How do you know your water is clean

[benchdog]

Yum, we don't.

Filter, filter, filter then UV

I have never had dirty water at a NY run campground, but cannot say that it was clean, then we do carry our drinking water.

Have you had durty water in any campground?

[5picker]

Unless you have some way to test it, you really can only go by what it looks like and smells/tastes like.

Campgrounds have to adhere to water tests. I trust that.

Yes, I do run water from the hydrant into a white bucket before connecting and in 40+ years we've had TWO places (out of hundreds) that the water was murky.

One place was having issues and alerted us as we checked in and the second place told us when we questioned the water that they had just replace a well pump and hadn't completely flushed the all lines.

We also had two occasions where there was no water available at all because of pump or well issues.

We did stay in a campground in GA once where the water looked fine but it stunk so bad I never could come to grips to use it.

Just another reason we ALWAYS travel with a FULL fresh tank of water.

[NMWildcat]

Our water experiences are very similar to 5pickers, as to water in campgrounds. We also always have fresh water with us.
I clean the RV water system about twice a year with bleach and flushing.
We, like 5picker, also run water through the hoses before connecting to the RV, just to inspect it and flush anything in the hoses.
We used to use all types and manner of filters for any incoming water. After several years I grew tired of the expense, the maint, and the general PITA of the filter process. And I grew convinced that filters introduced as many problems as they prevented.
So now we don't use any filters. We use bottled water for cooking, drinking, and coffee. We use the RV/campground water for dish washing, bathing, and tooth brushing, so we do ingest small amounts of it. We now seem to have fewer episodes of stomach problems due to unknown reasons while RVing. Is it related to our water usage routines? Who knows, but I sure enjoy not dealing with the filter processes
Do I trust the water at all campgrounds? No, but I'm not afraid to use it unless it looks or smells odd.

[Pipeman]

Camped in a campground with full hooks ups a few times. Brushed my teeth with the incoming water supply that was from an approved artesian stream. We have an on board filter. My better half always said not to brush my teeth with that water. Well one year we were there and I got caught with a parasitic disease called BEAVER FEVER(Giardiasis). I lost 20 lbs in 12 days. Not a whole lot of fun dealing with it. We had bottled water with us and I just thought it was a hassle to pour a cup of water from the bottle. Now I go through that hassle at every campground we go to.

[jd4010]

Have to agree with @NMWildcat regarding filters. On 2 prior rigs we had a filter under the kitchen sink (one of those larger canister ones) or one at the city water intake. When the camper sat for a few weeks the water would smell coming from the faucets. Assumed it was bacteria from the filters sitting. So I removed them.

Now....we always bring gallons of drinking water for coffee, iced tea, lemonade, drinking, etc and use the city (campground) water for bathing, dish washing and cooking IF the water is going to be boiled (and looks ok to start with).

[SquiggyFreud]

I removed the on board filter and use a dual filter 5 micron, and .5 micron filter which then goes through a softener. The softener takes my water at the house from a hardness of 10 to zero. After using the filter for about 500 gallons of water I opened them to inspect. The 5 micron filter was full of rust, and the water in it was rusty as well. I will assume this is well water perhaps most of my camping has been in LA thus far.


My wife uses that water in her coffee, my cat loves to drink it out of the tap, I find it salty.We do carry drinking water with us.No one has had any ill effects as of yet.


My primary reason to do what I did was not for drinking, but to protect the plumbing and fixtures, those of you that have hard water in your homes know what I mean.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Our water experiences are very similar to 5pickers, as to water in campgrounds. We also always have fresh water with us.
I clean the RV water system about twice a year with bleach and flushing.
We, like 5picker, also run water through the hoses before connecting to the RV, just to inspect it and flush anything in the hoses.
We used to use all types and manner of filters for any incoming water. After several years I grew tired of the expense, the maint, and the general PITA of the filter process. And I grew convinced that filters introduced as many problems as they prevented.
So now we don't use any filters. We use bottled water for cooking, drinking, and coffee. We use the RV/campground water for dish washing, bathing, and tooth brushing, so we do ingest small amounts of it. We now seem to have fewer episodes of stomach problems due to unknown reasons while RVing. Is it related to our water usage routines? Who knows, but I sure enjoy not dealing with the filter processes
Do I trust the water at all campgrounds? No, but I'm not afraid to use it unless it looks or smells odd.

I prefer to chlorinate on a regular basis rather than once/twice per year. Whenever I add water to my tank (even from my city water at home) I add 1/2 tsp of Clorox (per their emergency water chlorination instructions on their site) for every 5 gallons added. I use a small meter on the hose that gives me a near perfect measure.

