Burst mains, freezing weather, droughts and contamination can all leave homes without safe tap water, sometimes for days. A small store of water and a few basics make it much easier.
Straight away
- Check if it is just you. Ask a neighbour, then look at your water company's website or social media for incidents in your postcode. If it is only your home, check your stopcock is open and look for leaks.
- Report it to your water company if they do not already know. Find your water supplier.
- Keep the taps closed so you notice when the water returns, and so nothing floods if one was left open.
Drinking and cooking
- Use your stored water first. Be Ready recommends 3 litres of drinking water per person per day for 3 days. Our food and water calculator works out how much your household needs.
- Check your water company's website for alternative supplies in your area. If you are on its Priority Services Register, Be Ready says your water company will arrange alternative supplies for you. Sign up if you are eligible, for example if someone relies on water for a medical device.
- Choose food that needs little or no water to prepare. Keep washing-up to a minimum: use paper plates and wipe pans clean before washing.
Toilets and hygiene
- Be Ready advises using bottled water solely for drinking, washing hands and preparing food. You can flush a toilet by pouring a bucket of water (not drinking water if you can avoid it) straight into the bowl.
- If the outage is long, line the toilet or a bucket with a strong bin bag, and add a little cat litter or sawdust. Tie off and store bags outside until collection.
- Use hand sanitiser and wet wipes for hands and a basic wash. See our emergency hygiene kit guide.
Babies, pets and medical needs
- For babies, Be Ready says ready-made or ready-to-feed formula is the safest option. Bottled water is not usually recommended for formula: in rare cases you can use still bottled water with no more than 200 mg/L sodium and 250 mg/L sulphate, boiled and cooled for no more than 30 minutes. See the GOV.UK guidance on infant formula during water supply disruptions and the NHS guide to making up formula.
- Pets need water too: roughly 50-60 ml per kg of body weight a day (our pets guide).
- Some home dialysis and medical equipment needs mains water. Make sure your water company and the Priority Services Register know.
Boil water notices
If your water company issues a boil water notice, the water may be running but is not safe to drink untreated. Bring it to a rolling boil, let it cool, and use it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and making ice, exactly as the notice says. Keep following the notice until the company tells you it is lifted.
When it comes back
- Discoloured water is common afterwards. Be Ready suggests running the cold tap nearest your stopcock for a while to see if it clears, and contacting your water company if problems continue.
- If you have a combi boiler, it may need resetting after an outage.
- Water companies in England and Wales must pay compensation in some cases when supplies are interrupted for longer than set times, under Ofwat's standards of service. Ask yours.