Date: Sun, 29 May 2016 19:25:31 -0700
Reply-To: Alistair Bel <albell@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bel <albell@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: Onboard water supply?
In-Reply-To: <CACvdLxPpLwjhFCKLqcCUa3JKQuk4Fwj0tT9ckrP-56Kep7-GVA@mail.gmail.com>
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I'm sure Dave will agree with what I'm going to say. There really is little excuse not to have a potable water supply in the van using the stock tank and plumbing.
Just like doing the brakes, it's all down to taking care of the details.
I'd suggest that the poly hose from tank to faucet should be replaced. If stock then it's old and most likely has cracks and fissures on the inside. The old saying about the first stage of infection is attachment is applicable here. Having crevices in the hose for bacterial or fungal colonization is not a good thing. Replace with food grade tubing.
The water tank should be cleaned, but resist the temptation to reach in and scrub with anything abrasive. Again you don't want to form scratches that can give refuge. I've washed out the tank with a diluted solution of Hydrochloric acid ( muriatic acid at the hardware store) to remove water deposits. The tank was impressively clean after that.
Sanitizing the tank and lines for most of us means using a bleach solution. There are other chemicals and if you have access to them that's great. Peroxy acetic acid is great for a no rinse sanitizer. Home brew and wine making shops might have that. As an aside, sodium percarbonate is a good cleaner and sanitizer as a first step in cleaning the tank. Again it might be found at your home brew shop.
But bleach works well and is available. Remember to use clean tap water to rinse out, your city water is good.
Don't fill the tank with anything but known good water. It's a no brainer but has to be said.
Remember the simplified rule, micro organisms need three things to thrive; warmth, water, food.
(And although it's a very simplistic rule, it works for the organisms we want to protect against)
Take away any one and your good to go. In the water supply situation it means taking away food, and that means clean water goes in. No dirt.
I think it's daft to have a water system in the van that you can't trust.
Alistair
> On May 29, 2016, at 6:38 PM, David McNeely <davmcneely40@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> Yes, there are several brands available. I have only used PotableAqua,
> which as an iodine product, should not be used for a long period of time
> due to possible organ damage. I've used it for a two week long back
> packing trip, and all my organs seem to be intact.
>
> Here are a few references worth looking at. Bleach seems to me to be more
> practical compared to the Aqua Tabs (which I have never used). Aqua Tabs
> are available from Amazon and some outdoor type stores.
>
> http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/travel/emergency_disinfection.html
>
>
>
> http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/making-water-safe.html
>
>
>
> http://www.doh.wa.gov/portals/1/Documents/pubs/331-115.pdf
>
>
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Potable-Aqua-Water-Treatment-Tablets/dp/B001949TKS
>
>
>
> http://www.aquatabs.com/aquatabs-water-treatment-tablets/what-are-aquatabs-water-disinfection-tablets.html
>
>
>
> http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=aquatab&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=94424935946&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=s&hvrand=5756020579815282472&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_8p979nqm4b_b_p9
>
>
>
> http://shop.elua.com/collections/aquatabs
>
>
>
> http://www.aquatabs.com/aquatabs_products_range/aquatabs_usa_pack.html
>
>
>
> If you really want the full story, you might want to read the following
> long report from USAID
>
>
>
> http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/Pnads134.pdf
>
>
>> On Sun, May 29, 2016 at 9:40 AM, Jeff Palmer <jpalmer@mymts.net> wrote:
>>
>> Are there tablets you could add to the tank from a camping supply store?
>>
>> I'm pretty sure all the warning signs in Ontario showed up after a problem
>> with one municipal supply rather than a problem at campgrounds. Sorry to
>> hear of your sickness!
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On May 29, 2016, at 10:28 AM, Dennis Jowell <dennisjowell@GMAIL.COM>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Thanks, Dennis and Eric for your response
>>> In my hast to get off the farm I forgot these procedures.
>>> I thought I cleaned the system in the fall but forgot to make a note
>> about it.
>>> Last couple of years as we traveled we started using bottled water once
>> our onboard well water from our farm was gone. That worked great. Another
>> learning experience.
>>>
>>> Dennis J
>>>
>>> Dennis Jowell
>>> Scotch Hollow Farm
>>> Newbury, Vermont
>>>
>>>
>>>> On May 29, 2016, at 10:08 AM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> One of the problems with water while traveling is the supply. Many
>>>> campgrounds/roadside water sources use untreated well water. Once
>> something
>>>> gets inside that tank and the tank gets warmed from being in the
>> vehicle it
>>>> becomes an awesome breeding ground for anything nasty that wants to
>> grow.
>>>> Bleach and tank cleaning treatments will help to clean but that only
>> helps
>>>> once. Also we have found over the years that even local water can cause
>> us
>>>> to become sick. When we go out to eat my wife only gets bottled water
>> and no
>>>> ice. Soda and coffee, tea, etc from restaurants all use local water.
>>>>
>>>> For drinking water on the road we use bottled. In our RV we have a
>> filter
>>>> that removes most anything that we use for the icemaker and the side
>> tap at
>>>> the kitchen sink. Still the tank water is used mostly for cooking
>> cleaning,
>>>> brushing teeth etc.
>>>>
>>>> Dennis
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>> Behalf Of
>>>> Dennis Jowell
>>>> Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2016 8:18 AM
>>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>> Subject: Onboard water supply?
>>>>
>>>> . What is a correct procedure to clean the onboard water supply to the
>> sink
>>>> faucet which I use as drinking water also. I came down with something
>> as we
>>>> traveled through Ontario camping. I think I did this wrong. In fact I
>> may
>>>> not have done anything with the water only filling it up trying to get
>> out
>>>> of town, ugh!
>>>> Had to cut our planned trip short.
>>>> Is there a water filter that's recommended to use while using a camp
>> ground
>>>> water supply?
>>>> Dennis J
>>>>
>>>> Dennis Jowell
>>>> Scotch Hollow Farm
>>>> Newbury, Vermont
>>
