Abstract
The option of using the contingent valuation method (CVM) to assess residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) for upgrading the quality of water resources in their communes is discussed in the article. Surveys were conducted using the direct interview method. The analysis included the application of CVM to examine the potential for financing projects that are focused on reducing the eutrophication process of the Baltic Sea, financing the construction of municipal sewage treatment plants in selected communes in Greece and Poland and financing the upgrade of sewage disposal and treatment standards in Śniadowo in north-eastern Poland. For authorities of a given area, the CVM is an instrument supporting the decision-making process regarding investments in water resources’ protection.