The UK government’s Be Ready campaign, launched on 22 October, asks every household to be ready for three days, with about 3 litres of drinking water per person per day. Three days is the minimum. Aim for a week to begin with, then build from there. For water, that is 21 litres per person.
Why water comes first
You can go for days without food, but not without water. It is also the thing most people find hardest to store, because it is heavy and takes up space.
If you don’t have much room
Most homes in the UK are not big. Many people live in flats or in small terraced houses built about a hundred years ago, with nowhere to put 21 litres a person. That is fine. Start small and build up.
Bottled water is a good first step. Be honest with yourself about how far it goes, though. Six multipacks of one-litre bottles is only 36 litres, which is barely a week of drinking for a couple, with nothing left for washing or cooking.
If there is a reasonable chance the water will go off while you are at home, a water bladder that sits in the bath is a good next step. It uses space you already have and holds far more than bottles can. It only works if you fill it before the supply stops, so it suits situations where you have some warning.
Not all your water needs to be drinking water. Water for flushing the toilet can be untreated, such as pond, rain or bath water, which saves your drinking supply. An article on toilets and waste is coming soon. It will explain how, and why water collected for flushing must never be drunk.
Never drink water you’re unsure of
Drinking random water, such as from a stream, a puddle, flood water, or a supply that has gone off, will at the very best make you very ill. At the worst, it can kill you. Severe sickness and diarrhoea dehydrate the body quickly, especially in children, older people, and anyone already unwell.
The fix is simple: treat any water you are not sure of before you drink it. Boiling it hard for a minute, purification tablets, or a proper water filter will all do the job, and the tablets and filters are small enough for any flat.
How to purify water
There are three simple ways to make questionable water safe, and a few rules that apply to all of them.
- Boil it. Bring the water to a hard, rolling boil and keep it there for one minute. Let it cool before drinking. This is the most reliable method, and it kills bacteria, viruses and parasites. It needs a way to heat the water, so it won’t help in a power cut if you only have an electric kettle.
- Use purification tablets. These are cheap, light and tiny, so they suit any flat. Follow the dose and waiting time on the packet exactly. Some types, such as iodine, are not suitable for pregnant women or people with thyroid conditions, so check the packet.
- Use a water filter. A good portable filter removes bacteria and parasites. Most filters do not remove viruses or chemicals, so check what yours is designed to treat.
Clear it first. If the water is cloudy, pour it through a clean cloth or a coffee filter before treating it. Dirt and sediment can shield germs from tablets.
Know the limits. None of these methods removes chemicals or fuel. Flood water can carry sewage and industrial waste, so avoid it as a drinking source if you possibly can. When in doubt, don’t drink it.
Store it properly. Keep treated water in clean, covered containers. Rotate your stock: write the date on each container, use the oldest first, and replace what you use so the supply stays fresh. This goes for everything you store, not just water.
Straw filters and pump filters
If you want a filter that takes up almost no room, there are two common kinds.
Straw filters. A personal straw filter is a slim tube you drink through. You put one end in the water and sip. It is light, cheap and small enough to keep in a drawer or a bag, which makes it a good first filter for a small flat. It treats one person at a time, so it suits drinking on the spot rather than filling containers for a family.
Pump filters. A pump filter has a hose you put in the water and a handle you work to push the water through the filter into a clean bottle. It is slower and bulkier than a straw, but it can fill containers, so it suits a household better. It also needs no power, which matters in a power cut.
With either kind, check what the filter is designed to remove. Most take out bacteria and parasites, but not viruses or chemicals. Follow the maker’s instructions, keep the filter clean, and never use one on flood water.
Where to start
- Buy a few bottles of water this week
- Learn how you would treat water if you had to
- Work towards a week’s supply, a little at a time
- Date your containers and rotate your stock
Useful resources
Don’t take our word for it. Read the originals, and decide what works for you.
- Be Ready checklist, UK government
- Water and sanitation during a power outage, advice from the UK Chief Medical Officers
- Preparing for an incident, Bristol Water, an example of what a water company advises. Look for your own water company’s advice too.