Gdańsk
Yes. The City of Gdańsk has explicitly described its tap water as safe to drink and encouraged residents to drink it straight from the tap.
City of Gdańsk ↗
Poland · Essentials
Can You Drink Tap Water in Poland?
Yes, generally. In Polish cities, municipal tap water is safe to drink and is monitored under Polish and European drinking-water rules.
Information checked 14 August 2026
SHORT ANSWER
Yes — you normally do not need to buy bottled water.
If your hotel, apartment or restaurant is connected to the normal municipal water supply, you can generally drink the cold tap water without boiling it.
Polish drinking water is subject to sanitary monitoring. The national sanitary authority explains that drinking-water monitoring is designed to check whether water delivered to consumers is safe to drink.
Polish Chief Sanitary Inspectorate — drinking-water rules ↗MAJOR CITIES
What about Gdańsk, Kraków and Warsaw?
Kraków
Yes. Kraków Waterworks states that the city's tap water is safe and meets Polish and European quality requirements.
Kraków Waterworks ↗Warsaw
Yes. Warsaw Waterworks describes its treated water as safe, clean and subject to detailed laboratory testing.
Warsaw Waterworks ↗THE FEW EXCEPTIONS
When should you be a little more careful?
The municipal water may be fine while the building's own internal plumbing affects taste, colour or quality.
After a long period without use, run the cold tap briefly until the water becomes fresh and cool.
After an unusual incident, maintenance problem or contamination warning, follow instructions from the local water utility or sanitary authority.
Hotel / Airbnb tip: if you have just arrived and the apartment may have been empty, let the cold tap run for a short while before filling your bottle.
Example guidance on flushing stagnant water ↗
BOTTLED VS TAP
Do Poles still buy bottled water?
Yes — bottled mineral water is common in Poland, so seeing locals buy it does not mean the tap water is unsafe. People may simply prefer a particular taste, carbonation level or mineral content.
🚰
Tap water
Fine for everyday drinking in normal municipal systems.
💧
Niegazowana
Still bottled water.
🫧
Gazowana
Sparkling bottled water.
AT A RESTAURANT
How do I ask for tap water?
Poproszę wodę z kranu.
po-PRO-sheh VO-deh z KRA-noo
Tap water, please.
Restaurants are not necessarily going to serve tap water automatically. If you simply ask for “water”, staff may ask whether you want still (niegazowana) or sparkling (gazowana) bottled water.
More restaurant phrasesFAQ
Tap water in Poland: quick questions
Do I need to boil tap water in Poland?
Normally no. If there is a temporary local warning, follow the local authority's instructions.
Is tap water safe for brushing teeth?
Yes, under normal circumstances municipal tap water is suitable for normal household use, including brushing your teeth.
Can I refill my travel bottle from the hotel tap?
Usually yes. If the room has been unused for some time, run the cold tap briefly first.
Why does Polish tap water taste different from home?
Mineral content and treatment vary between water systems, so taste and hardness can differ from city to city without meaning the water is unsafe.