Drinking water?

Question

I have a Ford Transit Nu Venture conversion, approx 10 years old. I fill the fresh water tank with a hose pipe, but have always carried a seperate water container for drinking. Is it safe to drink the water form the tank, or should I first take measures to steralise the tank?

Answer 1

@BRP

I saw this answer and had to comment.

Do not put bleach in the tank, whether you intend to drink the water or dump it out. It is true that Clorox is just watered-down sodium hypochlorite, the same chemical used to treat tap water. The difference between the bleach and the pills/powder is that the pills come with directions. If you just pour some bleach in the water tank and drink it, you will probably get very sick (if you're lucky you won't die). The tap water you drink has only 2 PPM (that's parts per MILLION) of free chlorine in it, at the most. Even a capful of Clorox in a boat's small water tank is hundreds of times more than the legal limit for human consumption.

Be safe. Be smart. Buy the pills and follow the directions. More isn't always better.

Answer 2

I drop some tablets into the fresh water tank just to insure it is potable. Check with your marina, boat dealer, or camping/RV store.

Answer 3

bor_d has it. However, here is another way. Do everything he stated, then go buy a cheap bottle of vodka. I know some will think I'm crazy, but heres the deal. do anything you need to do to make sure your tank is clean, then put fresh water in the tank. Go ahead, take a taste. Yuck! Now, add about 3 ozs of vodka for every ten gallons in it. "this is still considered non alcoholic". Drive the thing around the block or shake it so it mix, let the water run to empty the pipes and taste. You will be amazed. Tastes fresh, and unlike chlorine or the tabs, will not taste like the chemicals or the plastic pipes it's running through.

Answer 4

As long as your main tank is basically clean - appropriate for storing 'potable' water, then it is safe to drink from. Go to your local caravan centre or boat chandler and get a product called 'TankKleen' etc. - they will know what you mean.

Just follow the instructions on the container and do it about once or twice a year. (Keep your separate container for dissolving the powders in prior to adding to the main tank!)

Throughput is the main thing. If you live on the vehicle and so, put a lot of water through the system, then you only need to do it once a year. If it is just for leisure, then maybe twice a year.

It will impair the growth of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in the tank - and, as long as you follow the directions and draw treated water through all of the system; in all the pipes, taps, shower-head, galorifier etc.  also.

Worth doing, the powders are not expensive.

Note: Don't use bleach. Just not worth the risk. The powders are not expensive and are all that you need, to kill the bacteria. (Don't forget: we're talking water tanks, not toilets).

Oh, and by the way, the 'tablets' that people have referred to can indeed be added to the tank - but they are very weak, and you can drink the water with them added to it. They are really intended for camping use - more to do with not knowing whether the actual water is OK in the first place, than for safeguarding against the colonisation of your system by bacteria. The powders (TankClean, etc) are for treating the system, flushing through, then refilling with fresh, new, untreated normal water.

Personally, I clean my boat's system once a year, but add a few of the tabs once during the season, just for good measure! (I don't live on my boat).

Good health.

Note: The 'thumbs-down' is made by a person advocating the use of Domestos™ (Toilet-cleaner) in your water tank!

Even if the quite obvious health risks are disregarded, such highly concentrated forms of 'bleach' would have very bad effects on all the metal parts of your water system - such as taps, shut-off valves, etc. as it is very highly corrosive.

.

Answer 5

You can put steralising tablets for your tank, I bought them for my motorhome.

Answer 6

You can use bleach instead of tablets, especially if you intend to dump it out. Much cheaper and really the same thing.

http://www.bchealthguide.org/healthfiles...

Answer 7

Give the water tank a good clean out, fill with water put in sterilising tablets. leave for a day.

Answer 8

you can put tablets in the water but tastes not to my liking,i have drank from a tank,canisters and hose pipe for more than 40 years no problems

Answer 9

clean the tank if you want, but I would not risk it, keep a separate supply to drink, do you drink water from your header tank at home or from the rising main, I think its from the rising main, dont trust the tank

Answer 10

Give the water tank a good clean out, fill with water put in sterilising tablets. Leave 24 hrs. Drain then  fill as normal.

Answer 11

Once you are sure your tank is clean and has been sterilised you can add tablets to your water to ensure it stays in good condition. This product is called a "Potable Water Stabiliser", the same system is used on ships which carry large quantities of fresh water and it keeps the water fresh, therefore drinkable, for weeks.

You should be able to get these tablets , or a powder, at your local RV or boat suppliers, or why not try online?

Good luck, I hope this helps.