Water for 72 Hours

UK RESILIENCE MAN

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A simple, reliable way to ensure your household has enough clean drinking water during short disruptions.

Why water matters

Water is a key part of 72-hour preparedness, but can be overlooked as it’s usually so readily available. However, power cuts, burst mains, contamination incidents, and cold-weather events can interrupt supply without warning. Having a small buffer means you can stay calm, stay put, and ride out the disruption safely and comfortably.

For short-term readiness, you don’t need filters, rain barrels, or specialist gear.
You just need enough clean drinking water stored ahead of time.

How much water you need

For UK conditions, a simple and realistic target is:

5 litres per person per day

(Drinking + hot drinks + minimal hygiene)

For a 72-hour supply:
15 litres per person
45 litres for a household of three

This is achievable, affordable, and easy to store in any home. You can build a full 72-hour supply with a single supermarket trip:

3 × 5L bottles per person (the easiest option)
Plus a few 1–2L bottles for easier pouring and everyday use (this is worth bearing in mind if you have elderly, children or disabled people in the home, if you can’t easily manipulate a 5-litre bottle then you might be better with more, smaller bottles)

Most households can store this under a bed, in a cupboard, or at the bottom of a wardrobe, just try to put it somewhere where it doesn’t get a lot of light, as light can trigger algae growth.

The cost is about £3–£4 per person per week until your supply is complete. Buy one or two 5-litre bottles each time you go to the supermarket.

What about pets?

Don’t forget the pets!
🐶 Dogs: ½ to 1 litre per day, depending on size.
🙀Cats: 150–250 ml per day. If you’re feeding them wet food, they get a lot of their water from that.

If you’re on a tight budget

You can reduce cost by:

Filling clean bottles you already have (pop bottles, old water bottles etc, but avoid milk bottles as you can’t fully clean out the milk proteins. Similarly, juice bottles don’t work either)
Using tap water and rotating it every 6–12 months
Starting with one 5L bottle per person and building gradually
Using smaller bottles for convenience and flexibility

Every litre counts; the goal is steady progress, not perfection.

Where to store your water

Water doesn’t need special conditions. Just keep it:

Out of direct sunlight
Away from strong chemicals
In a cool room if possible
Somewhere you’ll remember

Common good locations:

Under beds
Bottom of wardrobes
Kitchen or hallway cupboards
Under the stairs
Utility shelves

You don’t need a dedicated storage area; use whatever space you already have. This can require a bit of creativity, especially if you’re renting and don’t have much space.

Do you need a filter?

No, not for 72 hours.

A filter becomes relevant for longer-term or outdoor scenarios, not household 3-day disruptions.

A basic filter (like Water-to-Go or Sawyer) is a good future addition, but not part of the essential 72-hour plan.

Your priority now is stored, clean supermarket water.

Rotation and maintenance

Bottled water lasts years. You do not need to replace it frequently.

Don’t worry too much about expiry dates on supermarket water. Over time, plastics from the bottle can leech into the water. Do you want to drink plastic heavy water every day? No. Is it going to kill you in a crisis situation? Also no. It’s the least of your worries.

A simple system:

Use the oldest bottles first when you want spare water
Replace them during normal shopping
Keep the bulk of your supply untouched unless needed

This keeps your supply fresh with practically zero effort.

If you have self-filled pop bottles filled with tap water, I recommend changing the water every 6 months to a year. Some people say they use it for watering the plants. I tip it in the bath to get the water cool enough to bathe in. Or drink it. Just don’t waste it, it’s perfectly fine and we need to be part of the solution.