Households advised to stockpile 30 litres of water per person amid 'future conflict' concerns
The Government's Prepare website aims to get everyone to make sure they have some safety net in case of unforeseen national emergencies
Families throughout Britain are being urged to stockpile bottled water and supplies in preparation for national emergencies, including the possibility of warfare reaching UK shores.
UK Government ministers are intensifying appeals for society as a whole to build greater resilience and are planning to conduct a comprehensive cross-departmental drill on crisis management.
In the UK Government's National Security Strategy 2025, published in June, it warned: "Some adversaries are laying the foundations for future conflict, positioning themselves to move quickly to cause major disruption to our energy and or supply chains, to deter us from standing up to their aggression.
"For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario."
This isn't solely about readiness for armed conflicts, naturally, but concerns preparedness for any form of widespread disruption that might strike the nation in years to come, encompassing massive electrical blackouts, water shortages or bizarre extreme weather phenomena.
The Government's Prepare website contains a comprehensive list of guidance for every household across Britain to implement, and seeks to ensure everyone establishes some form of safety buffer should unexpected national crises arise, reports the Express.
The platform states: "Get prepared for emergencies. Emergencies happen every day in the UK and across the world. They can be caused by severe weather or other natural hazards, by deliberate actions, or as a result of accidents or infrastructure failure.
"They can be events that happen quickly and are over in a few hours, or they can develop and continue over the course of several days, months, or sometimes even longer."
Alongside guidance on planning escape routes, gathering documents in a secure location and ensuring smoke alarms are working properly, the government advice also encourages people to stockpile some essential supplies, including bottled water.
It states that the quantity of water you'll require varies for different individuals and situations, and also differs depending on whether you want to concentrate purely on drinking water or would also like some flexibility for washing and cooking.
However, to be genuinely prepared, households are advised to stockpile 10 litres of water per person per day, and that you should have sufficient supplies to last several days.
Taking several days to mean at least three days, that would be 10 litres per person per day, or 30 litres of water.
The guidance explains: "Bottled water - there is no standard figure for this as emergencies can vary in duration and people use different amounts. A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended by the World Health Organisation for survival.
"10 litres per person per day will make you more comfortable by also providing for basic cooking and hygiene needs. Additional water might be needed to make up baby formula, for medical devices and for pets."
The website also encourages individuals to stockpile 'non-perishable food' such as tinned meat, tinned fruit and vegetables, a tin opener, and pet food.
It further suggests that you can gradually build up your supplies during your regular shopping trips, stating: "Rather than buying all the items at once, you could just add to your emergency kit when you are able and build it up over time."