Water in Spain

[Graham of Madrid]

Hello there !

this might be a very basic question ..

Once I've got my M/H I'll need to fill the tank with water from sources at service stations. Thing is the ones I've seen are low pressure nozzles really just meant for filling washer/wiper reservoirs and radiator top ups. It would take an age to fill 120 litres.

Am I assuming correctly that camping sites would have the same kind of water pressure as my home water supply and are there places to fill up with water that have high pressure water supplies ?


Thanks.

 

[Paul an Jane MK]

Hi,

I wouldn’t suggest using the washer bottle hose at service stations as it may not be drinking water. Spain has aires but by a different name, (something like hospitality) we thought they were signs for the local hospital at first.

There are water fill up points for Motorhomes but you might have to go into shop for the key.

 

[Deleted member 57092]

Check its drinkable water
Said literally.
‘Es el agua potableh ?’
Whilst pointing at wherever you intending to get it from
Tap is ‘griffo’
Might be ‘La agua’ tho’ as agua (water) ends in ‘A’ so might be feminine
However they will understand

 

[klaatu]

Might be ‘La agua’ tho’ as agua (water) ends in ‘A’ so might be feminine

it’s “el agua”, you were right first time, as even though it’s feminine, it starts with a stressed “a”. (Not that it matters, as you say).

 

[David and Sally]

I try not to drink water abroad unless it's been treated in a brewery or winery. Makes cleaning my teeth a treat!

All campsites have water taps with decent pressure. Take a potable water hose with you so you don't have to move the mh if it is close to the tap.

I have never used an aire so can't comment on those.

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[Reallyretired]

Most Aires have water which is often free though you may need to pay, usually by a jeton purchased locally, a few coin operated or posh ones take cards. Water pressure variable, at the Fort Louis aire in the Pyrenees filled my tank in seconds, huge pressure and luckily I could use my shortest hose, my roll flat one would probably have split.

 

[JJ]

I believe service stations in general have slow running water hoses... they are only for topping up radiators and washer bottles... not 120 litre motorhome tanks...

JJ

 

[Xabia]

If you look around the service stations you will usually find a tap with normal pressure.

 

[gus-lopez]

would have the same kind of water pressure as my home water supply and are there places to fill up with water that have high pressure water supplies

Unfortunately even 'potable' water here can be very low pressure. It is only in the last few years that I actually have water supply that now rarely gets interrupted & unfortunately now is completely the opposite of years ago in having too much pressure,.i.e 7 bar.
Personally I would always assume at a Spanish service station that the water was "Agua de riego" . water for irrigation which is far,far cheaper & untreated.
I tend to fill my tank at any opportunity I can .
In the UK I always use the free water in petrol stations.

 

[mfw]

A lot of places use the same main water supply whether marked drinkable or not - not really advisable to drink water directly from motorhome tank via the taps anyway unless you boil it first - always buy bottled if you want a diluted fruit juice - other than that fill up whenever you can - you may find it advantageous to carry a watering can and use that to fill your van

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[buttons]

Chatting to a Yorkshireman in Spain once, he told me he always fills his Winnebago water tank from Spanish cemeteries... he said they always have a hose.. That is a true story..

 

[Emmit]

C'Mon @buttons finish the job.

Was it Hose A or Hose B Bom! Bom!

I'll get me coat.

 

[Emmit]

Slightly OS but earlier this year I went on a training walk on the beautiful island of AntiParos. (Greece)
I came across a garage that had water with the sign 'Non Potable'.
I soaked my hat, (as the water evaporates, it cools) and the water had a distinctive salty taste. I wouldn't have drunk it.

 

[gus-lopez]

Chatting to a Yorkshireman in Spain once, he told me he always fills his Winnebago water tank from Spanish cemeteries... he said they always have a hose.. That is a true story..

Yes that's quite common but guaranteed to be irrigation water & untreated. Having said that many years ago that is all those out in the campo had, irrigation water. If you wanted drinking water you took the donkey & cart in to the town & returned with water which would be deposited in the 'salon' ( lounge) where you would find a large , 3 to 4 feet high terracota urn built in to one corner of the room with only the neck exposed & packed around with earth where the water was deposited to keep cool & fresh.

 

[Stewart J]

Rightly or not we work on the principle of potable water in the Northern half of Spain is OK to drink in the hotter Southern coastal regions a lot of the water is desalinated and can be high in minerals, OK for washing, showers, teeth cleaning etc but not drinking so we buy bottled water.

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[Graham of Madrid]

Thank you all for your response.

