Caravan Water Concerns

Try changing the filter. They have a three month shelf life.

I have no idea what your "grains of salt" might be; its contamination from somewhere.

We don't drink unboiled water from a caravan system as they are simply not designed to safe. There are free surfaces and surfaces that can be left damp for days on end between use. Not that the risks are high, but are there nevertheless. We simply keep cold drinking water in a reused water bottle in the fridge.

Most caravan filters, those without an active biocide present their own risks. Left stagnant charged with water between trips is something I find unacceptable in what is thought of as a potable water system.

I am a newbie to touring and took delivery of my 2015 Lunar Quasar in August. I have managed two weekends away so far, and both times have suffered from a bad stomach. One instance is still ongoing 2 weeks after the last trip away. I am keen to rule out the caravan water supply as a possible cause. I have flushed the system twice with Milton and clean water. I am concerned though because whenever I put water from the tap into a pan or sink, there is always a residue which feels like undissolved grains of salt. Has anyone else experienced this or know what it might be?

Are these “grains” coming from both the hot and cold supplies?  I’m surprised a good flush doesn’t get rid of any particles.  I’ve always used water from the caravan system for drinking, teeth brushing etc. and never had any problems. I sterilise the aquarolls and full system with either Milton tablets or Puriclean at the beginning of the season and after any breaks in use longer than a couple of months. 

We drink from the caravan tap and have never come to any harm.  I would be carefull using Miltons simply because it can attack stainless steel.  Caravan filters will add to the bug count in a water supply if you have one I would advocate removing it. 

Regarding the grains of salt don't really know. To possibilities firstly a filter is ruptured in that case the salt would be black.  Alternatively do you live in a soft water area.  If so and you have had this problem in a hardwater area then it might just be the calcium carbonate forming and dropping out of solution and probably nothing worry about

I have no idea what your "grains of salt" might be; its contamination from somewhere.

We don't drink unboiled water from a caravan system as they are simply not designed to safe. There are free surfaces and surfaces that can be left damp for days on end between use. Not that the risks are high, but are there nevertheless. We simply keep cold drinking water in a reused water bottle in the fridge.

Most caravan filters, those without an active biocide present their own risks. Left stagnant charged with water between trips is something I find unacceptable in what is thought of as a potable water system.

From a microbiological point of view this is correct. It does not take long for a biofilm to form in the pipes then it's darned difficult to completely get rid of this with freely available products for the general public.

Milton etc is just diluted bleach and whilst effective (to a degree) must not be left in contact with stainless steel for more than about 20 minutes. So if you do use this, bleach, VWP or any other chlorine based chemical, rinse it out very well several times.

Personally we use VWP twice a year, rinse well but use a 5 lit container inside the caravan for drinking water. This in turn goes into a fridge Brita filter jug that has an charcoal filter that takes out any residual tastes. This is changed every couple of weeks or at the start of every trip

Many people drink straight from the tap with no ill effects but from a microbiolgical point of view it's pushing your luck.

The residue that looks like undissolved salt may well be charcoal particles from a cracked filter or if you are really unlucky residue from some chemical the previous owners have used.

Good luck

I am a newbie to touring and took delivery of my 2015 Lunar Quasar in August. I have managed two weekends away so far, and both times have suffered from a bad stomach. One instance is still ongoing 2 weeks after the last trip away. I am keen to rule out the caravan water supply as a possible cause. I have flushed the system twice with Milton and clean water. I am concerned though because whenever I put water from the tap into a pan or sink, there is always a residue which feels like undissolved grains of salt. Has anyone else experienced this or know what it might be?

Are these “grains” coming from both the hot and cold supplies?  I’m surprised a good flush doesn’t get rid of any particles.  I’ve always used water from the caravan system for drinking, teeth brushing etc. and never had any problems. I sterilise the aquarolls and full system with either Milton tablets or Puriclean at the beginning of the season and after any breaks in use longer than a couple of months. 

Same here - and never had any ill effects.  But by the same token we've never had anything like 'undisolved grains of salt' and that needs to be resolved ...

no idea what the residue could be but it certainly sounds too much of a coincidence not to be the cause of feeling unwell. For the record I have had caravans motorhoms or boats for nearly thirty years I have never flushed any system and have always drank water from whatever holding tank is fitted and have never had any ill effects.

I don't know what your current 'grains of salt' might be - but here's another reason why we don't drink the caravan water supply, but keep a jug or bottle in the fridge, and use that for everything we drink and sometimes we just fill the kettle directly from the site taps.

Caravan water pipes build up

As you can see, from the linked to post I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about it, I still don't understand why the caravan industry/water container manufacturers don't have to run proper tests to make sure the water is actually fit to drink in 'on-site' conditions.  Perhaps because the results would show something they wouldn't like!

You could get a sample checked by a private lab or your local environment agency at little cost.

I too gave up drinking from my main m/home tank after several and uncharacteristic spells of the trots whilst on tour. I have seen folk rinsing their toilet cassettes with the drinking water tap and hose, and at La Source site recently for three mornings on the trot (ho-hum) a (French) chap emptied his toilet cassette correctly each morning then took it to the the sinks for washing up dishes to rinse it out, making cross contamination very likely. I mentioned this to him but he was completely dismissive of his irresponsibilty.

I never drink from my main tank and keep a 5 litre fresh supply for that in a separate container but even then it's usually for hot beverages, cooking veg etc. so is boiled first. Contradictorily I do use the main tank water sterilised with one Puritab per 5 litres for teeth brushing.............

I find it curious that the domestic main water supply is generally potable even though the water utility's reservoirs and supply pipes are never sterilised or flushed through. Only once in 45 years as a householder has the supply company made a spontaneous, apparently routine, check on the water quality at my domestic taps.

I don't know what your current 'grains of salt' might be - but here's another reason why we don't drink the caravan water supply, but keep a jug or bottle in the fridge, and use that for everything we drink and sometimes we just fill the kettle directly from the site taps.

Caravan water pipes build up

As you can see, from the linked to post I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about it, I still don't understand why the caravan industry/water container manufacturers don't have to run proper tests to make sure the water is actually fit to drink in 'on-site' conditions.  Perhaps because the results would show something they wouldn't like!

 

You know what I used to do for a living ValDa and because of that and the courses I have been on I don't drink from the caravan taps.

Nice photo of a biofilm by the way.