A common recommendation is that water should be provided to calves from soon after birth, but few data are available on water intake in the early preruminant phase and how it might be influenced by health status. Our objective was to determine whether water intake differed between calves that were sick or healthy in the first 21 d after arrival. Data for male and female Holstein calves (n = 225) from 3 experiments that recorded daily intakes of milk replacer (MR), free water (FW), and electrolyte solution (EC) were combined. Calves were enrolled within the first week of life. Fecal scores were assigned on a 1 to 4 scale. Calves with a fecal score of > 2 for > 3 d over the first 21 d of each study were classified as sick (S; n = 98) while the remainder were classified as healthy (H; n = 127). Calves were housed in individual hutches bedded with straw and offered water for ad libitum consumption. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. Initial serum TP on day of arrival was greater for H calves (5.7 vs 5.6 ± 0.09; P < 0.001). As expected, the health status by time interaction was significant (P < 0.03) for incidence of scours, with the highest proportion of calves classified as sick in the first 5 d of study and again during d 11 to 15. The health status by time interaction was significant (P < 0.001) for FW intake with H calves consuming more than S calves in the first 21 d (2.12 vs. 1.87 L/d). Calves classified as S consumed significantly less FW on d 5 compared with H calves (0.82 vs. 2.36 L/d) and numerically less during d 3 and 4, which corresponded to the highest prevalence of scours. The average EC for S calves was greater (P < 0.001) than H calves (0.11 vs 0.02 L), with S calves having more EC on d 3, 4, 6, and 9. Water consumed from MR over the first 21 d did not differ (P = 0.40), although S calves had greater incidence of MR refusals (P = 0.03). Total water consumed from FW, EC, and MR did not differ between health status groups (P = 0.69). Our data emphasize the importance of providing FW in the early preweaning period and supplemental fluid from electrolyte solution when FW consumption may be depressed for S calves.