No running water: what to do
Safe drinking water, toilets and washing when the taps stop, and how much water to keep in.
No running water: the first 10 minutes
- Check your water company's website. Is it your area? Where are the bottled water stations?
- Use stored or bottled water only for drinking, washing hands and preparing food.
- Flush with rainwater or other non-drinking water. Never drink it.
- On the Priority Services Register? Your water company should arrange supplies for you.
- Check on neighbours who may need extra help.
- Water back but brown? Run the cold tap nearest your stop tap until it clears.
In danger? Call 999. Follow instructions from the emergency services, radio and GOV.UK: they come first.
From our guide No water from the tap: what to do first. Official sources: GOV.UK Be Ready: water supply interruptions or outages
Start here: the core guides
In reading order.
- No water from the tap: what to do firstSix calm steps when the water stops: check your water company, save bottled water for drinking, hands and food, flush with rainwater, use the…
- No running water for a week: how to drink, wash, cook and use the toiletA day-by-day routine for a week with no tap water: how much to drink, a household water budget, washing hands with one bowl, cooking without washing…
- How to make water safe to drink when the taps stopBottled water first, then boiling, purification tablets and filtering. The official UK bleach dose for a last resort, and water you should never…
- No water supply: what to do, and what you're entitled toIf your water stops, GOV.UK Be Ready says check your water company's website for updates and alternative supply points, and save bottled or stored…
- Emergency toilets when the water stops: the bag methodWhat to do about the toilet when the water is off or the sewers aren't working: when you can still flush with a bucket, when you mustn't, the…
- How much water to store, and where to put it in a small flatBe Ready's 3 litres per person per day, what that weighs, where it fits in a flat, which containers to use, and how often to change stored tap water.…
- Water storage containers: what size to buy, where to put them, how long the water keepsBottled multipacks, rigid jerry cans, collapsible carriers and loft tanks compared. What size suits a flat or a house, how to clean and fill a…
- How long does bottled water last, and how long can you store water?Why bottled water has a best before date, what that date means, how long self-filled tap water keeps (6 months), where to store it, and a simple way…
- Emergency water at home: how much to store and howGOV.UK recommends storing 3 litres of drinking water per person per day for 3 days. That is 9 litres per person, or 36 litres for a household of…
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Everything else in no water
- Boil water notice: what it means and what to doA boil water notice means your tap water might contain bacteria, viruses or parasites. Bring tap water to a rolling boil and let it cool before using…
- Your loft tank and hot water cylinder: should the tank be covered, and can you drink from them?Should your loft cold water tank have a lid? Which taps come from the mains? Can you drink water from the tank or the hot water cylinder if the water…
- Water purification tablets vs iodine tablets: two different products, two different jobsWater purification tablets make doubtful water safer to drink. Stable iodine tablets protect the thyroid in a nuclear reactor emergency. What UKHSA,…
- Hosepipe bans: what they mean, and how to check if one applies to youA hosepipe ban, also called a Temporary Use Ban, is a rule a water company can bring in to save water in dry weather. GOV.UK Be Ready says that while…
- Frozen and burst pipes: what to do, and how to prevent themIf a pipe freezes, the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) advises turning off the water at the stop tap, switching off the immersion heater and central…
Also useful
- Fallout and food: is tap water and food in the cupboard safe?What UKHSA and US guidance say about food and water after a radiation release or nuclear explosion: food and tap water indoors, sealed tins from…
Official sources
- GOV.UK Be Ready: water supply interruptions or outages (read 1 Nov 2026 for our guide)
- Drinking Water Inspectorate: Receiving a boil water notice (read 1 Nov 2026 for our guide)
- UK Chief Medical Officers: water and sanitation advice for a national power outage (read 1 Nov 2026 for our guide)
Official advice comes first. If a source says something different now, follow the source.