Q2 Drinking water, an easy one I think (1 Viewer)

[Neilfg]

Use the tank, drain down after each trip and cleanse in March/April. Only problem we have had is when we have filled up with water that tastes like fluoride, happened twice in France, once in Scotland. Have to dump water at next fill point, rinse out and refill. Now try to remember to taste water immediately before filling.

Did wonder if nature pure filter would handle the fluoride taste?

 

[WynandJean]

I can categorically state that I have never pissed in a dead sheep .

Don't be silly! He means the dead sheep do it in the mountain stream!

Wyn

 

[bertiebasset]

I carry a bottle of Hydrogen and one of Oxygen. When we need drinking water we just mix them 2 to 1 in a jug. Added bonus is the hydrogen is lighter than air so reduces weight as well.

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[John & Joan]

We have always used the on board tank for drinking. Any water supplied from a tap has to be fit to drink unless otherwise marked. We have full timed for 6 years without any problems from water supplies. If the van is to be left for some time, it is advisable to drain the tank, before use swill it out or drain after filling and flushing the pipes with tap water should be all that is needed. Refill with clean water to use it again. Most drinking water contains chlorine enough to keep bugs at bay. If you fill from a non chlorinated source such as a spring or fuente the next chlorinated supply and what was in the tank before you filled from that source will keep the bugs at bay.

 

[Trevor Pettifer]

We boil our drinking water, put it in a jug and store in the fridge

 

[Teuchter]

I drink water from the tank - wife doesn't - all the more for me!!

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[Robert Clark]

So safe to use.. I just thought stored water in a tank is a good breeding ground for, well the shytes etc!

If you shower and wash up in your MH then you're likely to be refilling with fresh water daily.
We always have drunk the water from our fresh water tanks as its chlorinated.
We never take bottled water as you never know how long it's been lying around, plus it's expensive and wasteful.
I'm mindful to always spray any tap in filling from with an antibacterial spray before using.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

We drink from the tank, both here and in Europe. Never had a problem.

We don't drain down other than if it's going to be parked up for a while over the winter and it's only ever been cleaned once when we picked up the TCP taint.

If you use bottled water you're still drinking water that's been stored in a plastic container for who knows how long. The idea that bottled water is fresh is patently ridiculous.

 

[two]

I don’t know what proportion of motorhomers drink from their tank rather than other sources (and I don’t think anyone else does) but how many incidents arising from drinking ‘bad’ water have you heard of? I’m not aware of any. I have heard of incidents due to alcohol or dodgy food, however.

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[DangerMousy]

We have a Britta filter jug we keep in the fridge - we do tend to fill it directly from the tap outside but that's because its awkward to get it under the MH tap, we always use the tank water for cooking and cuppas though. It never occurred to me not to drink the water from the tank.

 

[Zigisla]

Although I have the constitutions of a baby, we still cook, cuppa etc from the tank. Glass of water or Juice from bottles purely because we prefer sparkling to still and better from the fridge. If we run out fridge too full, then out the tap it is.

 

[sallylillian]

Another vote for Brita, ensures a good cup of tea with no scum!

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[Abacist]

I bought our van secondhand. You are advised not to use Milton as it rots the stainless steel in the Truma boiler and voids the guarantee/warranty so every year I use the stuff that home brewers use to sterilise their barrels and mixing equipment. Both the vapours and liquid will sterilise your system.

If we are drinking water, we drink bottled when abroad but otherwise make hot drinks and cook and clean teeth with tank water but drink from the tap in the UK.

I only ever fill the tank with what is professed to be drinking water. In some places abroad, even on camp sites, the water can can be labelled No Potable in Spain or Non Potable in France and I don't want that in my tanks.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

If we are drinking water, we drink bottled when abroad but otherwise make hot drinks and cook and clean teeth with tank water but drink from the tap in the UK.

I only ever fill the tank with what is professed to be drinking water. In some places abroad, even on camp sites, the water can can be labelled No Potable in Spain or Non Potable in France and I don't want that in my tanks.

Tap water has to meet the same standard across the whole EU. UK water is no different to that from anywhere else in Europe.

The non-potable thing is also a bit of a myth as well. I know the service points in a lot of aires have taps labelled potable and non-potable. If you ever come across one that's open take a look inside it.

I guarantee that you will find one pipe coming out of the ground with a tee-piece on the end. One leg will go to the potable tap, the other will go to the non-potable.

 

[Abacist]

Tap water has to meet the same standard across the whole EU. UK water is no different to that from anywhere else in Europe.

The non-potable thing is also a bit of a myth as well. I know the service points in a lot of aires have taps labelled potable and non-potable. If you ever come across one that's open take a look inside it.

I guarantee that you will find one pipe coming out of the ground with a tee-piece on the end. One leg will go to the potable tap, the other will go to the non-potable.

I understand about the tee piece as one serves the fresh tap and the other serves the tap used to clean the toilet cassettes so its not the water but the use of the tap for which they are covering their arses.

