Drinking Water - What do you do?

[booster]

We use a 3M marine filter, single stage, 2 gpm, good for a couple thousand gallons, filters to .2 micron(?) and gets all the bad stuff and does charcoal for taste. In the Roadtrek we put it in just after the pump and inlet, so everything except the outside cold is filtered. It is very nice not to have to haul water to drink, using up all that space. The water is very good in taste and clarity, and safe.

[Photog]

We fill the tanks at home, running the house water through a filter. It gets used for everything but drinking. We fill a couple gallon jugs with filtered water for drinking. If that runs out, we buy water just for drinking.

We have been thinking about carrying a backpacking-type water filter, to refill our drinking jugs from various water sources.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Photog

We fill the tanks at home, running the house water through a filter. It gets used for everything but drinking. We fill a couple gallon jugs with filtered water for drinking. If that runs out, we buy water just for drinking.

We have been thinking about carrying a backpacking-type water filter, to refill our drinking jugs from various water sources.

We looked at the portables, too, but when we found the 3M unit, it just made sense to do the entire van water supply. We can drink the water from the faucet, both hot and cold, and also the shower if you get it in your mouth. I really helped the tooth brushing!

Here is what ours looks like. It fits in the bolster perfectly and takes zero space from anything else. The other piece on top of the speaker, to the rear of the filter is a hardwired surge/voltage suppressor/monitor. It also cost us zero space and we don't have to worry about it disappearing from the power post. The filter cannister isn't on the unit in the pic as we take it off over the winter.

[gspark]

Hi,
I went on my first RV trip recently and wasn't really prepared (it was a short, fly by the seat of my pants trip to see what it's like). When we arrived at our destination, I suddenly realized safe drinking water could be an issue. I was *told* that the water is potable, but it had a strong odour. Not very appetizing, and also leaves one in doubt as to safety.

Anyway, I was pretty surprised to find the overwhelming number of people who responded to this poll said they use Bottled Drinking Water. PLEASE folks, do you understand how much waste that is? We RV'ers of all people should be trying to keep pristine the environment we're in.

@fontpro - I thought about Brita, but so many Class B fridges are tiny 3 cu ft. At least the RV we rented had a 4 cu ft fridge, but our Brita was still too big.

@DaveR - Definitely a water filtration system is the way to go! Which brand/system did you choose? Love to know, save me some research.

One solution I can offer one the fly is for people who also travel abroad where drinking water is highly questionable and you may camp here in N.A. or otherwise need a quick-fix sterilization. Check out: Steri-Pen (portable UV treatment of drinking water)



Visit http://www.steripen.com

OR http://www.campsaver.com/steripen.ht...FRHGKgodkiaXNg

[markopolo]

Not to stray too far off topic but does anyone know of site that ranks "green" or "environmentally friendly" products and ideas based on the overall effect of their production, delivery and disposal.

All the better if it is related to bottled water.

The product in the post above for instance.............. Is it "green"? With batteries, glass, multiple metals, UV light, plastics and packaging............

If you have good tap water at home and at work then it would be wasteful to use bottled water for your daily needs. Much better to use a refillable container.

How does this all relate to camping? Boondocking? No city water source? For a week? For a month? Six months? Would a water tester be the ideal solution?

I have a filter in my RV and my house (I'm on well water - not city water). Basically, the filters are good for sediment, smell, taste etc. They are too coarse at 5 to 10 microns to block bacteria or viruses.

Can RV water pumps push water through a 1 micron filter?

So many questions..................

[Davydd]

There is no green bottled water, especially plastic containers, that is for sale. In North America our drinking water is fairly safe and there should be no need to buy bottled water in plastic containers. Can't say the same, from experience, south of our borders and Africa.

We carry re-usable bulk containers for drinking water that we fill and filter. On short trips that is water from home which we like. I still use the water from the tap for cooking, brushing teeth, etc. We use a filter when we fill our RV tanks. Not drinking regularly from the RV tank is just a precaution knowing things can change over the camping season if you are not careful. It is just easier knowing smaller containers are clean.

For personal bottled water on hikes and while traveling down the road we use re-fillable aluminum containers. I have no problem re-filling them at drinking fountains.

[gspark]

Originally Posted by Ms"B"Haven

I take water from home and put it in 1-liter empty Coke bottles. I want my coffee to taste the same as home. I also take it from home because I want my dogs to not have a change. However, if I run out of "home" water, I refill the bottles from what I hope is a reliable source.

Hi Ms. B and everyone, so glad we're having this important discussion! Thanks markopolo for the great poll and the good question about the Steri-pen's overall environmental impact (see my response below...).

