Where to fill water?

[Throbbinhood]

Just wondering where everyone here fills their water mid trip?

We are planning on going away for 7-8 days, with a move from A-B in the middle. Figured I'd take the chance to refill water on the way.

Do you guys just go to a servo? Caravan park? Do they charge? Is servo tap water ok to drink?

TIA

[DrewXT]

Just wondering where everyone here fills their water mid trip?

We are planning on going away for 7-8 days, with a move from A-B in the middle. Figured I'd take the chance to refill water on the way.

Do you guys just go to a servo? Caravan park? Do they charge? Is servo tap water ok to drink?

TIA

We tend to fill up with water for washing dishes, etc once we run out of city water, and buy casked water there on for drinking - it's not overly expensive, and you don't have to run the gauntlet of getting a stomach bug.

When we get home, I give the CT tank a flush with a bit of bleach - job's done...

[austastar]

Hi,
    For trips of more than a few months:
50L in tank.
20L Jerry full.
10L Jerry full.

Use from tank, topping up from 10L Jerry.
When empty, fill from 20L and top up 20L when possible at  parks etc.
Top all water when buying fuel - check it is potable in dry areas or by muddy river towns.
Some towns have two water supplies, one is NOT for drinking.

Only ever run out once - both Jerries were empty, and the sink tap got pushed open on a rough road. (Always turn the pump power off along with the gas).

Cheers


Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

[prodigyrf]

If you're from Adelaide you know any articulated tap in your travels is fine for drinking and cooking, unless it's clearly marked not fit for drinking (recycled stuff on ovals and parks). Having said that they do mark rainwater tanks collecting water off NP and roadside stop rooves as not suitable for consumption too. That's more to do with our nanny state/ambulance chaser society than any real risk generations took with rainwater off their rooves in our cities.

Adelaideans and bushies are much more philosophical about these things although the bottled water mentality has taken a firm foothold here too. To put your mind at rest I've drunk from just about every water supply there is in this country plus creeks, dams and waterholes and my probiotics are just fine and so are the kids. Yes you'll get some hard water but you'll also get near distilled water like the coin in the slot jobs at both ends of the main drag at Coober Pedy. Do your kids a long term health favour and drop that antiseptic bottled water and the mentality that goes along with it is my sound advice 

[Pete79]

Have filled up the jerry cans at servos a few times (always ask the attendant if it's drinkable water first).
Also out the back of the pub (after buying a six pack of the worlds most expensive beers).
And once at a cafe in the middle of nowhere. We'd had a big feed for lunch there and chilled out for a while, after ordering a round of thick shakes the owner came out and talked with us for ages. They where more then happy to let us use their tap.

But we're only talking about a 20l jerry can here, that we filled for emergencies.
I'm sure people would be a bit different if you start dragging out hoses and want to fill a 150l built in tank or something.

[Throbbinhood]

Thanks guys. Water bottles tend to get expensive for us after a bit as we both have around 4L a day. Add that to the occasional shower etc, adds up.

Will fill the tank with drinking water and the jerries too. Will refill the tank with water from the jerries as I go, and top up the jerries at a servo for use in showers. I'll be taking roughly 130L, 70 in the tank, 60 in the jerries so we should be ok.

[Rumpig]

Don't take the servo attendants word for it that the water is drinkable, taste it first...we did that once in the middle of Summer going to a job for work, threw a bag of ice that we bought at the servo into a big drink container and filled the water he said was good into that. Got to the job on a property out in the boonies with no other water around, only to find the water tasted like petrol and was not drinkable...got so dehydrated at work that day it was rediculous

[GBC]

Van parks are always potable and you pay for the privilege so filling a tank would not raise an eyebrow. If at a servo, I ask first and buy stuff - I've never been knocked back.
I have retrofitted a male hose fitting and gate valve into my fill line so that I can run a hose straight onto it for quick fills with no spillage or mess - stuffing about with jerry cans or pumps gives everybody the jimmy grits.
Always carry a hose with various fittings for this purpose, and grab a 'tap key' from the plumber's aisle at  Bunnings to operate the ones at boat ramps and parks........ I didn't just say that.

