France - Don't Drink the Water!

[DBK]

We always have drunk the water in France but on this trip we've taken on board stuff which has been very unpleasant. Not just once but now several times. I drained the tank twice but the taste returned. A bit of scientific experimenting involving a bottle and a glass confirmed the taste wasn't coming from the MH plumbing but was in the municipal water supply.

Some days the water has been good but at another location back comes the undrinkable stuff.

The problem seems to be the water is highly chlorinated. Unpleasantly so and we've not come across this before.

As an aside the 3M filter I recently fitted doesn't remove the taste although this isn't surprising as it is really a filter for remove bugs etc.

My guess is after the drought France has had this year some of the water sources such as rivers and reservoirs need a heavy hand with water treatment to make the water safe.

Has anyone else noticed this?

 

[irnbru]

Thanks for the warning. so happy we bought bottled.

 

[jollyrodger]

Was once told by a French guy drink bottles water or wine ,and always have cheers

 

[klaatu]

We are in central France, so in the area worst hit by the drought, and we have had restrictions in place for much of the summer (recently lifted in our area but still in force in much of central France), and I can't say I have noticed any difference in the water supply here, it's always fine for drinking although somewhat hard.

 

[Taran_Las]

Yes I've found the tap water (on this foray) does have a peculiar taste. Every morning I take medication with a glass of water and have noticed the taste getting stronger as I moved North through France.

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[Reallyretired]

Never had a problem with French water but a lot of the Spanish is not good. At least their wine is cheaper

 

[sciac2001]

We always have drunk the water in France but on this trip we've taken on board stuff which has been very unpleasant. Not just once but now several times. I drained the tank twice but the taste returned. A bit of scientific experimenting involving a bottle and a glass confirmed the taste wasn't coming from the MH plumbing but was in the municipal water supply.

Some days the water has been good but at another location back comes the undrinkable stuff.

The problem seems to be the water is highly chlorinated. Unpleasantly so and we've not come across this before.

As an aside the 3M filter I recently fitted doesn't remove the taste although this isn't surprising as it is really a filter for remove bugs etc.

My guess is after the drought France has had this year some of the water sources such as rivers and reservoirs need a heavy hand with water treatment to make the water safe.

Has anyone else noticed this?

No such issues with us since we arrived from Italy last Sunday. Now in the Camargue and taste is ok.

 

[DBK]

Yes I've found the tap water (on this foray) does have a peculiar taste. Every morning I take medication with a glass of water and have noticed the taste getting stronger as I moved North through France.

We've only come across this as we've moved north too.

 

[Clarky]

This will be the reason that every French supermarket is piled high with bottled water and almost every French trolley will also be piled up with water.
If the locals don’t drink it what hope have us visitors got.



Richard.

 

[138go]

We never drink water from the tank, never.

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[Vipar]

They do it so that you will buy bottled water.

 

[busby]

Never had a problem with French water but a lot of the Spanish is not good. At least their wine is cheaper

Never had a problem with Spanish water,,and their Brandys not bad either.BUSBY.

 

[Ronny]

No, just had a month from top to bottom, SW TO SE and always had good water.

 

[Tea Bag]

Has anyone else noticed this?

Hi.
Not in France,but just getting back from the UK to Portugal,i found that when i had my first few cups of tea it smelt and tasted funny,this we put down to over Chlorination perhaps after the UK. So,you are not alone on this matter.
Tea Bag

 

[Tigertom]

We always drink water from the tank, we’re in France now and not having any problems with the water.
Spent several years living in the French Alps and the water is ssssooo much better than the UKs.
I’ll waste my money on wine and beer.......not water ??

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[MyrtleGuru]

Not just a French issue. Having lived/stayed in most of the UK and sampled the varied water quality throughout our nation, it was in Norfolk that I came across a supply so chlorinated that you could smell it when showering and I was convinced someone had put a bleach block in the toilet cistern when they hadn't. It made the homebrew turn out tasting like TCP too. A carbon filter fixed subsequent homebrews.

 

[Dorwyn]

We always drink tap water, never tank water. If short of tap water, we might buy bottled (17 cents or so at Lidl/Aldi). Quite impressed generally with the quality of tap water across Europe. Slightly unsure about the state of some of the taps though. if in doubt, don't, or at least clean the fawcet.

 

[JJ]

Berkey Water Purifier.

Sorted.


JJ

 

[Allanm]

Our water at home sometimes has a bit of an antiseptic taint to it, but it’s because a lot of pipe work in the area is being replaced and pipes are flushed regularly.
Never had any problems with taking water on board the van, but we have had food grade hoses that impart a similar taste if they are not well flushed through before filling.
We are lucky at home though, generally, our water is very soft and tastes good.

 

[HandyAndy]

Why not just add a carbon filter to the end of the hose you use to fill the tank?
Problem solved.

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[HandyAndy]

One of many I'm sure..

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[ShaKen]

We've only come across this as we've moved north too.

Perhaps is due to all the effluent produced by our MP’s, seeping into the channel and oozing into the northern French water courses?

Personally I only drink from bottled water in the MoHo.

I do have an inline silver based water filter fitted in my boat; that does make a massive difference. Not got round to fitting one to the van yet.

 

[Potty]

Until last year we always bought bottled water when in Europe. Now, if the tap looks OK we fill a 5 or 6L bottle but we do as we do at home and use a filter jug. Do this on UK sites too.

Working behind a bar many years ago one customer brought his drink back twice saying it tasted off. Replaced the first two but when he put ice in the third one I asked him if that drink was OK. Yes. 10 minutes later he was back again, the ice had melted and the drink tasted off. Our local water was very hard and he was not local. I am afraid he didn’t get another replacement.

 

[Riverbankannie]

I’ve not noticed any problems with tap water in France this year. Mind you Bristol tap water is so heavily chlorinated that I wouldn’t notice I don’t think.
I think DBK, that you are used to superior water as when my daughter lived in Plymouth, I used to bring back containers full of her tap water! Now she lives around the corner so it’s the same as mine

 

[PeteH]

My guess is after the drought France has had this year some of the water sources such as rivers and reservoirs need a heavy hand with water treatment to make the water safe.

My Guess is that you could be correct. I Know a Guy, who Drinks in our local (Cider not water!!) who spent 20 years, just sampling supplies (and the rivers too) for the Local Water Authority, We where discussing the same subject some years ago. And he confirmed that Chlorination levels vary according to the perceived need. The dosing is controlled according to levels of bacteria found.

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[nicholsong]

When I was in Kathmandu for a 2 week project I was sitting at the bar talking to a water engineer who explained that the old Victorian era pipes in the city had rusted and that there was no sewerage other than leaching, so do not drink the water or even eat salad washed in it.

I listened attentively and then asked him about the ice in his G&T

He said 'Oh shit never thought of that!' End of conversation.

 

[David and Sally]

You should try the Severn Trent water we get in Worcs. Simply can't drink it without filtering. It's disgusting.

30 miles up the road Birmingham get beautiful Welsh water from the Elan valley.

 

[wasp]

We only ever used bottled water in France ( my dad was a desert rat y’know, don’t drink the water ha ha). It’s so cheap and the locals buy it so that is always a good indicator.

 

[Brains]

Berkey Water Purifier.

Sorted.


JJ

Plumbed in ?
or just a jug ?

 

[HandyAndy]

You should try the Severn Trent water we get in Worcs. Simply can't drink it without filtering. It's disgusting.

30 miles up the road Birmingham get beautiful Welsh water from the Elan valley.

Severn trent here in Gloucestershire too, no idea where the water comes from though.. Tastes fine to me but then I've grown up on it and wouldn't know any different

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