However as I have said there are proper camp sites with limited taps dispensing drinking water e.g Camping Azahar in Benicassim. The only drinking water tap is at the bottom of the site near the entrance. The rest I would not trust as they are all clearly marked "No Potable"

As far as EU standards are concerned I would trust the English to do things properly and we have always had drinking water from UK domestic taps on the public water system in my lifetime other than when we have been warned that there is a temporary problem.

I first went abroad in 1959 when my Dad drove us to Riccione in Italy. Somewhere along the way in an hotel in the middle of the night in France I was terribly thirsty and against my parents strict instructions I had to have a drink of tap water. I was terribly ill for days and now I would trust British water over and above French or Spanish water any day of the week even though we are more than 50 years on but that's just me!

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[Just smiffy]

That's another thing how many don't drink from the tank but clean their teeth from the tap in the bathroom?

Come to think of it, if you wash and shower from the tank then your doomed as it only takes one drop to get near your mouth for millions of bacteria to catch the lurgie

 

[jdk62]

Evian spelt backwards is Naive...

 

[Abacist]

Evian spelt backwards is Naive...

But Naive is English and that word in French is Naif!

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[maison]

Always drink from tank but flush out tank, frequently, with tap supply at home. In 15 years never had a problem.

Usually drain "fresh water" tank if m/h is going to stand for ny time, although, in our case, it never stands idle for long.

 

[Cliffdale]

Well, thanks everyone! What a varied reply. but i think I got from most of you, dont keep water for more than 2 weeks in the tank or flush it out.

any longer i should think about boiling or filtering the supply.

 

[Just smiffy]

Well, thanks everyone! What a varied reply. but i think I got from most of you, dont keep water for more than 2 weeks in the tank or flush it out.

any longer i should think about boiling or filtering the supply.

Your welcome..... just the usual mixed bag of useful responses.... it's why I love this forum..

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[sdc77]

As our van is uses all year round we really don't every empty or clean the tank. It's normally full and we use the water from it for everything except drinking water. Both us and the dogs use bottled water.
Reason is - because we can. It's stored in the fridge and therefore is nice and cold and we prefer it to tank water which is fine for cooking showering and boiling.
I'll accept @NickNic has in depth knowledge of the science of water and plastic but I choose to ignore it because I don't agree.

The dogs love chilled bottled water too.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

For the people who have been taken in by the great bottled water con, if you want to know just how "fresh" your water is take a look at the "best before" date on the bottle.

The date used by most commercial brands is 2 years from when it was bottled so you can work it back from there. I think some of you might be in for a bit of a shock.

How something that's been sat in plastic containers in a Tesco warehouse for months can be considered in any way "fresher" than tap water I really don't understand.

 

[Deleted member 29692]

As our van is uses all year round we really don't every empty or clean the tank. It's normally full and we use the water from it for everything except drinking water. Both us and the dogs use bottled water.
Reason is - because we can. It's stored in the fridge and therefore is nice and cold and we prefer it to tank water which is fine for cooking showering and boiling.
I'll accept @NickNic has in depth knowledge of the science of water and plastic but I choose to ignore it because I don't agree.

The dogs love chilled bottled water too.

I've got nothing in particular against bottled water, I even buy it on occasion, but to believe that it's in any way fresher or safer or cleaner than tap water is to be fooled by just about the biggest marketing con in history.

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[tonyidle]

Don't be silly! He means the dead sheep do it in the mountain stream!

Wyn

Oh bu&&er - I thought I had something to look forward to .

 

[John & Joan]

Tap water has to meet the same standard across the whole EU. UK water is no different to that from anywhere else in Europe.

The non-potable thing is also a bit of a myth as well. I know the service points in a lot of aires have taps labelled potable and non-potable. If you ever come across one that's open take a look inside it.

I guarantee that you will find one pipe coming out of the ground with a tee-piece on the end. One leg will go to the potable tap, the other will go to the non-potable.

In El Portus camp site there are 3 drinking water taps in a line. The rest of the site uses semi saline water for toilet blocks for washing/washing up and toilet flushing. All taps are marked Non Potable other than the 3 marked drinking water in numerous languages. The Costa Calida has ben under drought conditions for a number of years now and all water is precious.

 

[Jaws]

Naturepure for us..
Thugh before we had that just used the water straight from the tank.. No one killed in eight years so guess it was ok !

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[GeriatricWanderer]

Not water but beer -

It's oh so cool and trendy now in pubs to drink beer straight from the bottle - have those people ever looked into pub back yards where the crates are kept and where, every night, rats wander and pee everywhere?
Nice

 

[JJ]

I am saving up for a Travel Berkey filter.

Not just a filter but a water purifier.

https://berkey-waterfilters.co.uk

Then I will be able to drink my well water.

Makes Nature Pure look a tad expensive.

JJ

 

[stcyr]

But Naive is English and that word in French is Naif!

Unless you happen to be female, in which case you would be naive ... (with a trema on the i )

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