Wellness
Water intake calculator: how much water should I drink?
The National Academies put drinks at about 9 to 13 cups a day for adults: 9.3 cups (2.2 L) for women and 12.7 cups (3 L) for men, with food supplying the rest.
Daily water intake chart by age
The National Academies’ Adequate Intakes for healthy people in a temperate climate. “Drinks” is water plus other beverages; the total also counts the roughly 20% of water that comes from food.
| Who | Drinks (cups) | Drinks (oz) | Drinks (liters) | Total incl. food (liters) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child, 1–3 | 3.8 | 30 | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| Child, 4–8 | 5.1 | 41 | 1.2 | 1.7 |
| Boy, 9–13 | 7.6 | 61 | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Girl, 9–13 | 6.8 | 54 | 1.6 | 2.1 |
| Boy, 14–18 | 11 | 88 | 2.6 | 3.3 |
| Girl, 14–18 | 7.6 | 61 | 1.8 | 2.3 |
| Man, 19+ | 12.7 | 101 | 3 | 3.7 |
| Woman, 19+ | 9.3 | 74 | 2.2 | 2.7 |
| Pregnant | 9.7 | 78 | 2.3 | 3 |
| Breastfeeding | 13.1 | 105 | 3.1 | 3.8 |
Citing this? Link to https://tools.tidyandtended.com/water-intake/. Figures from the National Academies Dietary Reference Intakes; cups and ounces converted by us. Free to reuse with a link (CC BY 4.0).
Does coffee or tea count?
Yes: the intakes count all drinks, including milk, juice, tea and coffee, plus the water in food. Water is the simplest choice with no calories or sugar.
Questions
How much water should I drink a day?
About 9.3 cups (2.2 liters) of drinks a day for women and 12.7 cups (3 liters) for men, from the National Academies. Food supplies the rest of the total of 2.7 and 3.7 liters.
Is 8 glasses of water a day right?
It’s a reasonable start for many women, but it isn’t an official figure: the National Academies’ intakes come to about 9 cups of drinks for women and 13 for men.
How much water should I drink by body weight?
The popular rule is half your weight in pounds, in ounces: 75 oz for a 150 lb person. It isn’t from a health body; the National Academies figures depend on age and sex, not weight.
How much water should I drink while pregnant or breastfeeding?
About 10 cups (2.3 liters) of drinks a day in pregnancy and about 13 cups (3.1 liters) while breastfeeding.
How much water does a child need?
About 4 cups of drinks a day at 1–3 years, 5 cups at 4–8, and 7 to 8 cups at 9–13.
Can you drink too much water?
Yes, though it’s rare: drinking a very large amount in a short time can dangerously dilute the blood’s sodium. Spread drinks through the day.
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