Emergency water storage calculator
Sources awaiting check
Work it out for your home
Worked example
For 4 people for 3 days:
- Minimum to drink: 30 to 36 litres (2.5 to 3 litres per person per day).
- Comfortable, for drinking, cooking and washing: 120 litres (10 litres per person per day).
- That's 24 five-litre bottles, or the same in bigger containers.
Source: gov.uk Prepare, awaiting check; NHS, awaiting check; British Red Cross, awaiting check
Official advice gives two amounts of water per person per day: a minimum to drink, and a more comfortable amount that covers cooking and washing too. This calculator shows both for your household, and how many containers that is.
How it works
It multiplies the number of people by the number of days and the official amount per person per day. Containers are always rounded up. Babies on formula and pets need extra: where there's an official figure we add it, and where there isn't yet, we tell you who to ask.
FAQs
Can I store tap water?
Yes, in clean food-grade containers with lids, kept somewhere cool and dark. See the official advice linked below the calculator.
Should I store the minimum or the comfortable amount?
The minimum covers drinking only. If you have the space, the comfortable amount means you can cook and wash too.
Read the guide: How much water to store
More tools
Sources
- Minimum drinking water per person per day (lower end) (gov.uk Prepare), awaiting check
- Minimum drinking water per person per day (upper end) (gov.uk Prepare), awaiting check
- Comfortable water per person per day (drinking, cooking, washing) (gov.uk Prepare), awaiting check
- Days of supplies to keep at home (gov.uk Prepare), awaiting check
- How often to replace stored tap water (gov.uk Prepare), awaiting check
- Extra water for a baby on powdered formula (NHS), awaiting check
- Extra water per pet (British Red Cross), awaiting check