Water quality from on-board tanks
has anyone views on using the water from on-board fresh water tanks as drinking water? We notice many people use independent large water bottles for drinking/cooking. Is there any evidence re health issues? Thanks
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We have used the fresh water tanks for drinking water since we started motorhoming 22 years ago. We follow some basic guidelines to look after our water and we are of a robust constitution.
You can fit water filters to your system [we haven't for a long time].
My advice is if in doubt, do not use the fresh water tank for drinking.
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I always use the water from the tank, it's filled and emptied so often as to not worry about it.
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We never use the on board water tank for drinking water or cooking. We carry 2 X 2 litre empty milk containers, fill them up from the taps and pass them through a filter jug, one goes in the fridge for cold drinks the other is used for hot drinks. Most of our touring is done abroad but we still do the same in UK as the water quality is different everywhere you go.
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Like many, we never use the tank water for drinking, cooking, or teeth cleaning. We never used stored water when we had a cvan and don't now in the MH.
A 5L bottle filled from the tap does fine. No large containers are needed.
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I'm in the "use it for every thing" club Like H. B. Watson above !!
I clean the tank & pipework at the start & end of the season with the 'Puriclean' / 'Aquasol' Regime. Then, should I be somewhere that I may not be sure of, I use an extra touch of 'Aquasol'
I have to admit that the only times I've had problems I'd been drinking a local alcoholic beverage
!Even from the later years of tent camping this system has served me well.
However I have to admit that the one person who does have problems is an Ex- Member ( ?? ) named Valda, and it would be remiss of me not to put her point of view forward as well as my own.
Brian A B M
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We use 6 x 1.5 litres bottles, that we fill from the drinking water tap, which we carry in an old fashioned milk bottle carrier. We keep one in the fridge for cold drinks and one by the kettle for tea. The rest sit in the awning and are swapped when empty. For cooking we use the tank / aquaroll as it is being boiled. I know this applies to the tea, but it's just how we do it.
I once saw a picture of the inside of a piece of caravan pipe and it put me off for life !! The trouble is it is low pressure and you will always get some laying in the pipes as well, in my opinion.
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One thing that does slightly bother me is that the toilet flush is pumped from the tank and in could flow back from the rim if the non return valve fails.
That said, whilst we use fresh water to cook and clean teeth, I do rinse my toothbrush under the tap. Over the last 35 years I have not suffered to much from rumbly tum.
rgds
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It is interesting. We always used an aquaroll, and had no concerns about the water. Recently, with all the talk of plastics, etc we have used a small plastic container for drinking and cooking. THis means that the water doesn't hang around, in the container, for too long. I am not a believer in 'bought' water. We have always been careful about cleaning pipes and the container.
Carole
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I worked for a hotel maintenance team and we regularly had to test water temperatures. Cold drinking water always had to be below 20 degrees C to stop legionella and I don't think you could guarantee that in your motorhome in the summer so my advice would be bottled for drinking even if you refill the bottles from a tap daily.
Quote from HSE website
Legionella bacteria is commonly found in water. The bacteria multiply where temperatures are between 20-45°C and nutrients are available. The bacteria are dormant below 20°C and do not survive above 60°C.
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1 Tim 5:23
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Great advice Beero, thanks for that. We've always just used the mh tank for mainly hot water supply through the boiler and for flushing the loo. Any cold water is from a small water container I refil on a daily basis so it's good to know that we're on the right track. I had no evidence or bad experiences for doing this, just followed the same way that my Dad always did when camping in his van, he was always worried about the toilet flush being directly connected to the main tank.
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Like many others we are in the habit of filling 1.5 litre bottles from the tap and keep one in the fridge and one on the worktop. The other advantage if you are staying on site for a while you can reduce the need to drive off pitch to a service point. Also, we stick a bucket under the grey waste outlet whenever there is a suitable place to dispose of it. No need to move for at least a week.
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We use whatever the aquaroll provides from the tap in out caravan.
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Having a very compromised immune system I need to be very careful so always use bottled water. On of the joys of France is the lower price of Volvic water by comparison with the UK price. It has a good magnesium content which helps no end.
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Provided water is boiled as it is for tea or cooking it should not be a problem we would not drink it straight from any sort of container other than a bottle. Having said that you are more likely to have a dose of norovirus on a cruise liner than in a motorhome.
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