Amsterdam’s tap water is getting dearer.
From 1 January, Waternet will charge €1.45 for every 1,000 litres, up from €1.18: a rise of almost a quarter, and the end of two years of falling prices, the water company announced on Friday.
What households will pay
For most households it works out at a few euros a month.
A single person using an average 53,000 litres a year will pay about €165 instead of €153.
A family of four goes from about €341 to €396, roughly €55 more over the year. The fixed charge falls slightly, to €89.10.
All of these figures come before VAT and the national tap water tax, whose 2027 rate the government has yet to announce.
Why prices are going up
Waternet, which supplies the city’s drinking water, says it needs the money to keep up.
More people need water, its sources need better protection against pollution, wages and materials are getting more expensive, and ageing pipes have to be replaced.
The company makes no profit: by law, its prices may only cover its costs.
The rise follows an unusual cut.
For 2026, Waternet lowered its prices after energy and raw materials turned out cheaper than expected, and the law obliged it to pass the saving on to customers.
It warned at the time that prices would go up again.
Compared with 2024, it says, an average household will pay only about 3% more next year.
Homes without a meter, and businesses
Homes without a water meter, which are billed per unit, face bigger jumps: a two-unit home goes from about €126 to €138 a year, a nine-unit home from about €313 to €379.
Businesses get a new system as well.
From 2027, their fixed charge depends on the size of their water connection rather than how much they use, ranging from €89.10 for the smallest to more than €93,000 a year for the largest.
The change is being phased in over three years.
Sources: nhnieuws.nl, waternet.nl