No water in my area?
Short answer: there's no single UK map of water supply problems. Each water company posts its own live updates: pick yours below to go straight there. Your water company's name is on your bill.
What to do from GOV.UK Be Ready, read 1 November 2026.
While the water is off
- Check your water company's live updates for the cause, a likely time and any bottled water stations.
- Use stored or bottled water only for drinking, handwashing and preparing food (Be Ready). Be Ready's figure is 3 litres per person per day for drinking.
- Rainwater from a water butt can flush toilets. Don't drink it.
- For babies, Be Ready says ready-made formula is the safest option when there's no tap water.
- Check on neighbours who may need help, and ask whether they're on the Priority Services Register.
- When it comes back, run the cold kitchen tap until the water is clear. Follow any boil water notice until it's lifted.
Payments when the water is off
| Situation | Payment (from GOV.UK, 2 July 2025) |
|---|---|
| Planned interruption over 4 hours with less than 48 hours' notice | £50 |
| Supply not restored on time | £50 |
| Each further 12 hours without supply | £50 |
Credited automatically; you don't need to claim. The announcement came from Defra (the UK Government department for England), so check your company's own guaranteed standards, especially in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Source: GOV.UK.
Every water company's live updates page
| Water company | Rough area | Live updates | Priority services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affinity Water | Parts of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Surrey, north-west London and Kent | Live updates | Priority services |
| Anglian Water | East of England, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire | Live updates | Priority services |
| Bristol Water | Bristol and the surrounding area | Live updates | Priority services |
| Cambridge Water | Cambridge and the surrounding area | Live updates | Priority services |
| Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water | Most of Wales and parts of Herefordshire | Live updates | Priority services |
| Essex & Suffolk Water | Parts of Essex and Suffolk | Live updates | Priority services |
| Hafren Dyfrdwy | Wrexham, parts of Powys and nearby | Live updates | Priority services |
| Northumbrian Water | North East England | Live updates | Priority services |
| Portsmouth Water | Portsmouth and south-east Hampshire | Live updates | Priority services |
| SES Water | East Surrey and parts of south London, Kent and West Sussex | Live updates | Priority services |
| Severn Trent | The Midlands | Live updates | Priority services |
| South East Water | Parts of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire | Live updates | Priority services |
| South Staffs Water | South Staffordshire and the Black Country | Live updates | Priority services |
| South West Water | Devon, Cornwall and parts of Dorset and Somerset | Live updates | Priority services |
| Southern Water | Kent, Sussex, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight | Live updates | Priority services |
| Thames Water | London and the Thames Valley | Live updates | Priority services |
| United Utilities | North West England | Live updates | Priority services |
| Wessex Water | Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire and Bath | Live updates | Priority services |
| Yorkshire Water | Yorkshire | Live updates | Priority services |
| Scottish Water | Scotland | Live updates | Priority services |
| NI Water | Northern Ireland | Live updates | Priority services |
Links opened on 1 November 2026. Areas are rough; your bill is the answer. Portsmouth Water's site blocks automated checks, so its links come from its own site search.
More: no water supply: what to do · boil water notices · storing water at home · emergency supplies calculator
Frequently asked questions
How do I check if there's no water in my area?
Check your water company's live updates or 'in your area' page; pick your company on this page to go straight there. There's no single UK map. If there's no update, contact your company: the number is on your bill.
How do I know who my water company is?
It's on your water bill. You can also use Water UK's supplier finder. Some homes get water from one company and sewerage from another; for supply problems you need the water supplier.
Is it just my home?
Ask a neighbour. If only your home is off, the problem may be inside your property, such as a frozen pipe or a closed stop tap, which is usually your responsibility or your landlord's.
Do I get compensation when my water is off?
Under the Guaranteed Standards Scheme, GOV.UK (Defra) announced on 2 July 2025 that households get £50 when supply isn't restored on time, then £50 for each further 12 hours, and £50 for a planned interruption of over 4 hours with less than 48 hours' notice. Payments are credited automatically. The announcement came from Defra, so check your own company's standards, especially in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Where can I get bottled water?
For longer outages, water companies set up bottled water stations and list them on their live updates pages. If you're on the Priority Services Register, your company should arrange water for you.
What should I use my stored water for?
Be Ready says to use bottled or other stored water only for drinking, handwashing and preparing food. Rainwater from a water butt can flush toilets but isn't for drinking.
Sources
- GOV.UK Be Ready: Water supply interruptions or outages, read 1 November 2026
- GOV.UK: Customers to receive up to £2,000 for water service failures (2 July 2025), read 1 November 2026
- Water UK: find your water supplier, read 1 November 2026
- CCW: Extra free help, priority services, read 1 November 2026
- Each water company's live updates page (links in the table below), read 1 November 2026
We don't receive any live data from water companies; this page sends you to their own pages. If a link has moved, tell us and we'll fix it.
Civilian Survival Handbook is an independent UK site. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by any water company, Water UK, CCW or the UK Government.