Yes. In England and Wales it's a mandatory condition on every premises licence that sells alcohol for drinking on the premises: free drinking water must be provided on request to customers where it's reasonably available. In Scotland the wording is stricter, "tap water fit for drinking must be provided free of charge on request". Northern Ireland has no equivalent rule. Refusing it puts you in breach of your licence, which is an offence and a reason for a review.

That's the easy bit. The questions that actually come up behind a bar are the awkward ones: the group who order six tap waters and sit there for two hours, whether you can charge for the glass, and what you do when the water's off. Here's what the law says and what I'd do.

What the law actually says

England and Wales

The mandatory licensing conditions, as set out in the 2014 order that's still in force, say:

"The responsible person must ensure that free potable water is provided on request to customers where it is reasonably available."

The "responsible person" is the premises licence holder, the designated premises supervisor, or someone 18 or over authorised to allow sales, so in practice it's whoever's in charge on the night. The condition is automatically part of your licence. You won't find it printed on older licences, and you don't need to. The Home Office's section 182 guidance, updated in September 2026, confirms that.

Scotland

Under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, schedule 3, paragraph 9, the condition applies where the licence allows alcohol for drinking on the premises: tap water fit for drinking must be provided free of charge on request, and other non-alcoholic drinks must be available at a reasonable price. Note there's no "reasonably available" let-out in the Scottish wording.

Northern Ireland

There's no equivalent licensing condition. Castle Water and the law firm Freeths both say so. Plenty of pubs there give water anyway.

What "reasonably available" means

The section 182 guidance gives one example. If the mains supply has failed, it wouldn't be reasonable to expect free tap water, but it may be reasonable to expect bottled water instead. That's it. It's a question of fact, and it's there for genuine supply problems, not for a busy Saturday. A full bar with a working tap has water reasonably available.

The awkward cases

Can I charge for the glass?

Freeths, writing on this in 2024, said a licensee may charge for the glass, for filtered water or for service. The Consumer Council for Water advises against charging, and the condition itself says free. My view: don't. Whatever you'd make on 50p for a glass of water, you'd lose on the first review on Google, and it reads badly if a licensing officer ever asks about it. If you sell filtered or bottled water as a product, that's different, it's a product on the till. Plain tap water on request should cost nothing.

Do I have to give water to people who haven't bought anything?

The English condition says "customers", and "customer" isn't defined. Freeths suggest a non-paying group could arguably be refused. I'd not go looking for that argument. Somebody who walks in off the street, says they're not well and asks for water gets water, every time. It's the decent thing and nobody's going to thank you for the story otherwise.

The group who sit on tap water all night

This is the real one. Six people, six tap waters, a table for two hours on your busiest night. You can't refuse the water. You can manage the table. Table bookings with a minimum spend, a sign that says tables are for customers eating or drinking, and a friendly "can I get you anything else" are all fine. What you can't do is turn off the tap.

Someone who's had too much

Water is the best thing you can give them. Refusing to serve alcohol to someone drunk is the law. Giving them a pint of water, a seat and ten minutes is just good management, and it's in line with the licensing objectives. Nobody's ever had their licence reviewed for handing out too much water.

Does it cost you anything?

The water itself is close to nothing. Castle Water reckons a bucket costs a business about 1p. The glass is the real cost. A pint glass is about £1.09 before VAT, and every glass that goes out with water in it can break or walk like any other. I've done those sums in what stolen and broken glasses cost a pub.

A busy-night plan that costs nothing

Here's an idea that works for everyone. On the nights when the bar's three deep and the glasswasher can't keep up, put a water station at the end of the bar: a jug and a stack of plastic cups, help yourself. People get their water without queuing behind someone ordering six cocktails. Your bar staff aren't pulling glasses of water while the till waits. And it keeps your good glasses for drinks you're actually selling.

Do it in summer, in the beer garden on hot days, and on match days. It's also a nice touch in January when a lot of people are cutting back. If that's on your mind, my guide to low and no alcohol stock covers selling the alternatives properly.

What happens if you refuse

Running the pub other than in line with your licence conditions is an offence under section 136 of the Licensing Act 2003. In practice a complaint about water is far more likely to end with the council, or a resident, asking for a review of your licence than in court, and a review can add conditions or worse. It's a silly thing to risk, and if anyone ever complains, a note in your incident log of what happened and who served them is what you'll want.

Staff are usually where this goes wrong, and it's rarely their fault. Somebody once told them "we don't do tap water on Saturdays" and it stuck. Put one line in your staff briefing: tap water is always free, always available, no questions. That's the whole training.

The quick version for your staff

  • Anyone asks for tap water, they get it, free.
  • If it's busy, point them to the water station.
  • If someone's drunk, water and a seat, then tell the manager.
  • If the mains water's off, offer bottled water and tell the manager.

Common questions

Do pubs have to give free tap water in the UK?

In England, Wales and Scotland, yes. Premises licensed to sell alcohol for drinking on the premises must provide free drinking water on request. Northern Ireland has no equivalent licensing rule.

Can a pub charge for a glass of tap water?

The condition says the water must be free. A law firm has argued a charge for the glass or service may be possible, but the Consumer Council for Water advises against charging, and it's a reputational and licensing risk.

Does a pub have to give water to non-customers?

The English condition refers to customers and doesn't define the word, so refusing someone who has bought nothing may be arguable. Most licensees give water to anyone who asks, especially anyone unwell.

What does reasonably available mean for free water?

The Home Office guidance gives the example of a broken mains supply, where tap water isn't reasonably available but bottled water might be expected instead. A working tap on a busy night is reasonably available.

What happens if a pub refuses free water?

It's a breach of a mandatory licence condition, which is an offence under section 136 of the Licensing Act 2003, and grounds for a licence review.

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