If the taps stopped: emergency water advice explained
By UK Be Ready · Last checked 8 November 2026
Independent guide. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Government. Official advice: Be Ready.
First three things to do
- Check your water company’s incident information and the exact notice for your address.
- Use a known safe drinking-water supply and prioritise drinking, food preparation and hand hygiene.
- Tell the supplier if someone cannot collect water or has medical needs; check on a neighbour who may need help.
How much should you keep?
The official Be Ready checklist recommends three days of bottled water, allowing 3 litres per person per day for drinking, plus extra for cooking and washing. That means 9 litres of drinking water each for three days, before additional needs. Include pets and consider any individual medical advice.
Buy gradually if you need to, store sealed bottles according to their labels and rotate them into ordinary use. A small written inventory is useful when the lights are out. Do not reduce prescribed fluids to fit a generic target: discuss any restriction or special requirement with your care team.
A boil notice is not a do-not-drink notice
Government water-outage guidance directs households to their supplier for current information. Read the full notice. A boil notice specifies which uses need boiled and cooled water and how to prepare it. Do not substitute a universal “boil for one minute” instruction for your supplier’s directions.
A do-not-drink or do-not-use notice may concern a different hazard; boiling is not a general cure for chemical contamination. Use the replacement supply and instructions provided. Keep following the notice until the supplier explicitly lifts it.
Why do the radio scripts sound different?
The UK Chief Medical Officers’ water and sanitation scripts address an exceptional nationwide power outage in which sewage systems may also fail. They advise against flushing in that scenario. This is different from assuming that every local burst main stops the sewer network.
If the supplier or council says drainage is not working, or sewage is backing up, do not add water or attempt to force a flush. Ask for local sanitation and waste-disposal instructions. During a local supply interruption with functioning drainage, follow your supplier’s advice about toilet use. Avoid wasting stored drinking water on flushing.
Babies and extra help
Have an agreed feeding plan. NHS guidance says ready-to-feed formula needs no added water, but feeding equipment still needs sterilising. Our babies and pregnancy guide explains what to prepare. Contact your health professional promptly if you cannot feed safely.
Register support needs with your water company in advance, and ask for help during an incident if you cannot reach a collection point. Do not assume registration guarantees a delivery time; confirm the arrangements for your address.
Your 10-minute job
Save the water supplier’s incident number on paper and count your sealed drinking-water bottles. Use the full water-outage guide for the wider household plan.
Sources and further reading
- Government Be Ready household checklist
- Be Ready: water supply interruptions or outages
- UK Chief Medical Officers: water and sanitation broadcast scripts
- NHS bottle-feeding guidance: ready-to-feed milk and sterilising
Sources checked 8 November 2026. This is general household preparation guidance; current incident instructions and individual clinical or veterinary advice take priority.