Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company S.A. Wroclaw (MPWiK): Almost half of Wroclaw residents have already switched from plastic bottles to tap water!

More tap water - less plastic

Wroclaw is consistently striving for sustainable development by taking measures to protect the environment. One of Mayor Jacek Sutryk's first actions already in 2019 was an ordinance to eliminate plastic at City Hall, as well as at events organized by the city. An example of such an event is the Wroclaw half-marathon, where the official water is tap water.

- In Wroclaw, we take a very responsible approach to climate change. The Rainwater Management Strategy, greening the city, replacing stoves and investing in renewable energy sources are just some of our measures to protect the environment. However - in addition to the actions carried out by the city - our daily behavior and choices are equally important. That's why I'm very happy that the Wroclaw waterworks also focus on ecology and encourage people to drink tap water every day," says Jacek Sutryk, mayor of Wroclaw.

Why is it worth drinking tap water?

- For several years, the Wroclaw MPWiK has been running a social campaign #PijKranowka. Our initiative was born out of the question of why, in a country where almost everyone has access to high-quality water at home, bottled water is still bought. Many times tap water contains more minerals essential for health than bottled water. In addition, tap water is always fresh, because we divert it to the water supply system on an ongoing basis, unlike water bottles, which happen to stand in the sun, in store windows," says Marcin Garcarz, vice president of MPWiK S.A. in Wroclaw.

Tap water is cheaper

In addition to health, the economic calculus also argues in favor of drinking tap water.

A liter of tap water costs about one penny. On an annual basis, each of us can save about 1,400 zlotys - it is enough that every day, instead of 2 liters of bottled water, we choose the one from the tap. For a family of four, the annual cost of buying water from the store is about 5,600 zlotys.

MPWiK

... and more eco

The choice of tap water also has an ecological aspect.

As experts note, every year around the world we produce about 400 million tons of plastic. That's about as much as all the people in the world weigh. Much of the plastic then ends up in rivers, seas and oceans. This is a gigantic problem. Choosing tap water instead of bottled water can help combat this.

By choosing tap water, one person saves the environment about 26 kg of extra plastic in a year. For a family of four, that's 104 kg of plastic per year.

MPWiK

Almost half of Wroclaw's residents have already been convinced

According to the latest report by independent market research agency Beeline Research&Consulting, already 45 percent of residents of the Lower Silesian capital choose tap water over bottled water every day. Just two years ago, drinking tap water every day was declared by just over a quarter of Wroclaw residents (26.4 percent).

- As our research has shown, Wroclaw residents are aware of climate change. ¾ of them estimate that they have a direct impact on their lives, which is why residents are trying to live more ecologically. Respondents note that the tap water is tasty, clean and thanks to it they don't have a problem with unnecessary plastic. They also appreciate that it's always at hand, which saves time spent on shopping, plus there's no need to carry heavy cartons of bottled water, notes Janusz Bujko, owner of market research agency Beeline Research&Consulting, which conducted the survey.

Much of the credit for this result is certainly due to the consistently run #PijKranowka social campaign, with which MPWiK appears at city picnics, concerts or sporting events

- We have been encouraging green attitudes for many years. With our #PijKranowka campaign, we are everywhere Wroclaw residents are. In 2023 alone, we co-created 137 city events, in which a total of more than half a million people participated. Each such meeting is an opportunity for us to talk and share knowledge about tap water," emphasizes Marcin Garcarz, vice president of MPWiK S.A. in Wroclaw.

MPWiK Wroclaw's involvement in the social campaign on tap water is noted by nearly two-thirds of Wroclaw residents who commented on the survey.

- We are visible at city events, but in fact we are at your home every day when you turn on the tap. At picnics, we serve the same water that we deliver to male and female residents," concludes Marcin Garcarz.

What is worth knowing about the water in Wroclaw's taps?

• The source of water supplied to about one million residents of Wroclaw and neighboring communities is the Olawa River, additionally supplied with water from the Nysa Klodzka River.
• MPWiK produces about 150,000 cubic meters of water each day, which then feeds the city's water supply network, which is more than 2,000 kilometers long. That's a distance like from Wroclaw to Barcelona.
• Before the water reaches our taps, it goes through a complex purification process and a multi-stage inspection. Monitoring of water quality begins at the stage of taking it from the river, continues during production and continues until the water is delivered to the customer.
• The MPWiK laboratory tests the water on average every five minutes. Regardless of the internal inspections carried out by the waterworks, water - as a food product - is tested by the Sanitary Inspectorate, and its parameters are strictly defined by the Regulation of the Minister of Health.