Rijkswaterstaat

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Headquarters Rijkswaterstaat, Rotterdam, Zuid Holland

Rijkswaterstaat was founded in 1798 as Bureau voor den Waterstaat ( German  Office for Water Management ( Wasserbau ) ) and is an executive authority of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment (until 2010 the Ministry of Transport, Water Management and Public Works ), which is responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads and waterways. The acceptance of large railway projects such as the Betuwe line or the HSL Zuid (high-speed line south) also falls within her area of ​​responsibility.

The ministry's motto is: Rijkswaterstaat is the imperial service that ensures dry feet, clean and sufficient water and fast, smooth traffic. RWS is divided into ten regional, six specialized and two special services. The much older water boards , which are responsible for the regional water balance, do not belong to RWS.

Regional offices

Rijkswaterstaat is divided into regional offices, formerly directorates. It is headed by a chief engineer director. The regions are again divided into water and road districts. In the past, each province had its own regional organization. Today the directorates of Groningen , Friesland and Drenthe are combined to form the North Netherlands regional service. Overijssel and Gelderland have been merged to form the Eastern Netherlands regional service. Most of the time, but not always, a provincial border is also the border of the regional service.

The following departments of the Rijkswaterstaats are currently active:

Service boat Speurder

Special services

  • Geo-Information and ITC advice center in Delft
  • Advice center for traffic and transport in Rotterdam
  • Construction management in Utrecht
  • Road and Hydraulic Engineering Office in Delft
  • Imperial Institute for Coast and Sea in The Hague
  • Reich Institute for Fresh Water Storage and Wastewater Treatment in Lelystad
  • Water service in Lelystad

useful information

  • Rijkswaterstaat emerged from the military ( pioneers ), the first employees wore uniforms , today around 1000 employees still wear the dark blue uniform.
  • In the 19th century, Rijkswaterstaat built numerous churches, which are still known today as the Waterstaatskirchen .
  • Employees who monitor roads and dispose of waste along the highways are temporary workers.
  • During the Cold War , many lock keepers were automatically NCOs.
  • The road salt depots along the motorways are owned by Rijkswaterstaat. In the event of black ice and snowfall, private haulage companies are automatically ordered for winter service .
  • The employees in the services differ themselves: I work at Wet , which means he works in the water sector, or at Dry , which means work in the road department.

See also

Web links

Commons : Rijkswaterstaat  - Collection of images, videos and audio files