Netherlands: EIB supports high-quality drinking water in province of Noord-Holland

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and PWN, the water utility for the Dutch province of Noord-Holland, have signed a lending agreement of EUR 100 million.

The loan comes in support of PWN’s five-year investment plan that has a total value of EUR 275 and aims to modernise water treatment installations and pumping stations, distribution network pipes, water meters as well as finance ICT-related projects. Apart from this, attention will be given to the natural preservation areas and the production locations of drinking water that PWN manages.

EIB Vice-President Pim van Ballekom said: “PWN’s facilities guarantee a very high water quality and which need constant maintenance and upgrading, the EIB as a European institution is glad to be able to support this. PWN is a solid company that plays a very important role on a local level and which, by using very innovative technologies, supplies over 1,5 million people with high quality, pure and reliable drinking water. I think the province of Noord-Holland should be proud of that.”

“We are very happy with the credit relation between the EIB and PWN, as well as the trust that the EIB puts in PWN’s future plans through this loan”, added PWN’s Managing Director Joke Cuperus. It is not the first time both parties work together, in the past (1998 and 2005) other agreements have been closed for a total value of EUR 260 million. 

PWN operates in the province of Noord-Holland and supplies drinking water to about 783,000 consumers, businesses and institutions through its distribution network that measures over 10.000 kilometres. The upgrading and modernisation of its infrastructures will benefit the many clients to whom PWN supplies nearly 106 million m³ of drinking water on a yearly basis.