Water source?
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
DonTom
Well-known member
There is usually fresh drinking water several yards away from the dumping area, but the norm is you use your own hose. I use a white hose for fresh drinking water and a green house for the dump area.
Don't use the hose right at the dumping area for fresh drinking water.
But there are a few that have a hose attached to the fresh water. But I prefer for them to NOT have a hose there, but a normal threaded pipe, so I can use my own hose for fresh water.
-Don- Auburn, CA
Rene T
Site Team
If I’m leaving the campground I’ll fill up my fresh water tank at my site before I pull out to go dump.
Even if there is a hose near the dump site labled fresh water only, you’ll never know how it was handled by the previous camper. Their hands could have been totally contaminated with bacteria and then went to the fresh water spigot and contaminated it just in time for you to use it. In other words DON’T use it. If you forgot to fill your tank, go back to it and fill it or back into a empty site and fill it there. There is much less chance of a site spigot being contaminated than a spigot at a dump station.
A good habit to get into is to carry a spray bottle of bleach and spray any spigot before handling it
Even if there is a hose near the dump site labled fresh water only, you’ll never know how it was handled by the previous camper. Their hands could have been totally contaminated with bacteria and then went to the fresh water spigot and contaminated it just in time for you to use it. In other words DON’T use it. If you forgot to fill your tank, go back to it and fill it or back into a empty site and fill it there. There is much less chance of a site spigot being contaminated than a spigot at a dump station.
A good habit to get into is to carry a spray bottle of bleach and spray any spigot before handling it
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NY_Dutch
Well-known member
For dump stations that are not located at campgrounds, it's hit or miss whether they also have a potable water tap or not. The two sites below often list locations with potable water available.
www.rvdumps.com
RV Dump Stations – rvdumps.com
www.rvdumps.com
Sanidumps: United States of America RV Dump Stations
United States of America: RV dump station locations are sorted by city or nearest city location.
www.sanidumps.com
DonTom
Well-known member
That doesn't work in boondocking areas that ONLY have fresh water at a central dump location.
While I use such "fresh" water, I never drink it from the RV. Also, I let the water run for a few seconds before I attach my own hose.
All my RV trips are well stocked up with bottled water and other drinks.
I use bottled water for drinking even at full hookup RV parks.
-Don- Reno, NV
UTTransplant
Well-known member
I have always found it harder to find potable water than a dump station. Potable water systems need continued testing, so places like highway rest areas don’t always have them. If I can’t find potable water through the apps Dutch mentioned, I go to a nearby campground and buy a dump and water fill from them. cost is ~$10-$15. Since my freshwater tank is 90 gallons and I put another 5 gallons in the black tank after emptying, I don’t grudge the cost. Oh, and I have been drinking water from my appropriately sanitized water tanks for 30+ years without issue.
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NY_Dutch
Well-known member
I'm with you in using the big plastic "bottle" built into our motorhome instead of those little plastic bottles that pollute the environment when they're not properly recycled. Over 50 years of RV'ing, and never an issue with the tank water as you said.
Domo
Well-known member
We use a countertop 1-quart "Go Berkey" for all food preparation and consumption. Berkey touts that their systems are actually water PURIFIERS, not filters... you can use virtually any water source; lake, municipal, puddles, rain barrels.
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dave54
Well-known member
I won't fill my fresh tank from a spigot anywhere near the black dump. The odds of some backflow contamination are pretty low, but that is one chance I won't take. I have no idea what some previous user may or may not have done, and we have all seen pretty bizarre idiotic things done at dump sites.
I will go to a regular campground and ask to fill. Like others have mentioned I use my own hose, and let the spigot run for a few minutes before connecting to flush out anything.
While boondocking, we take a couple of 5 gal jugs with us when we are out and about exploring the area. When we pass by a reputable water source we fill the jugs. Pour the jugs into the fresh tank when we return. That stretches the initial tankful several more days.
FYI -- FS, NPS, state parks, etc campground spigots are usually safe. Agency regulations require frequent testing of the water. The spigot will be marked as non-potable, or shut off completely, if the water fails to meet health and safety standards.
I will go to a regular campground and ask to fill. Like others have mentioned I use my own hose, and let the spigot run for a few minutes before connecting to flush out anything.
While boondocking, we take a couple of 5 gal jugs with us when we are out and about exploring the area. When we pass by a reputable water source we fill the jugs. Pour the jugs into the fresh tank when we return. That stretches the initial tankful several more days.
FYI -- FS, NPS, state parks, etc campground spigots are usually safe. Agency regulations require frequent testing of the water. The spigot will be marked as non-potable, or shut off completely, if the water fails to meet health and safety standards.
