This will probably get jumped on..

Try a NON scented Bleach[chlorine based]



found this ...


WATER PURIFICATION

1) Clear water is a sign of pure water. Always drain long-standing pipes for 30 seconds to one minute before drinking! (Cheap remote motels?)

2) 1 Gallon water is disinfected by 8-16 drops of regular household bleach (visually about 1/4 of a teaspoon) - double that for cloudy water. Shake and let stand 30 minutes. One teaspoon will disinfect 5 gallons. Immediately after treating, water must initially have a slight smell of chlorine. If it does not - repeat the process.

3) Household bleach is relatively harmless. The smell or �waft� of chlorine is not bad: it indicates that water is treated and germ free. Once treated and disinfected, the chlorine smell will go away in a few days.

4) Regularly used water from large tanks may be treated once or twice a month with 1 Oz. bleach per 200 gallons or 5 Oz. bleach per 1000 gallons.

5) Long-standing water in tanks will be disinfected w/ 1 pint household bleach per 1000 gallons. (2500 gal tanks are fine with 3 pints.)

6) Bleach effectively kills bacteria and viruses, stops smells and then breaks down. It's effective germ killing alkaline property is completely neutralized very quickly. It does not stay chemically active in tanks for more than a few days. Most germs require sunlight to grow. Store water in the dark.

7) If water is relatively clear: but has a noticeable smell of chlorine: it is drinkable, disinfected, and harmless. Humans need 2 quarts per day.


-- also try to use a Food grade hose to fill your tanks..

Juergen

Gday

I read recently on this forum someone advocating using Milton Baby Bottle Wash. Can't be too harmful if designed for babies!. Haven't tried myself - yet - but intend to do so. If you do try please update this topic..
Glen

Your household water supply is kept safe with chlorine.
Plain, pure household chlorine bleach is fine.
We add chlorine to our water tanks every time we fill them.

Cheers,
Peter

Just empty your tanks and give them a flush out!It costs nothing.We have done it for years we are still alive .John

Cruisaderhilton,

One safe method is to use colloidal silver (from the local health shop) and hydrogen peroxide (from the chemist)
You use 2ml of each, for every litre of water, ie, for 58 litre tank you need 116 ml's of each.

Mix both in a litre of water, fill the tank to almost full, pour in the mixture, top up the tank, pump some through all the pipework and leave for as long as possible, (a few days if you can) then drain the tank, flush it out and fill with clean fresh water. (you should have plenty of water up your way)
Of course you must use food safe hose, but you know that.

That's one method, as per B.E.S.T. water filters, (bacteria eliminating silver technology) www.bes****erfilters.com.au/ (check out the free download, "Water on the Road")

The other way, and I now use this, is from any caravan/camping shop buy a bottle of Bio Magic tank steriliser, it's pretty much the same thing, but bottled ready to use, but be sure to read the directions and use just the right amount. They supply an eye dropper with it so you can accurately measure it.

We also have one of the above filters, and all incoming water goes through it into the tanks which ensures safe water is going in.

With the bio magic, once you've flushed it out you can refill and leave a small amount in the tanks, they give the amounts to use and supply a packet of ph sticks to test it for safeness.
With the BEST method, you need to flush the tanks and then just refill with clean fresh/filtered water. Don't leave the brew in there.

One point, just in case anyone doesn't know, some vans, (ours) were fitted with clear plastic tubing for the water system underneath. That stuff breeds algie and goes black, yuk! Must be replaced with food safe, opaque hoses, otherwise all tank cleansing will be useless.

Bevan

Whoops, in my previous post the Thought Police have tried to censor that URL for the water filters.

Let's see if we can out fox them. With no spaces, it is, best water filters, and you know the rest, dot com au and all that. ha ha.

Cheers all,
Bevan

As said no need to buy any special ingredients. Plain bleach, like white king or similar, one cupful per tank, fill to the brim, with the pump running, open one tap at a time till you smell the bleach, then turn off and move to the next tap (this ensures the bleach mixture is in the pipes too) then top up tanks again, leave for a few hours or overnight and drain, refill with clean fresh water, simple and works.

By the way, this method was told to us by a medical specialist after my wife contracted gardia, and became hospitalized, which was suspected to have been caused by some contaminated water from piping in a Kimberley caravan park, that we had placed in our tanks.