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jacqui583's avatar
jacqui583
Explorer
Aug 12, 2018

How long to keep potable water in holding tank

Hi folks.

We will be camping four weeks from now at an electric-only campground (no water hookup). The water quality is questionable where the trailer will be stored until then so I filled the holding tank today with good water while I had that option. How long will a full tank of water remain safe to drink sitting still? Was this a bad idea? And should I drain the hot water tank in the meantime? (it is currently full from camping this week). I have heard that it can get stinky.

Thanks.
  • Four weeks without use and refilling is too long for me. You could add a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of bleach depending on the size of your tank.
  • My process has always been to sanitize and fill the fresh water system in the spring and don't empty anything until I winterize in late fall. Any water we ingest we bring from home in Aquatainers, never from the holding tank.