This is my local facility for depositing/refilling

https://sites.google.com/site/acactivoguia/home/madrid/pinto

I haven't visited yet but I think it will meet all my needs. There are places like this dotted around Spain.
I read somewhere about sterilisation tablets that you ad to your tank when filling up. Not sure what they are called locally here. Anyone use these ?

We need to be able to brush our teeth with this water otherwise the other half will go off the idea of getting a M/H. I haven't told her yet that she's going to have to get out and give directions when I'm reversing !

 

[Lenny HB]

not really advisable to drink water directly from motorhome tank via the taps anyway unless you boil it first

Been drinking water from my Motorhome tanks for 10 years and from caravan tanks for 25 years before that.

 

[mfw]

Been drinking water from my Motorhome tanks for 10 years and from caravan tanks for 25 years before that.

Personal choice i'll stick with bottled water if i want water for squash anyway

 

[David and Sally]

I read somewhere about sterilisation tablets that you ad to your tank when filling up. Not sure what they are called locally here. Anyone use these ?

I use

Amazon product ASIN B008ESEI4O
I just feel better adding it especially if the water is going to be in the tank for more than a few days

 

[EuroTrotters]

Rightly or not we work on the principle of potable water in the Northern half of Spain is OK to drink in the hotter Southern coastal regions a lot of the water is desalinated and can be high in minerals, OK for washing, showers, teeth cleaning etc but not drinking so we buy bottled water.

It depends where. In Javea, we drink the tap water, albeit it from a reverse osmosis system. AMJASA, Javea's water company are trying to promote drinking tap water, rather than people buy Plastic water bottles. High consumption of food and drink from plastic cartons (hard to avoid these days) is being linked to oesophagus cancer. I guess, if you can reduce your consumption from bottles all well and good. But then, modern pipes are alkathene!.

https://xabiaaldia.com/amjasa-promueve-el-consumo-del-agua-del-grifo-entre-los-vecinos/

Been drinking water from my Motorhome tanks for 10 years and from caravan tanks for 25 years before that.

May explain some of your posts!

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[sweetie]

Thank you all for your response.

This is my local facility for depositing/refilling

https://sites.google.com/site/acactivoguia/home/madrid/pinto

I haven't visited yet but I think it will meet all my needs. There are places like this dotted around Spain.
I read somewhere about sterilisation tablets that you ad to your tank when filling up. Not sure what they are called locally here. Anyone use these ?

We need to be able to brush our teeth with this water otherwise the other half will go off the idea of getting a M/H. I haven't told her yet that she's going to have to get out and give directions when I'm reversing !

You not told her about emptying the dunny yet either.

 

[Just smiffy]

Makes you wonder why half the people in Spain aren’t dead already.....

Fill your tank and wash/brush teeth and drink it.... if you like, put it in a filter jug first...

 

[Graham of Madrid]

Sounds like good advice. She likes her long hot showers. She's in for a surprise !

 

[mfw]

Makes you wonder why half the people in Spain aren’t dead already.....

Fill your tank and wash/brush teeth and drink it.... if you like, put it in a filter jug first...

Part of the reason why i wont drink the water onboard the van is if you use aires there are occasionally people that wash their cassettes out from the drinking water supply (not just in spain either ) - so if i want squash i prefer to buy bottled mainly for that reason and i think bottled tastes better as well

 

[scotjimland]

Part of the reason why i wont drink the water onboard the van is if you use aires there are occasionally people that wash their cassettes out from the drinking water supply (

Your fear is not unfounded, I've also seen this .. and worse.. dogs being bathed, washing hair, feet etc etc

However, bottle water is not any safer than tap, in fact many studies would suggest otherwise.. do a Google search and you may be surprised. Or maybe not..
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/9775158/Bottled-water-not-as-safe-as-tap-variety.html

but that is the the power of advertising.. sow the seeds of fear about tap water and reap a harvest of sales ..

If concerned about bacteria on site taps, spray with a dilute bleach solution or disinfectant before using.. then flush it with fresh water.. I have always done that as a precaution.

if you are still worried then rather than buying bottled, fit a quality water purifying filter, ie. one that removes bacteria cysts and viruses...

When full time, before our trip to Morocco where the water quality cannot be guarantied, I fitted a General Ecology filter ..

@vwalan posted about the one he uses..

ttps://
with these
thats what i use and have been happy with them.
didnt originally buy from that supplier but they are a good price .
bought it years ago for when i did a big african tour .
changed the filter several times since .

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[sweetie]

On a campsite alongside the Ebro I even caught a German rinsing his toilet cassette in the shower.

 

[Reallyretired]

I don't object to drinking the tap water anywhere as it will always have less bugs than the bottled stuff which is months old, however there are some places where the water just tastes bad, and Southern Spain is such a place. San Miguel 0.0% is a good substitute.