Do you drink out of your water storage tank?

[OcoeeG]

I am thinking about getting this 13gallon water storage tank for our trailer. Plan on mounting it underneath.


Do people drink water out of their on board water storage tanks? I feel like eventually if not drained each time algae could grow.

So, do you?

 

[Tundracamper]

Is there a difference in dispensing the water into another container versus putting it in a glass straight from this tank? I guess I don’t see the issue. I suggest you drain the tank and let it air out when it will be stored. Otherwise stuff will start growing in there. You can always clean with diluted bleach and then rinse with baking soda to refresh the tank. I don’t remember the exact ratios of water to add. But, it works.

 

[shansonpac]

I have a 40+ gal tank that I fill partially or fully depending on the demands of the trip using a drinking water grade hose. I drink right out of my storage tank. When I get home from a trip, I drain the remaining water and open all the valves to clear the plumbing of residual water (Which is an especially good idea if you are experiencing cold weather). Fresh water tanks should be sanitized on a regular basis and there are tons of YouTube videos that tell you how to do this with bleach.

 

[DRAX]

As long as you sanitize it regularly (1-2 times a year) and drain/store it properly I don't see any issue drinking out of it.

 

[Ubiety]

@shansonpac mentioned drinking water grade hose - use this rather than cheaper garden/other hose. Your wallet will tell you when you have found it ;) At the beginning of each camping season, sometimes more often, I swoosh around a bleach/water solution in my tanks, rinse and then let air dry. My understanding is that the bleach is neutralized when dried. Tanks that let light pass into the interior will have a worse time with algae, exterior spray paint can “fix” a tank that lets a lot of light pass (white/transparent)

Oh yeah, you asked about draining. Yes ;)

 

[Sparksalot]

I use water straight from mine. One of Andrew White’s videos in the last year or two mentioned preventing buildup of stuff by keeping the tank absolutely topped off between trips, to reduce the amount of air trapped inside. He also mentioned this was for opaque tanks where sunlight can’t penetrate.

 

[OcoeeG]

Thanks for the response fellas, just the type of information I was looking for!

Think I will order it up! Running water here we come!

 

[smritte]

Something on the same line when it comes to water storage.
I learned a long time ago with my motor homes that you don't filter the water going into the tank. I would filter it to take the "hose" taste away. basically filtering out the chlorine. Filtering that out allowed critters to grow in my tanks. To fix this, I stopped filtering into the tank then, I installed a solid carbon filter after my pump and would add a bit of bleach to the tank, if the water was going to be stored. The carbon took the chlorine out and all the other crap from the city water. One other thing, chlorine breaks down over time. Long term storage means you need to add some every once in a while.
I still do the same today, hose water, add bleach (chlorine) if its going to sit for a while and filter the drinking portion.