How long does fresh water stay fresh?

[CC-skipjack]

I haven't seen this bantered about or discussed, (couldn't find it in a search either), so here goes. I have never dry camped for more than a couple of days but anticipate doing a lot more of it. Assuming the fresh tank has been properly sanitized, how long will a tank full of fresh water remain potable, even in warm/hot temps?
I currently sanitize just in the spring but I only drink from bottled water at this point in time, so the sanitization is just to keep the water used for dishes, showers etc from getting skunky.

Do others haul along their drinking water in bottles or just drink from the fresh tank? I have no water filters in line at this time.

thanks for your input - Chuck

[Matt_Colie]

Chuck,

As said, your question is pretty much unanswerable. That sure did not slow many people down.

Here is a set of simple answers that I know from have worked in water quality for only a few years several decades back.

You live in Portage, if that is the Portage just south of Kalamazoo, you are probably on K'zoo city water or another municipal water system. That system will be run to have a chlorine residual. If you leave a glass of water out and it tastes better after a day, that is because the chlorine left. If that is the case, sanitizing the tank is never a bad idea, but when you put city water in that tank (at Mi temperatures) it will be good a real long time. Like, at least until you drain it to winterize.

Want a nice way to sanitize? Better than the bleach (blech!) method?
Get a jug of high density hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This not the drug store grade for use on injuries, but stuff for cleaning hot tubs. It is somewhat dangerous to handle (Please read the label), but you are only going to do this once a year. Just pour it in and add about 5 gallons of city water and run it out all the taps. Let it sit a while, over night is OK but not necessary. Then try to run it all out. You will now have peroxide loaded water in the black and gray tanks and that is not bad either, but you did lose some waste water capacity until you dump.

Peroxide water (there will be some left no matter what you do) tastes much better than chlorine water.

This is what we have been doing for decades and we do use the tank water for everything. I do have a carbon filter tap in the galley, because we have loaded water in some places (we travel a lot) that was terrible for coffee.

Matt - Near DTW (Metro Airport)

[Veebyes]

One of the biggest things I miss on the road is the nice fresh water that I have at home.

In Bermuda we do not have city water. We do not use well water. Every house has it's own water system. Rainwater is channelled from the roof to a storage tank under the house. My house has approximately 30,000 gal capacity. From there it is delivered through the house via it's own pump & pressure tank.

Water is completely untreated. No filters. Nothing. It is pure soft rainwater.

[wnjj]

I filled our water tank in 2006 when our camper was new. I think i may have drained it once since. Usually I just add water before each trip and park it when we return. We drink the water though we use the built-in water filter near the sink for taste since our well doesn’t taste the greatest.

[free_radical]

I drink botled water only if its carbonated,,however

Tap water is just as good or even better,,watch

https://youtu.be/xIJEw5aDzOo

[Veebyes]

So many variables. What was in the tank before? How good is the water going in? How long has it been there? Has it been sitting still or sloshing around while underway?

Every drop that we use passes through the tank. Every drop that goes into the tank goes through a water softener. On the road the tank gets refilled at least once a week. Sometimes there is no choice but to take on questionable water.

[LarryJM]

Ivylog wrote:
If it's city water (not well water) several months. In 40+ years of RVing with a water system we have never used bottled water but I will flush with some bleach once a year if the rig sits for 5-6 months and then fill with city water.

I do something similiar over approx the same 40+ year time frame, but try and refresh or at least add 10 or so gal every month. If not using the tank regularly I try and at least drain and refill every 30 days or so. While we don't generally drink the water we do use it via a brita filter for cooking and coffee/ice tea.

Larry

Larry

[tatest]

I fill with (heavily chlorinated) city water at home before starting a trip, and that will stay pretty much bug-free and drinkable for a week or two. I am less sure about unknown water supplies, and in some places will trust the tank more than the external connection, particularly if it is a remote location off municipal supply.

We use a bottled (purified and mineralized) drinking water for most of our consumption, particularly ice cubes for drinks, but don't worry that what is in the RV tank might go to bad to drink.

At the end of any trip I drain the tanks and fresh water plumbing.

[Ralph_Cramden]

the bear II wrote:
An old timer RV'er said he uses a bottle of cheap wine in the freshwater tank to freshen it up. Pours in the wine and adds a couple of gallons of water and then drives around to slosh the tank. Then drain and fill with water.

That's a great way to do it but an improper method. First you drink the cheap wine, but have to ensure you have consumed enough to get the proper ratio of alcohol in your system. Then drink the water from the tank. After enough cheap wine you won't care what condition the water is in, even if its green.

[Oregun]

Pioneers used silver coins in their water barrels to keep water pure. Guess what they use on the space station? They use silver to purify the water too.

[rockhillmanor]

Its a 'holding' tank made out of porous plastic that takes on the ambient outside temperature. Bacteria gets in from your fill spout and end of hose you use to fill it. Add high temps outside and you can have a party of bacteria growing.

It is not running water like that which comes out of your home faucet.

I do sanitize often because there are times I will fill it with CG well water if my next stop has no water available.

I use it for showers, toilet and dishes. I do not drink it.

I don't schelp tons of bottled water with me. I buy it from my grocery store stops or from the gas stations where I fill up right before my destination. Don't need to be any more over weight than I already am.! :C

[SDcampowneroper]

Ask at the camp about their water. If its city supplied, or a private system. They have records from the state about its bacteriological sanitation. Water that is sanitary (1.5-3ppm chlorine) should stay so for some time, months even, unless your fill hose or some other source introduces contamination

[ScottG]

D.E.Bishop wrote:
Some time ago I responded to a similar question, it is probably out there but usually not easy to find. Anyhow, I served on submarines back when. we had a emergency freshwater tank in the forward torpedo room and it was filled before the boat left Portsmouth in 1959 and I left in fall of 1961. The water was drained not long before I left and tested for purity in early 1961 when we entered drydock for overhaul. It was a LITTLE funny tasting but not bad and as pure as Portsmouth was got back then.

More of a controlled environment than an RV, and air does carry some bad guys but the water today has gone through so many purifying steps that I would guess you're good for a year without doing anything.

That's interesting and kind of follows an experience we had.
We moved to a new house and took our old fridge with us. It didn't fit so we kept it for an eventual kitchen remodel.
It sat for 5 years with it's little drinking water tank full. After 5 years I removed the tank to sanitize it. I was very surprised to find the full tank (white opaque plastic) was spotlessly clean and the water was clear and odorless.

[zcookiemonstar]

We always use some form of bottled water for drinking. Usually filled at home from our reverse osmosis system. We use the water in our tank for everything else but usually drain it after every trip. You never know what is in water in other places look what happened in Flint Michigan.

[D_E_Bishop]

Some time ago I responded to a similar question, it is probably out there but usually not easy to find. Anyhow, I served on submarines back when. we had a emergency freshwater tank in the forward torpedo room and it was filled before the boat left Portsmouth in 1959 and I left in fall of 1961. The water was drained not long before I left and tested for purity in early 1961 when we entered drydock for overhaul. It was a LITTLE funny tasting but not bad and as pure as Portsmouth was got back then.

More of a controlled environment than an RV, and air does carry some bad guys but the water today has gone through so many purifying steps that I would guess you're good for a year without doing anything.

[Slownsy]

Yes no fresh water only old. Have lived on properties with only tank water for years no treatment
, campers and FW now full time newer sanised a tank and used plenty of garden hoses for filling, still kicking 64 years later. Eat a little dirt it is good for you.