Immediate danger to life: call 999 or 112.

UK Ready is an independent information site. Current official instructions for your area take priority over this general guidance.

Storing water and planning how much you need

Sources checked 24 October 2026

Action summary

1. Store 3 litres of drinking water per person per day for three days — 9 litres per person.
2. Keep extra water for cooking, washing, feeding, medical equipment and pets separately.
3. Use sealed bottled water or clean food-grade containers kept cool, dark and away from chemicals.
4. Label the fill date on your own containers and replace them as the product instructions say.
5. Never count radiators, boilers, floodwater, ponds or pools as drinking water.

The government's Be Ready checklist (updated 22 October 2026) specifies 3 litres of drinking water per person per day for three days. Cooking and washing need additional water. Extra needs may include feeding preparation, medical equipment, pets and hot weather.

UK Ready's calculator uses people × 3 litres × 3 days as the drinking-water figure and keeps any extras separate. This is a storage planning figure, not a medical drinking prescription. Babies, people with fluid restrictions and people with illness need individual care advice. Do not tell a baby to drink an adult water allowance or tell someone with heart or kidney disease to ignore their treatment plan.

Drinking water for three days

These are calculated examples, not a requirement to buy or carry those volumes. Start with what is affordable and can be stored safely, and understand how to obtain additional water if an interruption lasts longer. See food and water for three days.

Use sealed commercial drinking water or suitable clean food-grade storage containers. Follow product storage and replacement instructions. Keep water cool, away from sunlight and away from chemicals. Label fill dates for your own containers. Never reuse a container that previously held chemicals or fuel.

Keep quantities manageable so someone with reduced strength can lift them. Distribute heavy containers safely; do not pile large loads on shelving or obstruct exits. Keep a little accessible rather than storing every bottle in a hard-to-reach loft or an area likely to flood.

Water sources to avoid: Central heating radiators and heating boilers are not drinking-water stores. Floodwater, ornamental ponds, swimming pools and water collected outdoors in a contamination event must not be treated as safe drinking water. Obtain official or specialist advice for a private well or borehole rather than improvising treatment.

Planning for longer? See the two week emergency food and essentials checklist — an optional fourteen-day extension of the three-day starting point.

Sources

• UK Government Be Ready: Be ready for emergencies
• UK Government Be Ready: Get prepared for emergencies
• US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency
• UK Government Be Ready: Water supply interruptions or outages

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