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

[Popeye]

Well my van was brand new so no issues with bad previous owner habits and we have always used the water from the tank, I can also see straight down into the tank and hose it out when draining.

We did however pick one tankful of chemical tasting water in France, so on the advice of @cliffandger and because I had a fancy filtration system on my last yacht I've decided to fit the Nture-Pure filtration to save carrying bottles.
According to their Blurb you can take water from rivers and it will be safe to drink.

 

[Neilfg]

Well my van was brand new so no issues with bad previous owner habits and we have always used the water from the tank, I can also see straight down into the tank and hose it out when draining.

We did however pick one tankful of chemical tasting water in France, so on the advice of @cliffandger and because I had a fancy filtration system on my last yacht I've decided to fit the Nture-Pure filtration to save carrying bottles.
According to their Blurb you can take water from rivers and it will be safe to drink.

We had the same problem on 2 occasions in France, 2nd we only put about 25 litres in but the chemical (fluoride??) was obvious and made no better by boiling, sure it is safe to drink but tasted awful. Am now thinking of Nature pure or something similar, do you know if it does deal with the chemical taste/smell?

 

[Popeye]

do you know if it does deal with the chemical taste/smell?

Yes Neil it does because where I picked up the taste my neighbors (cliff and ger) didn't, and not only did we fill at the same time he filled using my water carrier, the only difference was he had the Nature Pure.
That is what sold me on the idea plus upon examination of the best place to fit it I have loads of room and will still be able to change filters or bi-pass if necessary.
We'll chat about it at New Forest if you're coming.

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[Deleted member 29692]

We had the same problem on 2 occasions in France, 2nd we only put about 25 litres in but the chemical (fluoride??) was obvious and made no better by boiling, sure it is safe to drink but tasted awful. Am now thinking of Nature pure or something similar, do you know if it does deal with the chemical taste/smell?

Do you mean the TCP taste? A Nature Pure, or any other type of filter for that matter, wouldn't help with that at all.

It's caused by something in the water reacting with the plastic in the fittings. It's harmless but does make the water taste horrible.

We had it after filling up at an aire in Brittany.

In the end the only way I could get fid of it was to drain down and clean the tank using which works a treat. You need to to it somewhere convenient though because you're got drain right down and fill the tank with the solution, leave it for 12-24 hours and then completely drain it again and flush it through with another couple of tankfuls of water so you're using and draining a fair bit of water.

 

[Neilfg]

Yes Neil it does because where I picked up the taste my neighbors (cliff and ger) didn't, and not only did we fill at the same time he filled using my water carrier, the only difference was he had the Nature Pure.
That is what sold me on the idea plus upon examination of the best place to fit it I have loads of room and will still be able to change filters or bi-pass if necessary.
We'll chat about it at New Forest if you're coming.

Would love to see how and where fitted, we do not have loads of space but hopefully just enough!

 

[Neilfg]

Do you mean the TCP taste? A Nature Pure, or any other type of filter for that matter, wouldn't help with that at all.

It's caused by something in the water reacting with the plastic in the fittings. It's harmless but does make the water taste horrible.

We had it after filling up at an aire in Brittany.

In the end the only way I could get fid of it was to drain down and clean the tank using which works a treat. You need to to it somewhere convenient though because you're got drain right down and fill the tank with the solution, leave it for 12-24 hours and then completely drain it again and flush it through with another couple of tankfuls of water so you're using and draining a fair bit of water.

Yes it was a TCP taste, but think it was the water as we checked it coming out of the filling taps and could taste it, going to do a bit more research, but at the moment we both taste the water before filling.

We found that we just emptied completely, filled a bit swished it around and ran the taps emptied and then filled up again (a pia!), ran the taps and all was fine. But water at Mamers Aire en France was fine in June, but October the taste was very strong, so we check immediately before filling and run off a bit first to be sure.

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[Deleted member 29692]

Yes it was a TCP taste, but think it was the water as we checked it coming out of the filling taps and could taste it, going to do a bit more research, but at the moment we both taste the water before filling.

We found that we just emptied completely, filled a bit swished it around and ran the taps emptied and then filled up again (a pia!), ran the taps and all was fine. But water at Mamers Aire en France was fine in June, but October the taste was very strong, so we check immediately before filling and run off a bit first to be sure.

It's a fairly common occurrence, there's plenty on Google about it if you search "TCP taint in water", I think there have been a few threads on here as well. It's even happens in this country: http://southwestwater.custhelp.com/...ter-taste-or-smell-of-chlorine-or-antiseptic?

When we did it we didn't realise straight away so it sat in the tank for several hours until we needed to use some. By that point even draining and filling a couple of times at the next stop didn't help.

Like I said it's harmless so nothing really to worry too much about. It does make your tea taste odd though

 

[jdk62]

If we don't have enough water.. I just dilute it......

 

[ojibway]

When you see what people do around the water taps on aires in France I don't think you'd want to drink it.
Swilling toilet cassettes with tap nozzle shoved deep inside, handling taps with grubby hands after emptying cassette, using the same old cloth to wipe hands and wipe cassette - yikes!
It's not only the French who are grubby
Bottled water for me

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[Diabalo]

Naturepure filter for us also, never had any problems. I does amuse me watching motohomers constantly filling up water bottles for drinking.

 

[PeteH]

I started with a Caravan in 1972. With very few exceptions I have always used (Drank) the Water From the "Aqua-roll", or later the fixed tanks in the Motor-homes. I have never (yet) had anything that I could attribute to the Water. (although some lagers are a bit "Iffy", so I stick to REAL ale!!) We have done this in France, Spain, and Portugal. The US based R-V came with a Filter in the system, but I doubt very much that it was capable of removing Bacteria?. I always drain down after a trip. And until I saw the warning about "Milton" and Trauma Boilers, did occasionally wash out the tanks with it.

Sodium Metabisulphite is the media used by "home Brewers", stinks a bit but is most effective if you need to sterilise an vessel?

Pete

 

[gus-lopez]

Why does Volvic bottled water, which they boast has been filtered through volcanic rocks for millions of years have a sell by date?

'Cause the law requires it.

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.

If is says 'no potable ' in Spain then it is. It will be irrigation water which is not filtered & untreated & , as its name suggests , is for irrigating crops.
Unfortunately many places only have irrigation water as a supply- In Spain unless it says " aqua potable" even I assume it is irrigation water.
I have both supplies at my house & ,like the spaniards, use the irrigation water in all the outside taps, hoses , top up the pool, along with actually irrigating stuff.

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[vwalan]

many fonts in spain will have a plate on them showing when it was last tested and a sort of list of the results ,
wont mean alot to many ,but potable is enough .
in uk it really is a waste we use drinking water for toilets etc . and watering fields gardens etc .