I feel that adding the "chlorine" with every tank fill not only makes sure no "bugs" from a questionable source survive but also insures that nothing grows in my tank from leftover water.

I still use the OE filter, replacing the cartridge once per year, and it removes any sediment or residual chlorine. Have no qualms about drinking from my freshwater tank. It just may be safer than drinking bottled water.

Here I am, charging down the stretch to 80 years old and have yet to contract any "water born" illness. I did attend an "Ice Cream Social one time at a KOA campground and that was a 2-day, 3 rolls of TP experience.

FWIW, never assume a campground has had their water system tested recently, or even in the last 10 years. Consider that many are remote and if they don't have an on-site restaurant/food service facility, chances are nobody bothers to test.

Their well water may well have a lot in common with Jack In The Box hamburgers in years past or Salinas valley Romaine Lettuce today. Especially if there are cattle grazing nearby.

Since I rarely use a full hookup campground this is pretty much moot for me. The ones I do use when stopping to dump and restock are usually getting "City Water"

[dcling]

Originally Posted by SquiggyFreud

I removed the on board filter and use a dual filter 5 micron, and .5 micron filter which then goes through a softener.

x2

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by benchdog

Have you had durty water in any campground?

Depends on what you mean by 'dirty'. We've had sand in the water, but there's no way to tell what 'bacteria' are in there.

We carry bottled water for drinking, tooth brushing, cooking, etc. Since we start our trips with frozen gallons of water to cool down the fridge and freezer, we start with water from home.

After fllushing out our hoses with campground water, we wash the dishes in campground water with a splash of bleach to disinfect it and use campground water for showering and general cleaning. Hand sanitizer is our friend.

Since using bottled water and using hand sanitizer, our 'tummies' have had less problems.

[babock]

A filter will remove some contaminates but will not be removing pathogens. For that reason, I don't even bother with a filter. We travel with full water tanks and also bring a 7 gallon aquatainer for drinking. If we are going for 2 weeks, we will have to of course fill up with water along the way.

[NJKris]

Water has been great so far in NJ and PA and Williamsburg, VA. I drink the water. Will continue to until I get Beaver Fever. Surface waters are prone to contamination from Giardia unless treated, which requires a pretty fine filter. Giardia cysts can be 8-14 microns, Cryptosporidium 4-6 microns.

[benchdog]

Originally Posted by babock

A filter will remove some contaminates but will not be removing pathogens.

Now that I am retired and will be taking longer trips I am most likely adding a UV light similar to what I use at home to our TT. It will make the DW feel safe to use. A happy DW is a happy life as they say.

[benchdog]

Here is a link to the UV and water filtration system I am thinking about going to.
https://waterfixercompany.com/modelwf1000.html

[tc cruiser]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Water has been great so far in NJ and PA and Williamsburg, VA. I drink the water. Will continue to until I get Beaver Fever. Surface waters are prone to contamination from Giardia unless treated, which requires a pretty fine filter. Giardia cysts can be 8-14 microns, Cryptosporidium 4-6 microns.

Wow Kris,
That is some googlistic parasitic knowledge you have there. By the way I'm selling these for Xmas if your interested in a good gift for the bride. $19.95
TC
Just kidding..................

[babock]

Originally Posted by NJKris

Will continue to until I get Beaver Fever.

Is that a bad thing?

[Minthillbill]

I have used the water from 2 SC state parks with no problem so far for 4 years. I am installing an inline filter before the next trip.

[NJKris]

Originally Posted by babock

Is that a bad thing?

You almost made me shoot whisky from my nose!

[FleckDreher]

Before I hook-up my hose:

A) Run some water to clear bugs and rust from tap

B) Fill a glass

C) Look, smell, maybe taste

D) If cloudy, check with a TDS Meter (Total Dissolved Solids)

E) Only then do I run it through the hose to two filters and the regulator.

My experience is that it is actually hard to find bad water in the Great Lakes basin.

In my opinion, most of the water in south Florida tastes like it just came out of an aquarium.

[Traveling Circus]

Originally Posted by FleckDreher

Before I hook-up my hose:

A) Run some water to clear bugs and rust from tap

B) Fill a glass

C) Look, smell, maybe taste

D) If cloudy, check with a TDS Meter (Total Dissolved Solids)

E) Only then do I run it through the hose to two filters and the regulator.

My experience is that it is actually hard to find bad water in the Great Lakes basin.

In my opinion, most of the water in south Florida tastes like it just came out of an aquarium.

This is the reason stores in Florida have a full aisle of bottled water.

[BandJCarm]

Sources - FineWaters


https://www.ecowatch.com/bottled-wat...537510642.html