If the water stops, first check whether the problem affects the local area or only your home. Try the cold kitchen tap, make sure the internal stop valve is open, ask a neighbour and check your water provider’s incident page. Report the outage if it is not already listed. Then protect your safe drinking water, stop water-using appliances and follow any boil-water, do-not-drink or do-not-use notice exactly.
Do not assume that a loss of pressure is harmless. A burst main or another network problem can occasionally allow contamination to enter the system, and an official restriction may remain in force after water starts flowing again. Your provider’s updates are the main source of instructions for your address.
What to check when the water first stops
Use this quick sequence before dismantling fittings or calling a plumber:
- Try the cold tap in the kitchen or utility room. This is normally supplied directly from the incoming main. If other taps have stopped but this one works, the problem may involve the property’s internal plumbing or a cold-water storage tank.
- Check the internal stop valve. It is often under the kitchen sink or close to where the supply enters the property. Confirm that it has not been closed accidentally, but do not force a stiff or damaged valve.
- Ask nearby neighbours. If they also have no water or very low pressure, a network interruption is more likely. In a block of flats, also contact the building manager because a shared pump, tank or valve may be responsible.
- Check the provider’s service updates. Search by postcode and look for the expected repair time, alternative water arrangements and any water-quality restrictions.
- Report an unlisted problem. Give the provider your address, the time the supply failed and whether there is no flow, low pressure, discolouration, an unusual taste or an unusual smell. Keep the incident reference.
The Consumer Council for Water’s no-supply guidance gives these checks for households in England and Wales. Northern Ireland Water gives a similar sequence. In Scotland, use Scottish Water’s postcode service updates.
If neighbours still have water and the provider reports no incident, the fault may be inside your property. Check for a visible leak, a frozen pipe or work on a communal system. If water is escaping, close the internal stop valve if it is safe to do so and contact the landlord, building manager or an appropriately qualified plumber. Tenants should report the problem promptly and keep a written record.
Understand the notice that has been issued
A simple loss of supply and a water-quality incident are not the same. Read the provider’s exact wording, because different notices permit different uses.
| Situation | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No supply | No water reaches the property. | Use stored or officially supplied water and check provider updates. |
| Low pressure | The flow is reduced and contamination may be possible in some incidents. | Report it and follow any water-quality advice. Do not assume the water is safe simply because some still flows. |
| Boil-water notice | The provider suspects microbiological contamination. | Boil water as instructed for drinking, food preparation, teeth, ice, pets and other stated uses. |
| Do-not-drink notice | The water must not be consumed, commonly because boiling may not address the hazard. | Use bottled or provider-supplied water for drinking and every use listed in the notice. |
| Do-not-use notice | The provider has imposed the strictest restriction. | Do not use the tap water unless the notice expressly allows a particular use. |
Boiling can control many disease-causing microbes, but it does not reliably remove chemical contamination. A filter jug or ordinary domestic filter also cannot make an unknown source safe. Never substitute your own treatment method for the provider’s instructions.
How to follow a boil-water notice
Follow the notice supplied for your address. In England and Wales, the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s boil-water guidance says to bring the water to a rolling boil and then allow it to cool naturally. Take care to prevent scalds. Store cooled boiled water in a clean container in the fridge and discard it if it has not been used within 24 hours.
Use boiled or approved alternative water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, preparing food, cleaning feeding equipment and giving water to pets. The notice may allow tap water for laundry, toilet flushing and careful bathing or showering, provided it is not swallowed. People with weakened immune systems, open wounds or other clinical needs should follow advice from their healthcare team as well as the provider.
Protect the water you already have
Use sealed bottled water or a correctly stored household reserve first. Keep it away from children who might open bottles unnecessarily, and divide the supply by purpose so that water needed for drinking is not accidentally used for cleaning.
Prioritise safe water in this order:
- Drinking and preventing dehydration.
- Infant feeding, essential medical equipment and other health needs.
- Taking medicines and preparing food that cannot be eaten safely without water.
- Handwashing, brushing teeth and essential cleaning of food-contact items.
- Pets and assistance animals, using a separate allowance.
