How long does bottled water last, and how long can you store water?

The short answer

Why bottled water has a date

UK food labelling law sets out the foods that don't need a best before date. The list includes wine, vinegar, cooking salt and solid sugar. Water isn't on it, so bottled water must carry one.

That date is a best before, not a use-by. GOV.UK explains the difference:

• Use-by dates are about safety. Don't eat or drink food after its use-by date.
• Best before dates are about quality. After the date, food is usually safe to eat but may not be as good.

The US CDC's advice is simpler: observe the expiration date on store-bought water. For an emergency supply, that's the rule we'd follow too. Water is cheap; there's no reason to keep bottles past their date.

How long tap water lasts in storage

If you fill your own containers from the tap, the US CDC and Ready.gov both say to replace the water every 6 months. The CDC also says:

• use food-grade water containers;
• if you can't, use something unbreakable (not glass) with a tight lid;
• never reuse a container that held toxic chemicals such as bleach or pesticides;
• store it somewhere cool (it gives 10–21°C, or 50–70°F) and out of direct sunlight.

Our water storage guide covers how to fill and label containers.

Where to keep bottled water

Ready.gov says to keep bottled water sealed in its original container, in a cool, dark place. In a UK home, that usually means:

• under a bed or at the bottom of a wardrobe;
• in a kitchen cupboard that isn't next to the oven;
• not in a sunny conservatory, a hot loft or next to a boiler.

These places are our suggestions. Keep water away from cleaning products, paint and fuel, which is common sense and matches the CDC's advice on containers.

How much to keep

Be Ready, the government's emergency advice, asks for 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, for 3 days. More is needed for cooking and washing.

Our emergency supplies calculator works it out for your household, including pets.

A simple rotation routine

Be Ready asks you to set a reminder every six months to check expiry dates in your emergency kit. For water, that's all you need:

1. Write the best before date on the outside of each multipack in big marker.
2. Put new packs at the back and move older ones to the front.
3. Every six months, take out anything with less than six months left and drink it: lunches, the car, the gym bag.
4. Replace it on your next normal shop.
5. Empty and refill any containers of tap water at the same time.

Our guide to stock rotation uses the same first-in, first-out idea for food.

Should I stock up on bottled water?

A small, rotated supply, yes. Panic buying, no. Buy one or two packs at a time with your normal shop until you reach the Be Ready amount, then just rotate. If your supply does stop, our no water supply guide explains what happens, and make water safe to drink covers what to do if you run out.

What we couldn't check

• We found no UK government source that says how long bottled water stays safe after its best before date, so we don't give a figure. Use it by the date.
• We couldn't read the bottled-water rules for each UK nation in full. The labelling rule above is the general UK food labelling law.
• The 5-year shelf life on emergency water pouches is the seller's claim, not an official figure.

Related guides

• Emergency water at home: how much to store and how
• Stock rotation at home: first in, first out
• No water supply: what to do, and what you're entitled to
• Boil water notice: what it means and what to do

Free tools

• Emergency supplies calculator (how much water for your household)
• No water in my area: your water company's live page

We're an independent UK site, not the government. We check guides against official sources and link to them. In an emergency call 999.

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