Stan Butler works as a bus driver for the Luxton & District Bus Company. He lives at home with his overbearing mother, his frumpy sister Olive and his lazy brother in law Arthur. Stan's route is the number 11 to the Cemetary Gates which he works with his conductor Jack. Stan and Jack have an eye for the ladies and are often found chatting up either the female bus conductors or the canteen staff. The bane of Stan's life is Inspector 'Blakey' Blake who is often checking up of them and threatening them with the sack for lateness and untidyness.

Stan gets a little annoyed when his Mum and Sister keep buying expensive items on hire purchase, but the money he earns for overtime working as a bus driver means that he can afford it... just! His job is secure, as bus drivers are hard to come by, and his overtime prospects are good, until the bus company decide to revoke a long standing rule and employ women bus drivers. Aghast at the thought of no overtime and, therefore, less wages, he joins forces with his long time work colleague Jack to sabotage the new female employees.

Bus driver Stan Butler agrees to marry Suzy, much to the anguish of Mum, her son-in-law, Arthur, and daughter Olive. How, they wonder, will they ever manage without Stan's money coming in? Then Arthur is sacked, and Stan agrees to delay the wedding. Meanwhile, he hits on an idea: Arthur should learn to drive a bus. Somehow he does just that, and even gets a job. Stan then blackmails the Depot Manager into giving him the job of driver on the new money-making Special Tours Bus. A great idea ...if only the inspector hadn't taken Stan on his trial run to the Windsor Safari Park.

Stan and Jack seek work at a bus driving holiday camp after being fired from the bus company for crashing two buses, only to find Inspector Blake works there also.

Don't Drink the Water is a British sitcom television series produced by London Weekend Television for the ITV network. The series was created and written by Ronald Chesney and Ronald Wolfe and is a spin-off from their long running sitcom On the Buses. The storyline follows Cyril Blake (Stephen Lewis) living in Spain with his sister Dorothy (Pat Coombs) after his retirement from the Luxton & District Traction Company. Thirteen episodes were broadcast over two series from 27 July 1974 to 6 December 1975.