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

Short answer. In Poland, if tap water may be unsafe, your mayor (wójt, burmistrz or prezydent miasta) must inform consumers, including any advice to boil it, with the sanitary inspectorate and the water supplier ². Large waterworks supplied water of adequate quality to about 99.9% of the people they serve in 2020-2022 ¹. The government's Safety Guide asks for at least 3 litres of drinking water per person per day ³.

How do I know if my tap water is unsafe?

Under the amendment of the water supply act adopted on 13 March 2026 (in force since 21 May 2026), the local mayor informs consumers of a possible threat from a breach of a quality standard, its cause, the corrective action taken, and any ban, restriction or recommendation to boil the water ². This is done in agreement with the competent sanitary inspector and the water supplier, in a way that reaches as many consumers as possible without delay ². The sanitary inspectorate decides what action is needed and prepares the notice (komunikat) for consumers ². When the threat is over, the mayor informs consumers that the water is fit to drink again ².

Phaenyx found no single national list of these notices: they are published locally. Keep your municipality's and your water company's websites at hand, and see our Poland alerts page for how warnings reach you. For what each kind of notice means in practice, read What to do during a boil-water notice and Do-not-drink notices.

Is tap water in Poland generally safe?

The Chief Sanitary Inspectorate (GIS) reports on large waterworks, those producing over 1,000 m³ a day or supplying over 5,000 people; they serve about 70.1% of the population ¹. In 2020-2022, about 99.9% of the people they supply received water of adequate quality ¹. The most frequent exceedances were manganese, turbidity, iron, pH and ammonium, indicator parameters that GIS says pose no threat to human health ¹.

How much water should I store?

The Poradnik bezpieczeństwa (Safety Guide) asks households to keep supplies for at least 3 days, with at least 3 litres of drinking water per person per day ³. That is at least 9 litres per person. Full figures are on our Poland emergency supplies page; for storage and rotation, see How much water to store per person per day?.

Is Poland short of water?

Drought is the main concern. In WRI's Aqueduct 4.0 model, the median of Polish cities (weighted by population) is "medium to high" for current water stress, "low to medium" in the 2050 business-as-usual projection, and "medium to high" for drought risk ⁴. These are city medians: a given town or river basin can sit higher or lower.

The national weather and water institute IMGW-PIB issues hydrological drought warnings (susza hydrologiczna) for river basins ⁵. Agricultural drought is mapped municipality by municipality by IUNG-PIB ⁶. For household steps, see Drought preparedness.

What if I have a private well?

The act, including its water-testing rules, does not apply to an individual source supplying on average under 10 m³ a day or fewer than 50 people, unless the water is supplied as a business or to public buildings, collective housing or food businesses ². The mayor, with the district sanitary inspector, must tell those consumers so, and what they can do to protect their health from contaminated water ². If a threat appears, the mayor must pass on recommendations without delay, with a way to obtain safe water ². See Private well emergencies.

What should I do after a flood?

Follow the notices from your municipality and the sanitary inspectorate ², and see Water safety after a flood. A household plan can keep your water stock and local contacts in one place.

Frequently asked questions

Who tells me to boil tap water in Poland?

Your mayor, in agreement with the sanitary inspectorate and the water supplier; the sanitary inspectorate prepares the notice ².

How much water does Poland recommend per person?

At least 3 litres per person per day, for at least 3 days ³.

Where do I see drought warnings?

IMGW-PIB publishes hydrological drought warnings by river basin ⁵.

Is my well water tested by the state?

Not under the act if it supplies under 10 m³ a day or fewer than 50 people, outside a business or public building ².

Sources

1. Główny Inspektorat Sanitarny (GIS) — Raport o jakości wody przeznaczonej do spożycia przez ludzi za lata 2020-2022 — https://www.gov.pl/web/gis/raport-o-jakosci-wody-przeznaczonej-do-spozycia-przez-ludzi-za-lata-2020-2022 (accessed 2026-10-27)
2. Internetowy System Aktów Prawnych (Sejm RP) — Ustawa z dnia 13 marca 2026 r. o zmianie ustawy o zbiorowym zaopatrzeniu w wodę i zbiorowym odprowadzaniu ścieków oraz niektórych innych ustaw (Dz.U. 2026 poz. 605) — https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/download.xsp/WDU20260000605/O/D20260605.pdf (accessed 2026-10-27)
3. Rząd Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej — Poradnik bezpieczeństwa — https://poradnikbezpieczenstwa.gov.pl/ (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)
5. Instytut Meteorologii i Gospodarki Wodnej – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy (IMGW-PIB) — Dane publiczne IMGW-PIB (ostrzeżenia hydrologiczne) — https://danepubliczne.imgw.pl/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
6. Instytut Uprawy Nawożenia i Gleboznawstwa – PIB (IUNG-PIB) — System Monitoringu Suszy Rolniczej — https://susza.iung.pulawy.pl/ (accessed 2026-10-27)