Vewin
Vewin is the national association of water companies in the Netherlands. The companies, with municipal and provincial authorities as their shareholders, deliver high-quality drinking water throughout the Netherlands 24/7.
The principal task of Vewin is to represent in The Hague and Brussels the interests of its members. Our aim is to establish and maintain favourable conditions for the continuous production of good drinking water.
The members determine the policy of Vewin. Together they form the General Meeting of Members (GMM) and all are represented in the Governing Board. The Governing Board and the GMM have an independent chairperson. The Vewin office is managed by a director appointed by the Governing Board.
Ambitious and strategic
Dutch water companies provide an uninterrupted supply of good quality and safe drinking water to more than 7.7 million addresses. Drinking water is one of life's essentials for humans and animals. Dutch consumers have considerable confidence both in the drinking water and in the companies that supply it. Vewin's strategy is to:
- represent members' interests effectively and efficiently through lobbying in The Hague and Brussels;
- optimise the supply of information to members by providing easy access to relevant documents and sources.
Innovative
Dutch drinking water companies rank among the world's best, both qualitatively and organisationally. Innovation is essential for the drinking water industry.
Cooperation
The interests of drinking water companies are in many respects combinable with those of other organisations in society. It is for that reason that Vewin cooperates with numerous other stakeholders, such as public authorities, government agencies, civil society organisations, consumer associations, the telecoms sector, representatives of the chemical, pesticide and pharmaceutical industries, nature conservation groups, environmental organisations and other industry associations.
Background
Vewin was established on 18 November 1952. At that time the Netherlands had 198 drinking water companies. Today, there are ten drinking water companies in the Netherlands and all are members of Vewin. Each year the Dutch drinking water companies produce 1.1 billion m³ of affordable, clean and safe drinking water (compared with 0.4 billion m³ in 1952).
Vewin today
Vewin has its principal office in The Hague (with 21 employees) and – together with the umbrella organisation Unie van Waterschappen (Dutch Water Authorities) – also maintains an office in Brussels (with two employees).