Chlorine in water tanks.

briche · Guru

Chlorine in water tanks.

Radar · Guru

briche wrote:
We are currently planning our 2year trip to WA ( when Covid 19 is done). We are wondering what people do in the long term to keep the tank water in a user form. We only use tank water for washing up, showers, etc. we use bottled water for drinking. I would appreciate your comments about keeping the tanks clean by using Chlorine into the tank every time you fill up.

Not sure of the quantity of chlorine to use, the water tanks are 2x 60 litre.

any comments on the above would be appreciated.

thanks
Brian.

Hi Brian.

We do not live in our caravan, we are 6 to 8 weeks tourers.

In the last 7 years have only drained my tanks once after collecting some not so good water but if we are at a place that has excellent water, we will drain and refil to be sure, to be sure.

We do use a inline b of all filter when filling tanks and mostly I do not hook up to town water supply until I have made a cuppa which is my test. Good old taste test.

As for chlorine, I have no idea, is that what they put in swimming pools and that taste yuk.

Hope this is of some help. Chlorine, I don't think so.

Bas + Eve · Senior Member

We ran ice makers and were told that 1 teaspoon to 200 litres would kill all bacteria.

Mike Harding · Guru

I have lived in my caravan for 18 months to date: my I've never drained the tanks but it's probably not a bad idea to drain and flush once a year or so. My drinking water comes from the van tanks and I refill them from assorted town water supply points from where ever I happen to be.

I do not routinely add sodium hypochlorite (chlorine) to the tanks, if one fills from a decent water source it should not be necessary.

When in the Vic High Country (clean rivers) and I may take drinking water from the rivers I use a ratio of 0.5ml to 1L (SH to water) of 1% sodium hypochloride. This best way to obtain SH for this purpose is by buying Milton which you may remember from your days of cleaning baby's feeding bottles. Milton is a 1% SH solution. Do not exceed the dose mentioned above of you will seriously taint the water - a few drops of lemon juice may help with the taste.

When camping on the Murray River (which has God alone knows what in it!) and I'm using the river water for showering and dish washing I add SH to each bucket of river water at a ratio of 2ml/1L.

I'm still alive :)

Mike Harding · Guru

Bas + Eve wrote:
We ran ice makers and were told that 1 teaspoon to 200 litres would kill all bacteria.

It depends on the concentration of sodium hypochloride.

The World Health Organisation recommendation for producing potable water in disaster situation is to add 0.5ml/1L of 1% solution SH.

If household bleach is used it is important to *not* use a bleach with additives (to make it smell nice), usually the cheapest own-brand bleaches fulfill this requirement but they will generally be a 4% SH solution so this must be taken into account when adding to water.

travelyounger · Guru

I keep tanks full mainly town water ,if water has been in for a period of time I empty and then refill .Keeping tanks full prohibits the growth of mould also you can buy tablets or liquid water purifier products from rv stores.I would not advise putting extra chlorine in tanks as there is already small amounts of chlorine in most town water supplies. Cheers

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

travelyounger wrote:
I keep tanks full mainly town water ,if water has been in for a period of time I empty and then refill .Keeping tanks full prohibits the growth of mould also you can buy tablets or liquid water purifier products from rv stores.I would not advise putting extra chlorine in tanks as there is already small amounts of chlorine in most town water supplies. Cheers

1. Full tanks do NOT prohibit bacteria growth which is related closely to the temperature of the water.

2. Chlorine in water breaks down quite quickly (a few days), again especially in warmer conditions.

Buried town water supply pipes are kept very cool so the chlorine lasts much longer and then the bacteria growth is slow. Water in an RV tank is a quite different proposition, particularly in the tropics where it is likely to reach the ideal temperatures for bacteria growth quite quickly.

Cheers,

Peter

oldbloke · Guru

I dont think you need to do it often. But this is good info.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

oldbloke wrote:
I dont think you need to do it often. But this is good info.

On the basis that the chlorine only lasts a few days, we add a full dose every time we add water to the tanks.

Chlorine is very cheap and an active carbon filter just before the taps takes any remaining chlorine out as the water is used.

Cheers,

Peter

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

I just treat tank and lines every year by adding high concentration running through all lines for 10
Min or so . Then flush system . Much the same as shock treating swimming pool.,, Fill with filtered tap water . Have dedication filter , tap for drinking or using in hot jug etc for tea, coffee. Cooking . Then take bottles of water from
Aldi etc . To drink with alca whole !

oldbloke · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
I just treat tank and lines every year by adding high concentration running through all lines for 10
Min or so . Then flush system . Much the same as shock treating swimming pool.,, Fill with filtered tap water . Have dedication filter , tap for drinking or using in hot jug etc for tea, coffee. Cooking . Then take bottles of water from
Aldi etc . To drink with alca whole !

Pretty good idea.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

A "shock" treatment will ensure that there is nothing in the tank or the pipes, until you fill it with water without chlorine or for a few days maximum, then you are back to square one.
When you shock treat a swimming pool it is still necessary to keep the chlorine level up in the water afterwards.
Cheers,
Peter

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Theres nothing wrong with tap water. Its just the build up over time. We lived in outback with underground water resivour. We never had any issues. In a pool our whole body is in there !! Guess where most bacteria comes from. Yes .,

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

An underground water supply is cold. That is why it is safer.
Water in buried pipes is cold.
Twice from memory the chlorinated water in the big above ground drinking water pipes between Morgan and Whyalla in South Australia has been declared unfit to drink in the summer after getting warm when the bugs grow fast. The solution has been to double the chlorination rate.
Once it gets warmer it does not stay safe for very long.
Cheers,
Peter

oldbloke · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
Theres nothing wrong with tap water. Its just the build up over time. We lived in outback with underground water resivour. We never had any issues. In a pool our whole body is in there !! Guess where most bacteria comes from. Yes .,

I agree. We have the best drinking water on the planet.