Do not reduce drinking below a person’s health needs merely to make the reserve last. Requirements increase in hot weather and during fever, vomiting or diarrhoea. Babies, older people and some people with long-term conditions can become dehydrated more quickly. NHS warning signs include dark urine, urinating less often, dizziness, tiredness and a dry mouth. Follow NHS dehydration advice and seek medical help if someone is seriously unwell.
If tap water is still flowing before a planned interruption, fill clean food-grade containers only if the provider says the water is safe. Do not store water drawn after a contamination restriction or unexplained change in colour, taste or smell. Label home-filled containers with the date and keep them covered, cool and away from chemicals.
Find an official alternative water supply
Water providers may establish bottled-water collection points, bowsers or deliveries during a prolonged interruption. Check the provider’s incident page before travelling because locations and opening times can change. Take only the stated allocation so that other affected households can collect water, and use clean, manageable containers where the provider asks people to bring their own.
Ask for help immediately if anyone depends on water for dialysis, wound care, medicines, feeding, mobility or other medical needs. Contact the water provider and the person’s healthcare team. Do not wait for the household reserve to run out before explaining the requirement.
Free priority support is available for people who may struggle during an interruption. In England and Wales, see the Consumer Council for Water’s priority-services guidance. Scottish Water has a Priority Services Register, while Northern Ireland Water operates a Customer Care Register. Registration is best completed before an incident, but people with urgent needs should still contact the provider during an outage.
Prepare food and drinks with less water
- Choose ready-to-eat food. Tinned meals, bread, oatcakes, fruit and other foods that need no added water preserve the drinking supply. Avoid dried pasta, rice and dehydrated meals unless enough safe water and cooking energy are available.
- Use safe water for every food use. This includes washing produce, making hot drinks, preparing powdered drinks and cleaning utensils. A kettle does not make water safe unless the required boil is reached and the provider permits boiling as a treatment.
- Do not use affected ice. Ice made from water covered by a safety notice should not be consumed. Follow the provider’s advice for plumbed fridge dispensers, ice makers and filter systems after the restriction is lifted.
- Keep dishes simple. Use one clean cup, plate and set of cutlery per person where practical. Wipe food residue into the bin rather than rinsing it into a dry sink.
- Protect food safety. Do not prepare food with visibly discoloured water or water with an unusual taste or smell. When in doubt, use sealed bottled water or the provider’s alternative supply.
Infant formula during an outage
Ready-to-feed liquid formula can be the simplest emergency option when safe boiling and sterilising are difficult. Bottled water is not sterile, so it is not a direct substitute for correctly prepared feeds. Follow the water provider’s notice and the NHS instructions for making up baby formula. If safe preparation is not possible, seek prompt advice from NHS 111, a midwife, health visitor or other healthcare professional.
Maintain hygiene without wasting drinking water
Hand hygiene remains important, particularly after using the toilet and before handling food or feeding a baby. Use safe water with soap. The UK Government’s water-outage guidance suggests using a large bowl of safe water with soap or disinfectant when water is limited. Change the water when it becomes dirty and prevent anyone from drinking it. Alcohol hand sanitiser can be a useful temporary option when hands are not visibly dirty, but it is not suitable for every hygiene task.
- Pause baths, showers, laundry and non-essential cleaning unless the provider confirms they are safe and enough water is available.
- Use suitable wipes for personal cleaning, then place them in the bin. Do not flush wipes, kitchen roll or sanitary products.
- Clean food-contact surfaces with a product suitable for that purpose, following its label. Never mix cleaning chemicals.
- Keep drinking-water bottles and containers clean, closed and separate from any water collected for flushing.
Can you flush the toilet during a water outage?
A toilet may flush once using the water already in its cistern, but it will not refill while the mains supply is off. If the sewerage system is operating and local advice permits it, water from a water butt or another non-drinking source may be suitable for manual flushing. Follow the toilet manufacturer’s instructions and keep this water clearly labelled and separate from the drinking supply.
Do not use floodwater, sewage-contaminated water or a source that would expose people to hazardous chemicals. Never count water-butt, pond, river or rainwater as safe drinking water. If drains are backing up, the sewerage network has failed or the authorities tell residents not to flush, stop using the toilet and follow the emergency sanitation advice provided locally.
