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Read first
Official advice comes first. These guides are free.
- No water supply: what to do, and what you're entitled to
- Boil water notice: what it means and what to do
- Emergency water at home: how much to store and how
- How to make water safe to drink when the taps stop
- Emergency toilets when the water stops: the bag method
- How much water to store, and where to put it in a small flat
Start with a plan
Our own printable plans. Write down what you will do first; then buy only what the plan says you're missing.
Our plan · instant PDF72-Hour Emergency Kit Planner£3.99
Our plan · instant PDFHousehold Emergency Plan Pack£6.99Instant PDF, 30-day refund. All plans and bundles
Checklist: what to buy
Tick what you already have (saved on this device only). Buy the rest a little at a time. The products are examples that were in stock when we checked; we haven't tested them.
Drinking water
Look for: Food-grade, with a lid, never one that held chemicals, fuel or paint. Date the water you store. Source
Treating water
Look for: In date. Follow the label: tablets come in different strengths. Filter cloudy water through a cloth first. Source
- Lifesystems Chlorine Dioxide Water Purification Tablets · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £10.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Chlorine Water Purification Tablets · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £3.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
- Aquatabs 397mg Water Purification Tablets (100 Pack) · Amazon UK · £53.55 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
Look for: Read what the maker says it removes. Keep tablets or a way to boil water as well. Source
- LifeStraw Personal Water Filter · Amazon UK · £25.80 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
- LifeStraw Peak Series Solo Personal Water Filter · Amazon UK · £31.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Water Filter Purifier Bottle · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £49.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Water Filter Purifier Soft Flask · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £29.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
Toilet and washing
Look for: Bags with gel or absorbent powder that fit a bucket or the toilet bowl. Double-bag, seal and store outside the living area. Source
- No single product picked yet. Search Amazon UK
What not to buy
- Containers that once held chemicals, fuel or paint, even after washing.
Next steps
No product can promise to keep you safe. A plan, and knowing where official news comes from, matter more than kit.
Sources
- GOV.UK Be Ready: water supply interruptions (page, read 1 Nov 2026)
- UK Chief Medical Officers: water and sanitation scripts (page, read 1 Nov 2026)