Aquatabs 67mg Water Purification Tablets (50 pack) review
By Tom Calder
A trusted, WHO-listed NaDCC tablet that reliably disinfects clear water against bacteria, viruses and Giardia for a few pence a dose. Sensible belt-and-braces cover for a home emergency kit, provided you understand it treats water rather than filtering it.
- Best for
- A cheap, long-life chemical backup for disinfecting tap or clear water during a boil-water notice or supply outage.
- Skip it if
- Your likely water source is cloudy, river or flood water
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Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- Very low cost per litre and a multi-year shelf life; one tablet treats 10 litres, so a 50-pack treats up to 500 litres.
- NaDCC is the humanitarian-sector standard, effective against bacteria, viruses and Giardia with a simple 30-minute wait.
- Compact and equipment-free — dose, wait, drink — which makes them ideal for a grab bag or kitchen drawer.
Worth knowing
- Leaves a faint chlorine taste and does nothing for sediment, chemicals or heavy metals.
- Not reliably effective against Cryptosporidium, so cloudy water must be pre-filtered first.
Out of stock when we checked: our alternatives
Closest in size first, then by our score. None of them was showing out of stock when we last checked.
Best for A compact chemical backup for a grab bag, treating clear water on the move.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for A compact, long-shelf-life water backup for a grab bag or travel where you cannot boil or filter.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.ⓘ As an Amazon Associate, PreparedBritain earns from qualifying purchases. We may earn a commission when you buy, or a fee when you request a quote, through our links. When two products are close, commission can decide which one we pick. A clearly better product always wins. Amazon prices come from Amazon's own product data and show the date and time they were retrieved. Prices at other retailers are checked by us, less often. Prices and stock can change at any time, so always check the retailer's price before you buy.
Our review
These are the 10-litre Aquatabs: each 67 mg tablet disinfects 10 litres of clear water in 30 minutes, so a pack of 50 treats up to 500 litres from a strip that fits in a drawer. They are the right size for a filled jerry can or bucket rather than a bottle. Like every chlorine tablet they disinfect but do not filter, and they make no claim against Cryptosporidium.
What they are
Aquatabs' dosing chart, worked out to give 5 parts per million of chlorine, lists the 67 mg tablet against 10 litres of water, alongside 8.5 mg for a litre and 167 mg for 20 litres. The active ingredient is sodium dichloroisocyanurate, also called NaDCC or troclosene sodium, which Aquatabs' FAQ says is certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 60 for drinking water treatment chemicals. The maker claims a 99.9999 per cent reduction in bacteria, 99.99 per cent in viruses and 99.9 per cent in Giardia cysts within 30 minutes in non-turbid water.
How to use them
Fill a clean 10-litre container, drop in one tablet, stir, cover and wait 30 minutes. Aquatabs says to pre-filter cloudy water through a clean cloth first, because particles shield germs from the chlorine, and its FAQ says water kept in a closed container stays protected for at least 24 hours after treatment. For a 25-litre jerry can, use two tablets and a half, or round up to three; for a 5-litre bottle this tablet is too strong, so keep a strip of the one-litre size as well.
Tablet strengths vary between packs and brands. The government's Be Ready advice is to follow the instructions on the label and warns that most alternative water sources will need filtering before tablets are used. Our guide to purifying water in an emergency sets out boiling, filtering and tablets together.
What they cannot do
The US Centers for Disease Control says chlorine tablets kill most germs but will not kill Cryptosporidium, and Aquatabs' pages make no claim for it. Tablets do nothing about mud, chemicals or metals either. Flood water and water from unknown sources need a filter first or a different approach. If your water company issues a boil water notice, its instructions come first.
Shelf life is five years in strip packs and three years in tubs, per Aquatabs, kept away from temperature extremes and humidity. Check the date on your pack, and treat a faint chlorine taste as normal: it is the sign the dose was right, and it fades if you leave the container open for a while before drinking.
How they compare
On the purification tablet page, the one-litre Aquatabs suit bottles and a grab bag, and the Oasis 167 mg tablets treat 20 litres each for the biggest containers. Katadyn's Micropur Forte adds silver to preserve stored water for months. For Cryptosporidium, the Pyramid Biox Aqua chlorine dioxide tablets are the one chemical option with a claim. The 67 mg Aquatabs are the best value per litre for a household filling containers.
Our verdict
Cheap, compact, well-documented and sized for the containers a household actually fills. Keep a strip with your water containers. Skip them if your likely source is cloudy or could carry Cryptosporidium, where a filter or chlorine dioxide tablet comes first, and keep the one-litre size for bottles.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Aquatabs: tablets and dosing chart; Aquatabs: frequently asked questions; CDC: Making water safe in an emergency; GOV.UK Be Ready: water supply interruptions or outages.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't rely on these alone if your likely water source is cloudy, river or flood water — tablets won't remove silt, chemicals or Cryptosporidium, so pair them with a filter or choose a filter straw/gravity system instead.
Key specs
| Treats per tablet | 10 litres (clear water) |
| Active agent | NaDCC (sodium dichloroisocyanurate) |
| Pack size | 50 |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
Questions
How much water does one 67 mg Aquatab treat?
Ten litres of clear water, per Aquatabs' dosing chart, with a 30-minute wait. A pack of 50 treats up to 500 litres.
What is the shelf life of Aquatabs?
Five years in strip packs and three years in tubs, per Aquatabs, stored away from heat and humidity.
Do Aquatabs kill Cryptosporidium?
Aquatabs makes no claim for it, and the CDC says chlorine tablets will not kill Cryptosporidium. Use a fine filter or chlorine dioxide if that is the concern.
Can I use a 67 mg tablet in a smaller container?
It is dosed for 10 litres, so a smaller volume would be over-chlorinated. Use the one-litre tablet for bottles.
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