Microretention in homes and gardens instead of “My Water”. Up to PLN 8,000 in subsidies

Although the My Water programme will not continue, support for household rainwater retention is not coming to an end. It is being replaced by a new scheme called Microretention, with a larger budget and a higher subsidy of up to PLN 8,000 for private individuals. Applications will open in the second quarter of 2026.

New programme instead of My Water

The National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management informs that work on a new programme supporting microretention on private properties is being finalised. It will replace the My Water initiative, under which more than 76,000 homeowners carried out rainwater collection projects between 2020 and 2024.

The Microretention programme will be implemented by the provincial funds for environmental protection and water management, which applied to the National Fund for a share of the total budget of PLN 173 million. The largest amounts of support will go to the provincial funds in Poznań (PLN 18.1 million), Kraków (PLN 17.8 million) and Warsaw (PLN 15.2 million).

What can the subsidy be used for?

Subsidies granted under the Microretention programme will allow private individuals to purchase, install, build, expand and launch systems for collecting rainwater and snowmelt from roofs, driveways or pavements. Support will cover technical solutions such as storing water in tanks larger than 2 m3, building soakaway wells, drainage systems, infiltration crates or unsealing surfaces. Beneficiaries will also be able to use the funds for the purchase and installation of pumps, sprinklers or a water distribution unit.

The aim of the subsidised projects is to retain water where it falls, without the need to discharge it beyond the property boundary.

How much support will be available for microretention?

Support will be available to private individuals who are owners, co-owners or perpetual usufruct holders of the properties where the project has been completed. This is because the Microretention programme supports completed investments only. Anyone planning to take advantage of the subsidy should therefore begin planning works and purchases as soon as possible.

The subsidy will cover 90 percent of eligible costs incurred by the beneficiary after 1 July 2024. The maximum amount of support will be PLN 8,000 this time, which is PLN 2,000 more than under the My Water programme. It should be noted that projects which have already received support from a provincial fund or the National Fund, for example under My Water, will not be taken into account during the application review process.

The calls for applications will be run by the provincial funds, so schedules may vary between voivodeships. Their launch is planned by the end of June 2026. Detailed information will be available on the websites of the provincial funds.

Why household microretention is gaining importance

The Microretention programme will be implemented with support from European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment 2021–2027 under measures related to climate change adaptation, disaster prevention and risk management. According to experts from the National Fund, collecting rainwater and snowmelt is intended to protect local water resources and reduce the effects of drought and flooding, which Poland is facing increasingly often.

At the same time, single-family homes represent enormous potential for retaining water where it falls. Collecting and storing rainwater gives private property owners a chance to make substantial savings and enjoy greater freedom in watering lawns and gardens, while for urban and rural infrastructure it offers a way to reduce damage caused by rainfall deficits or sudden downpours. Improvements in the microclimate and increased soil moisture will also benefit local flora and fauna, especially insects, amphibians and birds.