Water: why 3 litres a day, when the old advice said 10?

The Be Ready checklist asks for 3 litres of drinking water per person, per day. If you remember the older Prepare advice suggesting 10 litres, you're not imagining it.

Two different numbers

The 3 litres is for drinking. The higher figure was a more comfortable amount that also covered cooking and washing. ITV's report on the new checklist points out that you'll need more than 3 litres for those other jobs.

What to store

• For drinking: 3 litres × people × 3 days. Two people need 18 litres.
• For washing and flushing: fill a bath, buckets or a water carrier when you hear a warning.
• For pets: on top of the household's water.

Bottled water keeps best in a cool, dark place, off the floor of a garage. Check the dates every few months: we print them on a card in every box and remind you before they run out.

More detail in our guide: how much water to store.

Source: ITV News.