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

[RambleOnNW]

We generally drain the fresh water tank if the water has been sitting for more than 1 month and when we get back from trips when we have filled from sources other than our house. We use bottled water for drinking, also using bottled water for rving works well to cycle older water out of our emergency supply in our house.

[mike-s]

"How long does fresh water stay fresh?"

Longer than you will, if it's in a glacial aquifer.

[CavemanCharlie]

VE3ESN wrote:
HERE is a link that best describes what happened in Walkerton, ON as per my previous post.

Interesting story. People not doing the jobs that they were paid for or elected to.

[PastorCharlie]

Eight drops of regular unscented Clorox per gallon of water will purify water for emergency drinking. Shake well and allow to sit for thirty minutes.

https://www.reference.com/home-garden/can-use-clorox-purify-water-emergency-9037efe5abafc268

A fourth cup of regular unscented Clorox per ten gallons of water will santerize a drinking water system. Allow to stand three hours and flush.

[CC-skipjack]

I want to thank all who took the time to reply to this thread. It is interesting to read of others experiences and it does look like I can take basic precautions and then decide which is right for me.

Again, thank you all and happy camping!:B

Chuck K

[Ron3rd]

midnightsadie wrote:
x2 bottled for drinking. you just never no whats going on inside that tank. and I drain refresh after every trip.

X3

[DrewE]

napadan wrote:
How do I sanitize the hot water heater? Or do I?

.............Dan

It gets sanitized along with the rest of the water system when you put the bleach solution through the system.

Many would suggest that it's not really something to worry much about, as generally one doesn't drink hot water from the tap, but it's so easy to include the water heater with the rest of the system that it's rather a moot point. (Any at all modern RV water system isn't going to contain any lead, as it's all done with PEX or similar plastic piping, so concerns over higher lead content in hot water don't apply here. There's no inherent reason it would be unsafe to drink hot tap water in an RV if the cold is potable...but it's a rare person that enjoys a nice refreshing glass of quite warm water!)

[napadan]

How do I sanitize the hot water heater? Or do I?

.............Dan

[htss]

Under the right conditions, tap water can last months.

https://www.thoughtco.com/does-tap-water-go-bad-3975981

[VE3ESN]

HERE is a link that best describes what happened in Walkerton, ON as per my previous post.

[VE3ESN]

We prefer to use bottled water because there have been some serious water tragedies in the past. Google "Walkerton Water Tragedy" to learn about an awful situation that occurred in Ontario, Canada some years back. The bottom line in this incident is that the "boil water advisory" didn't commence until after people got very sick and died. Can we be certain that the water you put in your fresh water tank is safe to begin with, and will it stay safe during the next while?

A case in point is Edisto Beach State Park in SC, where the water is so full of sulfur that you can't even use it for coffee, let alone brushing your teeth, etc. That's why locals there go to the fire station in town to get their daily allotment of reverse-osmosis treated water.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[FunnyCamper]

we do basic sanitizing of fresh tank like 2 times per year.
we use it for all but drinking.
we are not in full time stage yet on the road so we can easily bring some bottled from home (a lot for the dog cause the house water doesn't give him the squirts that he can get from a water change while out and about in new locations) and we have a Brita filter system with us if we need to use other water sources but we do bring bottled water also. I use plastic bottles 2 times...once when I buy them and then all come home for clean and refill into our second fridge in the garage for our next trip out and then I send the bottles to recycling. That way I don't pay a ton for bottled all the time and get to use my fresh well water on that next trip. Cooking I will use the fresh tank, boiling water to me is a great way to give me that little extra security like when making pasta etc.
How long will a fresh tank last to use? I have no clue honestly cause we have never been in that situation and I never read how long it would be ok to use. This is interesting subject tho 🙂

[Slownsy]

The saddest part to me is that apparently most who drink bottle water have newer read any of the tests done on it and is one of the wolds leading pollutants as is all plastic.
Frank.

[2gypsies1]

Do you ever wonder what the earlier RVers did for water.... before bottled water? They surely didn't keel over and die one after another!