The amount of water you should drink every day varies depending on factors like your age, sex, activity level, health, and climate. However, general guidelines from health authorities provide a useful baseline:

• For healthy adult men, the recommendation is about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids daily.
• For healthy adult women, it's about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids daily.

These totals include all fluids consumed, not just plain water, but also beverages like tea, coffee, and water-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables

. Other factors that influence your water needs include:

• Physical activity: More exercise means more water loss through sweat, so you need to drink more.
• Environment: Hot or humid weather increases water loss and thirst.
• Health status and medications: Some conditions and medications affect hydration needs.
• Age: Older adults may need to be more mindful of hydration as their body's water storage and kidney function change

Children and teens require less water, with recommendations ranging from about 4 cups (32 ounces) for toddlers to 8-11 cups for teenagers, depending on age and sex

. The traditional "8 glasses a day" rule (about 2 liters) is a simple guideline but often underestimates actual needs, especially for men and active individuals

. In summary, aiming for around 3.7 liters (15.5 cups) for men and 2.7 liters (11.5 cups) for women daily from all fluid sources is a good target, adjusting upward with activity, heat, or special health needs. Drinking water consistently throughout the day, even when not thirsty, helps maintain proper hydration