[Desert lover]

We generally drop into the visitors/information Centre of any larger town if we are in need of topping up the tanks.  They will have a tap or be able to direct you to a place where you can fill ...   

[edz]

Could always get one of these jobbies http://www.h2oonthego.com.au/12v-15-25-LPH-Watermaker    Or the DIY version     http://www.albin25.eu/our-a25ak-dido/34-dido-stories/60-didos-watermaker

[Meggsie]

Supermarkets sell 10l casks pretty cheap. Have emptied 10 into out camper before for drinking water.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bird]

Supermarkets sell 10l casks pretty cheap. Have emptied 10 into out camper before for drinking water.

Gets expensive when you have 80ltrs to fill.

[Redcherokee]

Another vote for seeing the visitor information centre.  Showgrounds often have a tap you can get to.  Always use a water filter eg, BEST.

[speewa158]

Fitzroy Crossing  Nar North WA  drinking water on tap At $1per liter .
Take the taste teste ,    suck it & see .
lf you have a problem on the road then suck it up & drink what ever you need to  , or Buy it
                        VB is really GOOD                               

[MDS69]

Yet another vote for the visitors info centre. When planning a trip prior to leaving I ring them and ask the question. I once was offered the opportunity to fill my tanks and those of our travelling companions from the visitors centre person who answered the phone from their drinking water bore on their personal property when we were passing through. they just politely asked if we would frequent the local café for coffee.

[Traveller]

Another vote for visitor info centres. We also use a B.E.S.T. filter on the end of a drinking water grade hose as added security if you can get the water from a normal tap. So far so good.

[glenm64]

The only time weve ever found it hard to get drinking water, we got it from the servo when we filled up the tug.

Cheers Glen

[sparkieqld]

If you're from Adelaide you know any articulated tap in your travels is fine for drinking and cooking, unless it's clearly marked not fit for drinking (recycled stuff on ovals and parks). Having said that they do mark rainwater tanks collecting water off NP and roadside stop rooves as not suitable for consumption too. That's more to do with our nanny state/ambulance chaser society than any real risk generations took with rainwater off their rooves in our cities.

Adelaideans and bushies are much more philosophical about these things although the bottled water mentality has taken a firm foothold here too. To put your mind at rest I've drunk from just about every water supply there is in this country plus creeks, dams and waterholes and my probiotics are just fine and so are the kids. Yes you'll get some hard water but you'll also get near distilled water like the coin in the slot jobs at both ends of the main drag at Coober Pedy. Do your kids a long term health favour and drop that antiseptic bottled water and the mentality that goes along with it is my sound advice 

and very good advice too.

[KevL]

Service stations, public parks, tourist info centres.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[glenm64]

Wikicamps

Cheers Glen

[Throbbinhood]

Thanks for all the responses guys..

Anyone used water purification tablets? Might pickup a couple as cheap piece of mind? Any harm the tablets can do to my young fella (8 months)?

Should be fine with the plastic tank under the camper (have used it in plastic jerries before with no issues when water was questionable).

[Cruiser 105Tvan]

You could use Milton? (Baby bottle sterilizer), take it for a slosh around, empty and refill though.
Or a Pool Chlorine Tab/liquid as per directions for quantity of water treated.
The Chlorine evaporates out of the water over time.

[GBC]

Straight bleach is the standard way your town water is treated.

Products like this:

https://www.caravansplus.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=14333

just bleach - 12% solution of sodium hypochlorite - Buy some at the shops for a heap less and add a capful to the tank.

[sparkieqld]

I have used the bleach method too. The survival kits that get distributed in America after disasters have it in to treat water. I did the sums and found the aldi bleach is the same active ingredient but a different strength, works out to be 5 ml, or a teaspoon full to 20 litres of water. Use it mainly for shower and wash up water but have drank it before when it was dam water filtered through a crude filter before treating and letting stand over night. Didn't have any ill affects.

[Throbbinhood]

Thanks guys. Yeah I need to clean the tank anyway, mistakenly left it empty so will fill with water and a bit of bleach, go for a drive and empty it, then refill with clean water from home. Will avoid using the jerry water so I can refill the tank, then fill the jerries when we drive through town and use it for shower water. Will throw a drop of bleach in for good measure. Thankyou.