Drought in Poland — how to secure water access on your farm?

Poland is among the countries with the lowest water resources in Europe — per capita availability amounts to just approx. 1,600 m³ of water per year, while the European average exceeds 4,500 m³. This deficit deepens year by year as a result of climate change.

Data from IUNG (Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation) show that agricultural droughts occur in Poland every 2–3 years, whereas as recently as the 1990s they were a considerably rarer phenomenon. The most affected regions are Kujawy, Wielkopolska, the Łódź region and Mazovia — areas that are critical to agricultural production.

Climate projections indicate that this trend will continue. Rainfall will become increasingly uneven — intense downpours interspersed with long dry spells. Under these conditions, the ability to store water becomes a key factor in a farm's survival.

The basic solution is a non-pressure steel tank for water — above-ground or partially buried. Steel tanks offer the best capacity-to-cost ratio, are durable (30+ year service life), easy to clean, and can be expanded modularly.

For drinking and process water, tanks made of stainless steel with PZH certification are used, guaranteeing safe contact with water intended for human consumption. For irrigation water, carbon steel tanks with an appropriate anti-corrosion coating are sufficient.

Farms with high water demand may consider cascade systems — several tanks connected in a single arrangement, with automatic filling and emptying control. This allows flexible capacity adjustment to meet changing needs.

An alternative is an underground tank, which takes up no usable surface area and maintains a lower water temperature (beneficial for water quality). However, it requires excavation and proper ground preparation.

Your own deep borehole is a valuable water source, but its yield is limited. A typical borehole delivers 1–5 m³/h, which during periods of peak demand (irrigation) may be insufficient. A buffer tank allows water to be accumulated during periods of lower consumption.

The optimal scenario is a borehole operating in a continuous cycle (e.g. 16 hours per day) filling a tank from which water is drawn during peak hours for irrigation. A tank with a capacity of 10–30 m³ enables the effective use of even a low-yield borehole.

When planning, it is worth taking into account seasonal fluctuations in groundwater levels. During drought periods, well output can drop by 30–50%, which is why we recommend a tank capacity covering at least 2–3 weeks of demand even at reduced well output.