Keeping fresh water tank Fresh

[bigriver]

I'm with @moorefc on this one. In 20 years and 1500+ camping nights we've never had an issue with compromised on-board water. We are careful - from a taste standpoint - about where we fill up when on the road and always drain the system for winter and rinse well before refilling for a trip. The one time I used bleach as a sanitizing agent it took us forever to get the taste out of the system so we don't do that anymore. Our municipal H2O is very good and we've also run hundreds of gallons of Baja purified water through it.

[lchukar]

Like moorefc, I do nothing but use chlorinated city water, and have never had a problem in 10 years. It is rare for a couple weeks to go by without using our van, so I just always add new water to the old. We have twin 16 gallons tanks, so a big capacity. I do drain it each winter to avoid freezing for a few months.

We almost always boondock, but one time in an Arizona state park we got a bad batch of water from our campsite source. After green gooey chunks started coming out of our faucet we did head for a town for a bleach purge!

[Jeffrey]

I've had H2O tanks in my SMB and now a Sprinter, for over 16 years. I refill the tank before each trip and sometimes flush old water out. I've never used bleach or any other chemical in it and it is perfectly clean and fresh.

[Steve Hunt]

Thanks for sharing all your experiences. I'm confident now on dealing with it and not having a problem.

[Steve C]

I'm with Jeffery on this one. Water should last without treatment of any kind for months/years if stored in the dark and clean to begin with. Had my SMB for 5 years and other than draining for the winter and refilling as needed never felt the need to treat with anything. As for drinking old water... I don't think I've suffered too seriously by letting my fireline pack canteens go 6 months (over the winter months) and consumed the following season. I've been on well water for the past 20 years with no chlorine added and much prefer drinking out of the SMB tank vs supplemental sources (at least until I'm forced to re-fill from a municipal source).

[Ben10281]

Originally Posted by Steve C

Water should last without treatment of any kind for months/years if stored in the dark and clean to begin with.

I am not sure the concern is around old water, I think the concern(at least my concern) is when you run your tank empty then don't refill it for a few months, will mold form from the residual moisture left in the pipes. Then when you finally refill the tank with fresh, non-chlorinated water, are you exposed to mold? Alternatively, if you cycle the chlorinated water through the system first, my assumption is that you are killing/removing the mold that may have formed in the pipes, before consuming the water.

I am no expert in any of this and would love to know more about this. I too have a 23 yr old water tank that I still drink out of and have never had any issues.

[SMB123]

I'm one of those lunatics who believe exposure to diverse microbes is a key to healthy immune system.

I flush a new RV with a chlorine solution but have never done it twice.

I also dump black and gray tanks without gloves (wash hands with sandalwood soap).

Don't even make my hands drunk with "sanitizer".

Don't wash chicken before cooking.

That vibe.

[Charliesmom]

Here’s what the inside of the tank looked liked after draining after each trip as others have stated. All the water that goes into my tank (21 G) is pre-filtered using a Camco (Camco TastePURE Camper/RV Water Filter & Hose Protector | Inline Water (20 micron). I have a General Ecology Seagull IV filter at the sink for drinking water (0.4 micron). I clean my tank annually by drying it and using a Chlorox wipe down via the port.
After looking in my glass while finishing dinner and typing this post, I see a bit of sediment

[wanderers]

I treat my water system like Charliesmom does, wiping it down with a Clorox wipe after draining. I think the black sediment in the tank may be from charcoal in the filter. I have learned to get a glass of water and taste it before using any source that I'm thinking of filling my tank from since I once got a tank full of sulfur tasting water that took several flushes to clear out. It may have been safe to drink, but certainly unpleasant. A port in the top of the tank is helpful in cleaning and winterizing since it lets you vacuum out the water and wipe the tank out.
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Roger