UK households urged to stockpile bottled water (2025)

UK households are being urged to stockpile bottled water (Image: Getty)

Households across the UK are being encouraged to stock up on essentials like tinned food, batteries and bottled water by the government.

It’s not just to be prepared for widespread global conflicts, of course, but about preparedness for any kind of large-scale disruption that could befall the country in future, including mass power cuts, water shortages or freak extreme weather events. The government’s Prepare website has a list of advice for all households in the UK to follow, and aims to get everyone to make sure they have some safety net in case of unforeseen national emergencies, just in case.

The site says: “Get prepared for emergencies. Emergencies happen every day in the UK and across the world. They can be caused by severe weather or other natural hazards, by deliberate actions, or as a result of accidents or infrastructure failure.

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"They can be events that happen quickly and are over in a few hours, or they can develop and continue over the course of several days, months, or sometimes even longer.”

As well as advice on planning escape routes, gathering documents in a safe place and keeping smoke alarms functioning correctly, the government advice also urges people to stockpile some key essentials, including bottled water.

It says that the amount of water you’ll need is different for different people and circumstances, and also changes depending on if you want to focus purely on drinking water or would also like some leeway for washing and cooking.

It says: “Bottled water – there is no standard figure for this as emergencies can vary in duration and people use different amounts.

“A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended by the World Health Organisation for survival. 10 litres per person per day will make you more comfortable by also providing for basic cooking and hygiene needs.

“Additional water might be needed to make up baby formula, for medical devices and for pets.”

The website also urges people to stock up on ‘non perishable food’ including tinned meat, tinned fruit and vegetables and a tin opener, as well as food for pets.

It adds that you can build your reserves up when you go shopping, adding: “Rather than buying all the items at once, you could just add to your emergency kit when you are able and build it up over time.”