72-hour water baseline
This is the government drinking-water baseline only. More water is needed for cooking, washing and other tasks.
GET WATER / 72 HOURS — £4.99Example: 2 people × 3 litres × 3 days = 18 litres of drinking water.
What this number means
The baseline is not a target for stockpiling or a prediction that services will fail for three days. It is a simple planning quantity for short-term disruption.
Primary source
UK Government — Be Ready for emergencies
READY/ reviewed this source on 27 October 2026.