First winter in Yuma "Water quality"?

We've stayed in Yuma over the years, as indicated, bottled water at 50 cents for 5 gallons is available almost on every corner.

We had to replace shower heads etc in the RV after 2 winters in Yuma, went to Al's RV in the foothills and they had a large assortment of replacement taps, heads etc. (tells you that the water hardness is the cause).

We invested in a water softener (the brand as suggested above), no more problems. If you let your pet drink local water it will guarantee you an expensive vet bill (don't ask me how I know!). Our dog drinks the bottled water, not the soft water from our tap.

Actually, from our experience it's best to drink bottled water and soften the water coming into the camper from about west Texas through to and including the California deserts. In California our friend had a reaction to the higher level of arsenic in the local water.

John&Joey wrote:
As a sidebar note, we've had issues (as have other snowbirds) with pets and changing water qualities. We've learnt to give pets bottled water once we're on the road. Lot cheaper then a vet bill in an unknown area.

Yes it is. We learned that the first 6 months out.

Here's our setup except the little blue filter is no longer needed.

We also Buy the Water from refill stations around the city. Last year many had raised the price to a whole Dollar ,but we still found quite a few at 50 Cents!

We bought an RO system several years ago ,but find it too slow for whole house use. I'm sure there are bigger systems available now.

RO sends a lot of unfiltered water down the drains as well so isn't exactly inexpensive to operate. Somebody is paying to provide that tap water even if it isn't me!

Something I forgot to mention is we use bottled water for drinking.

This is our 14th season in Yuma. Depending on where you are from and what water you had there determines what you think of the water. Being from Penna. and good mountain water we thought it was lousy. For all of those seasons we have used a portable water softener and during the summers as we are full timers. We also buy the 5 gal for 50 cents for coffee, tea. If you pay more than that in Yuma and the Foothills area, you are getting hosed! We buy bottled water for drinking and get it on coupons at either Frys or Albertsons for $1.67-$1.99. Sure don't need "Designer Water". Still on our original water heater, shower faucet. The kitchen and vanity, I did change out because we didn't care for the originals. Don't forget to run a good pressure regulator. Pressure can be and is high in this area.

Since you are from the Eugene OR area, you are extremely lucky to have some of the purest, cleanest, best tasting water in the U.S. You will be spoiled no matter where you go RVing because the water will NOT match the quality you have now. I was originally from Olympia WA and had my own well water for 30 years and did not have chlorine, salts, purifiers, etc added to my water supply...so I always griped about the taste of the local water when we were rving...and I griped the loudest in AZ. Even the RO water tasted off to me. But that is the price you pay when you travel. I just learned to live with it...and you will too. Try the previous suggestions because they all work. And even if the quality of the water is not up to what you are used to, just go with the flow and enjoy the ride.

We've stayed part of the winter in Yuma the last several years. Yes the water is hard. Anywhere we go in Utah and Arizona we use a Flow Pur softener with a whole house filter. Been using it for five years. It uses table salt and makes the worst hard water usable for all purposes. Beware that a filter will do nothing for hardness. The cats and dogs drink water softened with the Flow Pur with no issues.