Using onboard water for drinking and cooking

[Sarahcat]

We’re relative newbies to camping and I’ve seen a lot of discussions about potable water systems, sanitation, etc. I get the impression that most people drink the water from the freshwater storage tank or a potable water connection at a campground.

At home, although we have good quality city water, we don’t drink it, make ice with it, or cook with it until it goes through a reverse osmosis filter with inline activated carbon filters. Does anyone use an onboard filter for drinking and cooking or do you just trust that the potable water is safe everywhere? I want decent water to wash dishes and personal showering, but we usually by bottled water for drinking and cooking, which is not free of risk, but it usually has been filtered and doesn’t have volatile organic compounds in it and sans a bad taste.

Does anyone post filter their water for galley use or use bottled water when camping?

[Oaklevel]

We do not filter our water at home or any where else ever. Except at one campground they give free filtered water as the campground water is safe but has a salty taste.

If you have issues and need to filter your water even at home, I would filter the campground's as well.

[cboss]

We are on a well at home...super water.
Camping we always use bottled water for drinking.
The CG water is for dishes, showers, and flushing.

[NavyLCDR]

The water in my trailer is double filtered. I hook up the inline Camco carbon filter in the hose between the spigot and the trailer, and the trailer has it's own carbon filter built into the system. All my life (53 years), I've drank water out of the tap.

At home, I did have a problem with bacteria in the well water, so I have a 5 micron pre-filter, then through a UV light bacteria killing "filter".

Anyway, I have no issues drinking campground or home "tap" water.

[Chris Pastuzyn]

Have filtered water at home for kitchen sink and doubled filter for refrigerator and ice maker( just because I had extra filters) In the camper doubled as well, Use it for making ice& coffee, but bottled water to drink,Drank it a few times ,I did sanitize the lines ,

[Teetime]

Public water supply at home but we double filter it.

When camping we filter the water, but buy gallon jugs of water for drinking and cooking. They are refillable at some grocery stores, or just recycle the jugs and purchase more. The cost is only about $1 a gallon and worth the prevention.

[mogman]

I sanitize the tank and lines at the start of the season and I'm good to go.I have a whole house filter on the motor home which is a carbon type and that's all. Sometimes we will buy water 59c/gallon at Lidl or Aldi if the campground water tastes off.

True story... When I was working, there used to be a spring water company on my route to work. Every morning the tanker trucks would be lined up to unload, they would go to the VA mountains to fill up each evening.. The business was sold to a big bottler and the tankers stopped but the "spring water" is still available. I guess it's the same city water that comes from my taps!!

[Hatchdog]

On a well at home so when we carry water with us it’s well water and very sweet! I have only been to two campgrounds with water and used both with just the internal filter in the trailer. No problem with either location’s water. We have a trip to South Dakota planned for this Sept with four stops in camps with full hookups so I will have a better opinion after.

[itat]

We usually take bottled water for drinking when camping and we use a 0.5 micron water filter for the water that goes in the FW tank and the city water hook-up.

[SlowrideHD]

We take a "Travel Berkey" with us for drinking water. While I wouldn't ordinarily mind drinking just about anything, we have experienced some really nasty water sometimes, so we don't take chances. With water from the Berkey filter, no worries.

[mwdilday]

We use the campground and tank water unfiltered for everything except drinking and ice. We run it thru a Brita filter for that.

[TitanMike]

Every time I fill my water tank I do just like my water utility at home does. I add a small amount of Clorox, 3.5 tsp for 40 gallons.

Onboard factory filter removes any possibly remaining chlorine taste.

I cook with it, make coffee with it, brush my teeth with it, and if I'm in or near the TT I even drink it.

I do buy bottled water but only use it in the truck or when on a bike ride.

2-1/2 years short of 80 and have been drinking "tap" and "tank" water all my life. I even drank water from a "water buffalo" in the Army although where I was stationed we had a different name for it.

[tomkatb]

We use three gallon jugs of ice to prechill the fridge. Then use the water For drinking . Carry a dozen or two of 16 oz bottled water. Good for a week for two.

Use a Camco water filter for site provided water.

We drink local water from the campground if good. Houston is not! We buy gallons there. Big south fork in Kentucky had great water.

We try not to drink from our tank. Although I sanitize it every year. Brush teeth etc. It is fine but we are pickey.

[AlaskaErik]

I just use the blue Camco water filter for filling up my water tank at home or on the road. The fresh water tank is used for everything except drinking. I bring along a case of Arrowhead water for drinking. I've never had any problems.

[HangDiver]

I fill the FW tank at home (well water) and drink it till its gone. I don't stay in campgrounds often but when I do, I drink thier water if my FW tank is empty. I also drink water from mountain streams and creeks using filtration water bottles.

[B and B]

Filter water with Carbon Filter, run thru a water softener, to the tank, filter off the tank to drink and make ice.

[moose074]

Most places we go we just plug into the local water for drinking. If we don’t like the taste then we buy bottle. Gonna dry camp a couple days this week. If I have time to sanitize fresh water tank then that will be our unfiltered water source. My pre-trip list is long so we might do bottle water.

[Roaminaround]

We winter in AZ. Some areas have absolutely undrinkable water. We buy RO water from the kiosks in town. Normally we use an external 2 stage system I carry in a tote. Campground water goes into a sediment then a carbon filter. If it still tastes funky in the trailer we use a Brita filter. This has been our system for 10 years.

[formerFR]

some folks are always going to shy away from any 'city' or 'potable' water, whether at home or at a campground, even though both of those generally are the same as what you find in a bottle of water, itself.

I don't worry about it. But, then again, I also don't just 'drink' a lot of water. Coffee is about it, and the heating and brewing process probably takes care of most any issue, even if there were any.

[5picker]

The several campground owners I know personally have to take daily water samples, test them, record the results for the public health department and adhere to any regulations because of the results. I would think many/most around the country have to do the same so I trust campground water.

We have excellent well water here in the mountains of PA so I carry that along and we use it for everything, including drinking. Like Mike mentioned, a bit of bleach or drinking water freshener keeps it good in the tank after I've sanitized for the season. All my water goes through a household type filter whether the source is the house or the campground.

We also drink bottled water simply for convenience when out and about.