How Many 5-Gallon Water Bottles Does an Office Need?
November 11, 2026
To work out how many 5-gallon bottles your office needs, multiply the number of people by the cups each drinks from the cooler per workday and by the workdays between deliveries, then divide by 80. A 5-gallon bottle holds 640 ounces, which is 80 eight-ounce cups.
There is no single official number for how much water every person should drink, so the honest approach is to start from your own headcount and habits, then adjust after the first delivery or two.
Why there is no one-size answer
The CDC says daily water intake recommendations vary by age, sex, pregnancy status, activity level and breastfeeding status. It also notes that people need more water in hot climates and when they are more physically active, and that food supplies part of daily fluid intake. On top of that, not all of anyone’s water comes from the office cooler: people drink at home, buy coffee and bring their own bottles.
So rather than guessing a per-person rule, estimate how many cups your team actually takes from the cooler each day.
The formula
- Count the people who use the cooler on a typical day.
- Estimate cups per person per workday from the cooler (8-ounce cups).
- Multiply by the number of workdays between deliveries.
- Divide by 80 cups per 5-gallon bottle, and round up.
- Add one spare bottle so you never run dry between deliveries.
For 3-gallon bottles, divide by 48 instead (3 gallons is 384 ounces, or 48 eight-ounce cups).
A worked example
Say 15 people use the cooler and each takes about 3 cups a day. If you are on a monthly schedule with about 20 workdays between deliveries:
- 15 people × 3 cups × 20 workdays = 900 cups
- 900 ÷ 80 = 11.25, which rounds up to 12 bottles
- Plus one spare = 13 bottles for the month
On a weekly schedule the same office needs 15 × 3 × 5 = 225 cups, which is 225 ÷ 80 = 2.8, so 3 bottles a week plus a spare. These figures only describe this example; your own count depends on your team.
Adjust for your workplace
- Heat and physical work. The CDC notes people need more water in hot climates and when they are more active. A warehouse, kitchen or job site will go through more than a cool office.
- Visitors. A busy reception area, showroom or waiting room adds to the count.
- Hot water use. If the cooler also supplies tea, instant coffee or soup, that water comes out of the same bottle.
- Storage space. Full bottles need a cool spot out of direct sun and away from chemicals; see how to store 5-gallon jugs.
- Who changes the bottle. A full 5-gallon jug holds about 42 pounds of water; see how much a 5-gallon jug weighs if lifting is a concern.
- Watch the first month. Count how many empties you have at the next delivery and raise or lower the order from there.
Choosing a delivery frequency
Our FAQ lists weekly, bi-weekly (14-day), monthly and bi-monthly (60-day) schedules, and changes should be submitted by the day before delivery. A shorter schedule means fewer full bottles taking up storage space; a longer one means a larger order each time. Either way, leaving empties out the night before a delivery helps the driver pick them up.
Employers should also know that OSHA’s sanitation standard, 29 CFR 1910.141, requires potable water to be provided in all places of employment, and says portable drinking water dispensers must be designed, constructed and serviced so that sanitary conditions are maintained, be capable of being closed and be equipped with a tap. Keeping the cooler clean is part of that; our cooler cleaning page shows how.
Frequently asked questions
How many cups are in a 5-gallon water bottle?
A 5-gallon bottle holds 640 fluid ounces: 80 eight-ounce cups, or 40 sixteen-ounce servings.
Should an office use 5-gallon or 3-gallon bottles?
5-gallon bottles mean fewer swaps. 3-gallon bottles hold about 25 pounds of water instead of about 42, so they are easier for staff to lift onto a top-load cooler.
How many coolers does an office need?
That depends on your layout and how far people walk to reach one, so there is no fixed ratio we can quote. Contact us and we can talk through your space.
What if we order more than we need?
You can change, skip or pause deliveries. Our FAQ explains how, including replying “SKIP” to your reminder text.
Setting up water for your team? See our office water delivery page or start an order here.
