NEW WATER LAW – NEW PRICES, NEW REQUIREMENTS.

NEW WATER LAW – NEW PRICES, NEW REQUIREMENTS

The water management system is waiting for a real revolution. From 1 January 2017, a new Water Law will apply in Poland. The aforementioned act introduces numerous changes. The aforementioned act introduces numerous changes. By the following thought is guided the changes being introduced: „Water is not a product, but an inherited good that must be defended and respected.” The new regulations will regulate i.a. rainwater drainage and the prevention of the so-called urban floods that occurred this year in Warsaw, Poznań and Gorzów Wielkopolski.

Rain tax is already in force in some Polish cities, e.g. in Wrocław, Warsaw or Kraków. Fees are imposed on property owners who discharge rainwater into the sewage system. The idea of this tax is to reduce the discharge of rainwater to the municipal sewage system and force investors of both new and modernized facilities to manage rainwater within the plot. Property owners can avoid unwanted tax by installing, for example, a rainwater usage system for their home and garden.
By using rainwater at home, the demand for tap water will be reduced by up to half. Rainwater is soft water that is more friendly to plants and hydraulic system. Rainwater management systems reduce the risk of local flooding by collecting rainwater at the source and using it gradually.

Big cities are in the crosshairs of the new act. The water law will oblige cities, through an appropriate financial system, to invest in rainwater sewage systems and storage reservoirs. Contemporary cities are too densely built-up to accommodate heavy and rapid precipitation without any problems. The main problem is that rainwater drainage systems are inefficient in our cities because they were designed and built many years ago. The old standards were adapted to the conditions of that time. However, a lot has changed over the decades - cities are getting bigger, they look completely different, there are many skyscrapers, underground parking lots, and concreted surfaces. Whenever possible, build permeable car parks, e.g. gravel parking, do not use asphalt or concrete, but use paving stones. It is also possible to invest in retention reservoirs. Their task is to collect excess water after heavy rains. During drought, the collected water can be used, for example, for flushing toilets or watering urban green areas.

Deputy minister Mariusz Gajda drew attention to the problem of drought and the lack of use of rainwater. As he emphasizes: “We have to introduce systems that will retain this water. On the one hand, they will protect us against floods, and on the other hand, they will support rivers in times of drought. This is what the Water Law and the entire fee system serve." [1]

The demand for freshwater continues to grow, contributed by population growth and industrial development. Unfortunately, the Earth's natural water resources are diminishing. We must build as many artificial water reservoirs as possible and take care of the cleanliness of surface waters and groundwater. We cannot forget about saving natural water resources and their rational use.

[1] https://www.mos.gov.pl/kalendarz/szczegoly/news/o-nowym-prawie-wodnym/