First, I totally agree a good water filtration system that also treats bacteria and viruses is preferable, but for those who bring water from home for short trips...

Ms. "B" Haven, Can I suggest using glass jars or bottles to hold your drinking water in? And at minimum, using Brita to everyone else.

I know glass is heavy and potentially breakable, but it will preserve the 'flavour' and taste better. Those plastic pop bottles are actually designed for 'one-time use'. They can leach out chemicals with re-use -- especially in hot weather.** So instead, Try buying and saving those large, oversized jars of pickles and relish, etc, you find at Costco, or smaller mason jars.

Or even get those tall, square-shaped glass kitchen containers found in dollar stores and kitchen shops, which I believe are leak-proof and store nicely side-by-side. You can even order glass containers online. Costlier, but worth it in the end - the benefits and savings to health, environment, and economy (preventive healthcare, folks!) are endless.

This is not exactly RV-oriented, but see LifeFactory's silicone-wrapped glass bottles (esp, for nursing babies):



Having worked with environmental health activists and having the privilege of volunteering on a resource guide for an award-winning documentary film on children's environmental health, Toxic Trespass. I now know indisputably that what I've long feared is coming true. See http://www.womenshealthyenvironments.ca.

Childhood cancers, learning disabilities (autism, ADHD, etc), and birth defects, to name a few health crises, are ON THE RISE. And they all get passed on down the line. More girls are now being born than boys because toxic chemicals/metals that are in so many everyday consumer products are affecting DNA and reproductive organs (it's ubiquitous - from Swiffers to air freshners to carpeting, new bedding, drycleaning, fire retardants, etc). Again, see Toxic Trespass... (http://www.toxictrespass.com)

Also I'm a pet owner, too, and like you, I try to be careful about the water I give to my pets. All this info applies ditto to your beloved furry friend.

And ditto Davydd's comment about bottled water being no better than tap water. Mainstream TV news reports not only confirm this fact, but they offer shocking revelations about the standards of bottled water.

http://www.bottledwaterblues.com


**Note: The different numbers on the bottom of plastic containers have different levels of toxicity.

http://www.squidoo.com/dangerous_plastics (this link is more accurate than the one below)

http://someknowledge.wordpress.com/2...ic-containers/

__________________________________________________ ___________

@Markopolo, Really appreciated your point about how eco-friendly is Steri-Pen's product materials and packaging. Thanks for pointing that out.

Another must-see film is Manufactured Landscapes (2006) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0832903/). This docu film features stunning photos of industrial-human-natural landscapes, mostly in China, taken by award-winning photographer Edward Burtynsky. Anyway, I figured the choice between buying 1 Steri-Pen vs. 100s and possibly 1,000s of plastic water bottles that many RV'ers here seem to be opting for - per person, annually! - seemed less toxic to the planet. But, hard call!

You're so right: Smaller does not equal less polluting.

(eg, As a teen in the early 80s, I suggested using water distillers as an alternative to the growing trend toward plastic bottled water, yet my engineer father quickly pointed out that the copper heating element in electric distillers are toxic to produce and involve invasive mining.)

Too bad there isn't an automatic ecological footprint calculator for each product to compare the overall impacts on the planet. Generally, I try to go for the most natural products, locally-sourced. Clearly the Steri-Pen doesn't meet that criteria, but along with it being small and highly effective, I was thinking how serious a threat bacteria-laden water can be, ie, risk of death. Having travelled in countries where I simply would not want to risk my life drinking the local water (the closest I ever felt to dying was when I caught a bad virus in India), the Steri-Pen seems a useful safety tool for both local+foreign water consumption, though I'm sure there are far better water filtration/sterilization options (that said, UV light is 100% effective vs. some filters which only claim > 97%).

Dr. Oz has done an informative (and shocking to some) segment on tap water quality and bottled water issues. Apparently in the U.S., you can check the tap water quality for every city/county online. Keywords are 'tap water quality + consumer confidence test'. http://www.DoctorOz.com

Finally, a similar water-related issue: black holding tank water treatment in RVs. After my very first RV trip this summer, I was horrified to learn that I had to deposit this toxic-looking gel bag into the holding tank to deodorize the waste and help break it down. Sure enough, I've since read that the gel is FULL of bad stuff. See link below for eco-friendly alternatives...

For biodegradeable treatment for deodorizing your black wastewater holding tank: http://trisyn.com/ret-cap/ret-rm-cap.htm

(sorry I get overly passionate and long-winded, but this is a vital issue! Don't Campers and RV'ers have a front-line responsibility to do the least harm to natural environments we're visiting or living in...?)