How long will water stay fresh?

We usually bring bottled water to drink, but I make coffee straight from the tap. Water doesn't really go "bad", unless something externally contaminates it. I personally agree with Gary's view that people can adapt to their situation. Originally, the term "hay fever" had a different meaning. Back then, folks would help each other during hay season bringing in and storing hay. Each family had their own water source, a spring, a hand dug well, etc. The families that lived there adjusted to the particular water, bacteria and so on and could drink their own water supply with no ill effects. Families that came to help would bring their own water because drinking from a different water source could make them sick. If they drank water from the neighbors they were helping, it could lead to stomach problems, or worse, thus the term hay fever. Filling your tank with water from somewhere you aren't used to can always risk having adverse affects but normally not serious, just inconvenient. But we don't worry about it much. We have a split system at home and usually on well water, but can switch to spring water if we have a problem with the well. We do use a UV system to purify our water, mainly for the spring water. Anyway, to me worrying about water in your fresh water tank is overrated as long as you take reasonable precautions.

Gary RV_Wizard said:

LOL. All our friends have died, or will die, sooner or later.  Some people drink white lightning, smoke cigars every day and live to 100+. Others die as infants for inexplicable reasons. The fact that somebody died isn't evidence of anything.

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There is the truism, every person who drank milk in 1800 is now dead.

Gary RV_Wizard said:

LOL. All our friends have died, or will die, sooner or later.  Some people drink white lightning, smoke cigars every day and live to 100+. Others die as infants for inexplicable reasons. The fact that somebody died isn't evidence of anything.

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Where is your sense of irony... got ya.

After sanitizing per our Library article here, I usually add a small amount of bleach to maintain the water in the tank, but I usually add too much bleach, and Chris complains.

I have been drinking my motorhome tap water for over the five years I have been full-timing.  I bought my rig new and take good care of my fresh water tank, adding chlorine every few months.  I also have a whole-house filter that I change regularly.  You can use carbon filters, but there are more expensive ones that catch things like giardia, and those are the ones i use.  Change it about every 4 months.  I also will use up all my tank water if it has been sitting in the tank for a couple of weeks and then refill it with fresh water. This happens if I have been connected to city water at some campgrounds. 

Occasionally, if I do not like the taste of the campground water (namely in Florida) or distrust it for some reason, I will use an extra filter on the hose I use to fill my tanks.  I also trust national and state park water much more than commercial campground water because I know the governmental sites test more often.  Grand Canyon, by the way, has the best water in the country because it comes from Roaring Springs in the canyon on the north side! 

I also fill from my tank several reusable water bottles that are freezable so when I go out I take one.  It will slowly melt as I walk or sightsee.  Anyway, I am still alive and relatively healthy. 

My husband got very sick once from drinking the water coming thru our camper.  Probably due to something we did or did not do, but We dont drink it now.

The main point here is that it makes little difference whether the water "comes through the camper" or from elsewhere. When you travel to different locales, you get exposed to different microbes. Water is a very common source of different microbes (though hardly the only one) and modern Americans seem quick to blame the water for anything that results in tummy distress or diarrhea. As stated previously, the more you avoid exposure, the worse the vulnerability to microbes gets. It's sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In most areas these days, campground water supplies are subject to the same health regulations and monitoring as restaurants and public water systems. The glass of water you get in the local diner is just as risky as the water in the campground. Or not.

Gary RV_Wizard said:

The main point here is that it makes little difference whether the water "comes through the camper" or from elsewhere. When you travel to different locales, you get exposed to different microbes. Water is a very common source of different microbes (though hardly the only one) and modern Americans seem quick to blame the water for anything that results in tummy distress or diarrhea. As stated previously, the more you avoid exposure, the worse the vulnerability to microbes gets. It's sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

In most areas these days, campground water supplies are subject to the same health regulations and monitoring as restaurants and public water systems. The glass of water you get in the local diner is just as risky as the water in the campground. Or not.

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X2 and:

blw2 said:

I'm no doctor, but that doesn't smell right.
antibiotic use leads to stronger antibiotic resistant bacteria...but I don't figure it harms the immune system.  Not directly anyway.

Rather, I'd guess what was meant is that since we live in relatively clean environments, have access to soap, have cleaned a lot of nasties such as polio and many other things out of our environment, that our immune systems have not built antibodies for a lot of the junk that is still common elsewhere in the world....so we might get attacked by multiple different nastiest at the same time that our bodies can't easily fight

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Blw2 is right on.

blw2 said:

I'm no doctor, but that doesn't smell right.
antibiotic use leads to stronger antibiotic resistant bacteria...but I don't figure it harms the immune system.  Not directly anyway.

Rather, I'd guess what was meant is that since we live in relatively clean environments, have access to soap, have cleaned a lot of nasties such as polio and many other things out of our environment, that our immune systems have not built antibodies for a lot of the junk that is still common elsewhere in the world....so we might get attacked by multiple different nastiest at the same time that our bodies can't easily fight

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I think what he is referring to is that not allowing yourself to be exposed to common microbes in
our everyday environment will keep you body from building up a natural immunity to them. Vaccines
help our systems build immunity to serious stuff. Antibiotics are just a remedy and don't help the
system build immunity.

    There are numerous sources to be found showing that early and/or continued use of antibiotics contribute to the "Lessing" of our natural ability to fight common diseases !  Of course, none of these studies are from the major pharmaceutical companies or health providers.

    So, I'll avoid antibiotics whenever possible. Also, Haven't taken a flu shot in 40 plus years....nor have I had the flu!  Maybe a coincidence.... but it's working for me!

Rene T said:

To think, the other day, I drink out of my black garden hose. And from time to time, if walking in the woods and I come across a brook, I'll drink from that too. I can see I'm short lived. My days are probably numbered.

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Just remember...if you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room! 8)

Memtb said:

Also, Haven't taken a flu shot in 40 plus years....nor have I had the flu!  Maybe a coincidence.... but it's working for me!

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Likewise, no flu shot, no flu.  In my case, more than 55 years. 

Of course I'm sure ya'll realize that the flu shot doesn't absolutely prevent the influenza. It simply improves your odds of not getting it. Also it improves your odds of not dying from it--especially as you age. This has been strongly proven through excellent studies involving tens of thousands of individuals in the Scandinavian countries where there is socialized medicine, allowing for information untainted by bias from pharmaceutical companies who profit from selling the vaccine. Those studies involve whole populations and they know everything about who received the vaccine and who got documented influenza and who died from it. There's a statistically significant reduction in flu cases and hospitalization and death in the vaccinated population. That takes into consideration complications from the vaccine as well. Most everything in life is a gamble and all you're doing is improving your odds by getting the flu shot.
Bob

My thoughts, not backed up by science, but what I believe and do.
I use city water, it is good for at least 6 months.
I have never put river or lake water in my tanks.
I add a cup of bleach to 20 to 30 gallons of water, let it sit awhile ( once a year) and then drain it.

I am still here and healthy after 40 plus years of RVing.

Just my thoughts.

need to check your fresh water tank fill tube.  Apparently the people who installed the system in my coach forgot that water does not flow uphill and there is 3" to 4" portion thats a "gully" about 6inches from the top filled with some rather looking nasty stuff.  I didn't notice this area before but with filling by hand with a funnel I shined a light down the fill tube and clearly saw this.  Just ordered a bottle brush with 18inch handle so I can keep this area clean.