Water Use and Management after the Water Law Reform in Rural Western Poland

Abstract

Before the Water Law reform in 2018, water use and management in rural villages was overseen by so-called water associations in communities, with support from regional organizations for water regulation. The new Water Law of 2018 applies the beneficiary-pays principle to water usage and quality maintenance, disrupting community-based management systems. This paper examines the implications of this change from the viewpoint of local farmers, farming companies, and rural enterprises in Western Poland.