The amount of water you should drink daily varies based on factors such as age, sex, activity level, climate, and health status. General guidelines from health authorities suggest the following:

• For healthy adult men, about 13 to 15.5 cups (approximately 3.1 to 3.7 liters) of total water intake per day is recommended. This includes all beverages and water-containing foods

• For healthy adult women, about 9 to 11.5 cups (approximately 2.1 to 2.7 liters) of total water intake per day is recommended, also including all sources of water

• Children and adolescents have lower requirements that increase with age, for example, 5 cups for ages 4-8 and up to 8-11 cups for ages 14-18

• Pregnant women should aim for about 10 cups (80 ounces) daily, and breastfeeding women about 13 cups (104 ounces)

• The commonly cited "8 cups a day" rule is a rough guideline and may be insufficient for many adults, especially men or those who are physically active or live in hot climates

• You should increase water intake if you exercise frequently, are in hot weather, or have health conditions causing fluid loss such as fever or diarrhea

• About 20% of your water intake typically comes from food, so the fluid you drink is somewhat less than total water intake recommendations

In summary, aim for roughly 9 cups (2.1 liters) for women and 13 cups (3.1 liters) for men of total fluids daily, adjusting upward for activity, climate, and life stage. Drinking water consistently throughout the day and paying attention to thirst and urine color (pale yellow indicates good hydration) can help maintain proper hydration