Czech Republic faces high drinking water losses and rising costs

The Czech Republic is facing significant challenges regarding drinking water management, with approximately 14% of water lost annually through the distribution network. In 2025, physical losses reached 83.7 million cubic meters, meaning roughly one out of every seven liters of treated water fails to reach consumers. Some water systems have reported losses exceeding 30%. Experts suggest that at the current rate of infrastructure decay, a complete renewal of the national water network would take over 240 years.

To combat these losses, technological solutions such as smart metering and integrated data analysis are being proposed to identify leaks more efficiently. However, the country is currently slower in adopting these technologies compared to several other European nations.

Climate change and drought are also driving up costs. Lower river levels and higher temperatures complicate the water treatment process, as pollutants become more concentrated and warmer water promotes microorganism growth. These factors, combined with the need for municipalities to invest in new water sources and interconnected systems, are expected to increase water prices for consumers. While the national average price for water is around 131 CZK per cubic meter, regional variations exist, with cities like Hradec Králové and Prague seeing higher costs than Brno.