Reference
Water reference
Show the Adequate Intake for total water for the life stage you select.
Total water · Adequate Intake
3.7 L
Men 19 and older
This shows a published reference. It is not a dose to take and it is not personal medical advice.
Questions
Is 3.7 liters the amount of plain water to drink?
No. That Adequate Intake is total water, including water in food and all beverages.
How this number is made
What this result means
The number is an Adequate Intake for total water. It includes water in food, beverages, and drinking water. It is not a target for plain water alone, and it is not calculated from body weight.
Formula and methodology
Men 19 and older: 3.7 liters a day. Women 19 and older: 2.7 liters a day. Pregnancy, ages 14 through 50: 3.0 liters a day. Lactation, ages 14 through 50: 3.8 liters a day. These rows are Adequate Intakes from the National Academies table.
Worked example
An adult man sees 3.7 liters. An adult woman sees 2.7 liters. Changing the life stage replaces the previous figure.
Assumptions and limitations
The table marks total water with an asterisk, and the footnote says total water includes all water contained in food, beverages, and drinking water. This page does not apply a milliliters-per-kilogram rule or an activity or climate multiplier.
Who should not rely on the result
Anyone who needs a fluid plan for illness, sport, or heat should not treat this Adequate Intake as that plan.
Sources
- National Academies DRI table, total water and macronutrients. Accessed 2026-10-05.