrophication and preserve biodiversity. Policy decisions to solve the nitrate problem within the EU are becoming increasingly difficult choices between economy and ecology, between ample supply of safe food and safe drinking water, between equity and efficiency and between agriculture and environment. This paper evaluates various policy options to modify the nitrate problem in the EU, taking into account regional differences and identifies some major dilemma's and trade-offs.