Protect appliances and plumbing
- Turn taps off. A tap left open can cause flooding when the supply returns. Make sure plugs are not left in sinks or baths.
- Stop water-using appliances. Cancel washing-machine and dishwasher cycles. Do not restart them until the provider says the supply is safe and pressure is stable.
- Follow appliance instructions. Boilers, water heaters, water softeners, filters, pumps and plumbed fridges have different requirements. Do not alter boiler pressure, drain a system or force valves without the manufacturer’s guidance.
- Protect private-supply equipment. If a borehole or well pump has lost its source, switch it off if its instructions require this to prevent dry running. Contact the system maintainer or local authority environmental health team for advice.
- Watch for leaks. Low pressure can conceal an open tap or damaged pipe. Check visible pipework and the area around the internal stop valve when the flow returns.
Do not drink from the hot tap or a household heating circuit. Water from radiators, boilers, hot-water cylinders, dehumidifiers, swimming pools or hot tubs is not an emergency drinking supply.
What to do when the water comes back on
Water flowing from the tap does not automatically mean that every restriction has ended. Check the provider’s latest message and wait for explicit confirmation that a boil-water, do-not-drink or do-not-use notice has been lifted.
- Check that all taps are closed. Look for leaks and listen for toilets or tanks refilling continuously.
- Follow the provider’s flushing instructions. UK Government guidance says discolouration can occur after an outage and advises running the cold tap nearest the internal stop valve for a while. Use the duration and sequence specified by your provider.
- Do not drink visibly discoloured water. The Drinking Water Inspectorate advises contacting the water company and not assuming a sudden change is safe until the company provides advice.
- Check cloudy water. White or cloudy water that clears from the bottom of a glass upwards is often caused by trapped air after work on the supply. Run the tap as advised. Contact the provider if it does not clear, lasts beyond the period stated by the provider, or has an unusual taste or smell.
- Restart appliances carefully. Follow instructions for washing machines, dishwashers, boilers, filters, softeners, ice makers and plumbed dispensers. Discard any ice or water produced while a restriction applied.
- Replace what you used. Restock bottled water and other outage supplies while the experience is fresh. Note any additional needs the household discovered.
Keep records and check whether compensation applies
Record when the water stopped and returned, the incident reference, safety notices, messages from the provider and any reasonable emergency costs. Compensation rules and service standards differ across the UK and can depend on the type and duration of the interruption. Check the provider’s published scheme. Households in England and Wales can also ask the Consumer Council for Water about supply-interruption standards and complaints.
Water supply outage checklist
- Try the cold kitchen tap and check the internal stop valve.
- Ask neighbours and check the water provider’s postcode updates.
- Report an unlisted outage, low pressure, discolouration, unusual taste or unusual smell.
- Read any boil-water, do-not-drink or do-not-use notice carefully.
- Use safe water first for drinking, medical needs, infant feeding and essential food preparation.
- Locate the provider’s alternative water points or request priority support if needed.
- Stop water-using appliances and make sure taps are closed.
- Use non-drinking water for toilet flushing only when the sewerage system and local advice allow it.
- Keep records of the incident and any costs.
- When water returns, wait for restrictions to be lifted and follow the provider’s flushing instructions.
Water outage resources
- GOV.UK Prepare water supply interruptions guidance covers immediate actions, alternative supplies, hygiene, vulnerable people and what to do when water returns.
- Drinking Water Inspectorate boil-water guidance explains boiling, cooling, storage and permitted household uses in England and Wales.
- Consumer Council for Water no-supply guidance explains checks, provider contact, alternative water and complaint routes in England and Wales.
- Consumer Council for Water priority-services guidance covers free support for customers who need extra help in England and Wales.
- Scottish Water service updates allows customers to check incidents affecting a postcode.
- Scottish Water’s Priority Services Register provides additional support for customers with particular needs.
- Northern Ireland Water no-water guidance explains the first household checks and how to find current incidents.
- Northern Ireland Water’s Customer Care Register provides extra services for customers who need assistance.
- NHS dehydration advice covers warning signs, higher-risk groups and when to seek medical help.
- NHS baby-formula guidance explains how to prepare feeds safely and why bottled water is not sterile.