Dodgy water? Just a beat up.

Ozzie_Traveller · Senior Member

G'day Brian

Our MH has a 100Lt tank and that water is used for everything inside the vehicle - After 16 yrs of pretty much full-time Aussie touring we have never had any issues with the health quality from town water -anywhere-

Back in 2015 we had our second 6-months tour of WA - all through the coastal belt from top to bottom plus heaps of places inland - mining and other remote towns. Every refill of tank water through WA was done in towns, CPs when we used them, ie: anywhere that the tap was not purple indicating recycled water

As above - we never had any issues anywhere from the tap water we filled into the tank

As for maintenance - once home again, I open the water tank stop**** (edit OMG I have been auto edited) and once it stops draining, I reverse a garden hose onto the stop**** to hi-pressure force water into the bottom of the tank and flush out any grit or whatever there may be in the bottom of the tank. Not much comes out, but it is the only thing we do to the water tank.

Hope this helps
Phil

-- Edited by Ozzie_Traveller on Thursday 2nd of July 2020 07:58:09 PM

-- Edited by Ozzie_Traveller on Thursday 2nd of July 2020 08:00:16 PM

briche · Guru

Thank you Ozzie Traveller for your response to my post. I agree with all that you said. We have travelled quite a bit and not have any issues. Most of our travels have been SA, QLD, and NSW And around Vic as we are based in Rye down the bottom of the Mornington Peninsular and have never had any water issues but there is plenty of town water around.

its the concept of travelling in WA remote areas that has me thinking.

Brian

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Yes thats when we either boil the water or use bottled or known good water . We have filled with limestone ( hard) water around south Mt Gambier SA . It soon gets used up. Adding better less harsh water from recreation ground there which is very good ., I try not to fill actual tanks with unknown water . Just fill Large plastic container. For short duration . Besides with wine, beer, tea, coffee ? Oh yes washing & bathing !! Wash with bucket , cloth in shower then use good water sparingly to wash off . Its priorities.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

The treatment method that I describe (chlorination followed by micro carbon filtration) is satisfactory for making safe drinking water from virtually any source.

Pumped from a river in the Kimberley....

05-08-03 040E.jpg

We filled from this animal trough in Turkey.

Sometimes the choice is limited.

Cheers,

Peter

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Must say Ive cleaned out water troughs, storage etc on farms On both Islands . The skeletons you see on the bottom you dont want to know !! Yet no one has had any health issues !! Doesnt mean we dont treat or care !! Just like dead animals in rivers or lakes etc ., The beer isnt that bad !!! Lol

Hylife · Guru

Country folk drink the water that comes out of the ground, you've just got to get used to it.

Just buy two things.

1) an inline charcoal filter to connect to your hose for filling,

2) A couple of packets of Miltons Tablets from the chemist. (one per major 200L fill up to keep the tank clean of algae).

briche · Guru

Thank you Hylife for that. That together with all the other info has given me the details that I need. Once again, the grey nomads site has come to the rescue. There is a great wealth of knowledge that is freely given. Thank you all. Brian.

bomurra · Veteran Member

Hello Brian and Cheryl,

My wife and I have travelled around Aust 3 times, incl Tassie, Cape York and extensively through out central Aust. We are off to the Kimberley again on Friday.

We have never treated any water in our tanks. I ensure tanks and complete water system (pipes, pump, HW system etc.) are sterile at start of trip with a Sod. Hypcl. process, and then only fill tanks with treated scheme water.

I do not filter water going into tanks, prefering to have the extra 24 hours or so of protection that the residual chlorine in the scheme water provides. Having said that we usually run out of water after 4-5 days, so refills are reasonably frequent.

I never mix the treated water in my tanks, with untreated water that may contain organic matter, algae or bacteria, as this mixing and the byproducts resulting from that, can cause additional problems unless treated correctly.

We have a filter on our drinking water tap at the sink and only consume water from the tanks that has been filtered. We have not had a single problem in 38 years of caravanning.

If you start with clean tanks and fill reasonably often from treated town water taps you should have no problems.

Regards,

Bob

briche · Guru

Hi bomurra, thank you for your reply. Your comments are very useful and are appreciated. We have in our past travels had a similar routine and suffered no hassles. your comments are duly noted and will couple them up with everyone elses. Some of our concerns have been addressed and yours are added to the list. We are becoming quite comfortable as we prepare for our 2 year journe.

Regards

Brian and Cheryl

-- Edited by briche on Monday 6th of July 2020 10:02:12 AM

bomurra · Veteran Member

briche wrote:
Hi bomurra, thank you for your reply. Your comments are very useful and are appreciated. We have in our past travels had a similar routine and suffered no hassles. your comments are duly noted and will couple them up with everyone elses. Some of our concerns have been addressed and yours are added to the list. We are becoming quite comfortable as we prepare for our 2 year journe.
Regards
Brian and Cheryl

Hi Brian and Cheryl,
All WA towns have treated, reticulated scheme water, WIKI camps will inform where to fill up, or enquire at the visitors centre and I am sure you will have no problems.
Hope you guys make it out of Vic soon if you are still there, COVID 19 seems to have taken a bit of a hold there at present.
We usually don't try for water on the Nullabor, fill up in Ceduna before you start out.
You may have to pay a Dollar or so for water fill up in Norseman after you cross, but there is a self contained free camp pretty much right in town if you want.
Just remember the WA fruit and honey police are very efficient at the inspection point.
Enjoy your trip and don't sweat the water, it may not taste as sweet as the Victorian stuff, but it will not kill you.
Regards,
Bob.

-- Edited by briche on Monday 6th of July 2020 10:02:12 AM