###### Abstract  
The aim of this study was to determine the quality of rainwater and the possibility of using it for various purposes in the Roztocze National Park (RNP), Poland. This study was carried out in 2021-2022. Samples of rainwater that drained from the roofs of farm buildings in the RNP were tested for their organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological qualities. The organoleptic tests were run to evaluate the water for a foreign odour and the threshold odour number. The physical and chemical tests included turbidity; colour; pH; conductivity; concentrations of ammonium ions, nitrates, nitrites, manganese, iron and chlorides; and general hardness. The microbiological tests included total microbial counts at 36 \({}^{\circ}\)C and 22 \({}^{\circ}\)C, coliform bacteria, _Escherichia coli_, intestinal enterococci and _Pseudomonas aeruginosa_. The rainwater quality results were compared with the quality parameters of surface water collected from the River Swierszcz, as well as with the Polish drinking water standards. The findings indicated that rainwater collected in the RNP had good organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological properties, which, in some cases, complied with the standards for probable water. Excedances of the permissible limits, mainly for ammonium ions and microbiological indicators, were periodically observed in the tested rainwater. This was probably due to contamination of roof surfaces with bird droppings. However, these exceedances did not exclude the use of the rainwater for economic purposes, e.g., flushing toilets, washing vehicles or watering plants, which may significantly reduce the abstraction of high-quality groundwater. The rainwater that is planned to be used as drinking water for the Polish konik horses living in the park will have to be pre-treated via filtration and disinfection processes (e.g., with a UV lamp). rainwater; water quality; water management; Roztocze National Park; Konik Polski 2023  
1 Roztocze National Park, Plazowa 2, 22-470 Zwierzynice, Poland; [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.G. ); [EMAIL_ADDRESS] (T.  
(5) characteristics of precipitation events (intensity and volume of atmospheric precipitation, wind characteristics, concentration of pollutants in precipitation waters) and (6) local meteorological factors (season of the year, weather characteristics, length of the preceding dry period). Harvested rainwater usually has good physicochemical parameters, but often contains high levels of microbial contaminants. The pollution of harvested rainwater can be attributed to the combustion of fuels in vehicles and buildings, industrial emissions, agricultural activities in rural areas and faecal deposits from animals, mostly from birds [13]. The quality of rainwater also depends on the storage conditions. Quality assessment data for rainwater stored in different types of cisterns were reported by [PERSON] et al. [14]. These authors showed that concrete tanks are the best solution for storing rainwater. A study of the structure of household water consumption in Poland showed that about 50% of drinking water can be replaced by rainwater. For public buildings, this percentage is even higher, reaching 65% [15]. The quality of rainwater significantly impacts its use by humans for various purposes, including flushing sanitation, laundry, cleaning, washing cars, and watering crops and lawns [16]. In areas that are particularly vulnerable to water scarcity, rainwater can also be used for drinking [17]. Research done in southern Brazil showed that the potential use of rainwater in animal breeding can be up to 100% of water requirements for poultry production, while for swine production, it ranged between 32.7% and 68.3% [18]. In Australia, many people choose to drink rainwater, even in areas where clean mains water is available, as the latter is chlorinated and fluorinated [19]. However, when rainwater is used for drinking, in order to protect public health, it is very important to know the quality of harvested rainwater [11].