Water interruptions are the least glamorous emergency and the one households are least ready for. The water guide explains how much to store and why. This page is what to do when the taps actually run dry, the pressure drops to a trickle, or a text from the water company tells you to boil before drinking.

9 litresPer person: three days of drinking water
1 minuteAt a rolling boil makes doubtful water safe
Your water companyNumber on your bill; check their live incidents page first
PSRPriority Services Register: water delivered if you cannot collect it

Before

  • 9 litres of bottled water per person in the kit
  • Two clean containers with lids for collection
  • Know where your stopcock is and that it turns
  • Register with your water company's Priority Services Register if eligible
  • Save your water company's number and follow their incident page
  • Hand sanitiser and wet wipes in the kit

During

  • Check the company's incident page or ring them
  • Turn off the hot water system if the supply is off for long; immersion heaters can burn out dry
  • Fill containers from any remaining pressure
  • Use bottled water for drinking, teeth, cooking and pets
  • Bucket-flush; sanitiser instead of hand washing
  • Check on neighbours who cannot carry water

After

  • Run the cold kitchen tap for a few minutes to clear discoloured water
  • Follow any boil notice until it is formally lifted
  • Replace the bottled water used
  • Check for compensation under your water company's guaranteed standards

No water or low pressure

  1. Is it the house or the street?

    Ask a neighbour or check the water company's live map. If it is only you, check your internal stopcock (usually under the kitchen sink) is fully open and that no pipe has frozen or burst. If it is the street, it is the company's problem and they will know about it.

  2. Protect your hot water system

    If the supply will be off for more than an hour or two, switch off the immersion heater and, if you have a conventional boiler with a cylinder, the hot water heating. Running them dry can damage them.

  3. Capture what is left

    If there is any pressure, fill clean containers, the kettle and a few pans. Then stop; low pressure is shared with the whole street and the people at the end of the main.

  4. Ration sensibly

    Drinking, medicines and children's needs first. Bottled water for anything that goes in a mouth. Everything else, from flushing to a flannel wash, uses stored or grey water.

Living without mains water

  • Toilet. A bucket of water poured briskly into the bowl flushes it. Bath water, rain butt water, water from a paddling pool, anything. Flush only when needed.
  • Hands. Sanitiser for routine cleaning; a small bowl of water and soap after the toilet and before food.
  • Washing up. Paper plates for three days. Wipe pans with kitchen roll before a minimal rinse.
  • Cooking. Tinned food in its own liquid, and the no-cook meals from the kit.
  • Pets. Bottled water in their bowl, same as yours.
  • Babies. Ready-to-feed formula; this is exactly the scenario it is for.

Boil water notices

A boil notice means the supply may be contaminated. Water for drinking, brushing teeth, ice, washing salad and feeding pets or babies must be brought to a rolling boil, held for one minute, and cooled. Washing, bathing and laundry are fine with unboiled water. If you cannot boil because the power is off too, this is where the bottled water and the purification tablets come in. The notice is lifted once tests come back clean; until then, keep boiling even if the water looks fine.

Bottled water stations and deliveries

For outages lasting more than a few hours, companies open collection points, announced on their website and local radio. Take your own containers, ideally the two 10-litre ones from the kit, and go early. Customers on the Priority Services Register, which covers people with medical needs, mobility problems, young children and others, get water delivered. If you know a neighbour who cannot get to a station, collect for them.

Discoloured water when it returns

Brown or cloudy water after a burst is usually sediment disturbed in the main. Run the cold kitchen tap gently for a few minutes until it clears before drinking. If it stays discoloured, or smells of anything other than chlorine, ring the company.

Frozen pipes

In a cold snap the commonest cause of no water is a frozen pipe. Thaw gently with a hot water bottle or hairdryer starting from the tap end; never a blowtorch. If a pipe has burst, turn off the stopcock, open the taps to drain, and turn off the electrics if water is near wiring. The prepare your home guide explains lagging pipes and finding the stopcock before winter.

Common questions

Who do I call if my water goes off?

Your water company, whose number is on your bill and website. Check their live incidents page first; a known burst main will be listed with an estimated fix time. If your neighbours have water and you do not, check your own stopcock and pipes before calling.

What does a boil water notice mean?

The supply may contain bacteria or other contaminants. Bring water to a rolling boil and let it cool before drinking, brushing teeth, making ice, preparing food or feeding pets. It is fine for flushing, bathing and washing clothes. The notice is lifted when tests come back clear.

How do bottled water stations work?

In a longer outage your water company sets up collection points, usually in supermarket car parks or community centres, announced on their website, social media and local radio. Take your own containers and ID or a bill. Customers on the Priority Services Register can have water delivered to the door.

Can I flush the toilet with no water?

Yes. Pour a bucket of water (bath water, rainwater, water from a paddling pool) quickly into the bowl and it will flush. Keep a bucket by the loo and only flush when you need to.