Safe water in Croatia: notices, drought and what to store

Short answer. In Croatia, the national public health institute (HZJZ) monitors the safety of drinking water across the country and supervises the county public health institutes that do the local work ¹. Phaenyx found no national list of boil-water notices: expect them locally. The Civil Protection Directorate's survival kit counts 1.5 to 2 litres of bottled water a day, for at least 2 days ².

How do I know if my tap water is unsafe?

HZJZ's environmental health service monitors and assesses the health safety of drinking water and the state of water supply throughout Croatia ¹. It coordinates and supervises the environmental health services of the county public health institutes (županijski zavodi za javno zdravstvo) ¹. HZJZ's news page also carries county-level updates: in October 2026, it published updates on drinking water in Lika-Senj County, including the continued monitoring of private wells and springs ¹.

Phaenyx found no national register of boil-water or do-not-drink notices for Croatia. Expect the instruction from your water supplier, your town or your county public health institute, and keep their contact details with your emergency papers. How official warnings reach you is explained on our Croatia alerts page.

If you are told to boil water or not to drink it, follow the local instruction. See What to do during a boil-water notice and Do-not-drink notices.

How much water should I store?

The Civil Protection Directorate's survival kit lists plain bottled water for at least 2 days, at 1.5 to 2 litres a day ("1,5 -2 litre po danu") ². For 2 days, that is 3 to 4 litres per person, or 12 to 16 litres for a family of four. Croatia publishes no official figure for a longer home stockpile; details are on our Croatia emergency supplies page. For other agencies' figures and storage, see How much water to store per person per day? and Water storage containers.

Is Croatia short of water?

In WRI's Aqueduct 4.0 model, the population-weighted median of Croatian cities is in the "low" category for water stress today and in the 2050 business-as-usual projection, but "medium" for drought risk ⁴. These are city medians: a given town, island or coastal area can sit higher or lower.

The national meteorological service, DHMZ, publishes monthly monitoring of rain and drought conditions (kišne i sušne prilike), including the standardised precipitation index (SPI) and cumulative rainfall compared with the 1981-2020 normal at its main stations ³.

Phaenyx found no national page listing current water restrictions in Croatia. Follow your local water supplier's notices in dry summers. See Drought preparedness.

What if I have a private well?

Phaenyx found no national guidance for private well owners in Croatia. In 2026, the Lika-Senj County public health institute, working with HZJZ, carried out extraordinary sampling of private wells and springs ¹. If you rely on a well, ask your county public health institute about testing, and see Private well emergencies.

What should I do after a flood?

Follow the instructions of your water supplier or town, and see Water safety after a flood. A household plan can keep your water stock, local contacts and warning channels in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Who checks tap water in Croatia?

HZJZ monitors drinking water safety nationally and supervises the county public health institutes ¹.

Is there a national list of boil-water notices?

Phaenyx found none. Notices come from the local supplier, the town or the county institute.

How much water does Croatia recommend?

1.5 to 2 litres of plain bottled water a day, for at least 2 days, in the survival kit ².

Where can I follow drought in Croatia?

On DHMZ's monthly rain and drought monitoring, which includes the SPI index ³.

Sources

1. Hrvatski zavod za javno zdravstvo (HZJZ) — Služba za zdravstvenu ekologiju — https://www.hzjz.hr/sluzba-zdravstvena-ekologija/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
2. Ministarstvo unutarnjih poslova - Ravnateljstvo civilne zaštite — Komplet za preživljavanje — https://civilna-zastita.gov.hr/istaknute-teme/upute-za-gradjane-7375/sto-je-vazno-znati-prije-nesrece-za-vrijeme-trajanja-nesrece-i-po-zavrsetku-nesrece/komplet-za-prezivljavanje/7534 (accessed 2026-10-27)
3. Državni hidrometeorološki zavod (DHMZ) — Praćenje klime – Kišne i sušne prilike (SPI) — https://meteo.hr/klima.php?section=klima_pracenje&param=spi (accessed 2026-10-27)
4. World Resources Institute (WRI) — Aqueduct 4.0 (water stress, 2050 projection and drought risk) — https://www.wri.org/aqueduct (accessed 2026-10-27)