# Do you drink the water?



## Canalsman (Apr 15, 2018)

I have drunk the water from tanks in boats and motorhomes for 50 plus years with not a single problem.

Do you or don't you drink the water from your onboard tank?


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## mark61 (Apr 15, 2018)

I do.


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## Nesting Zombie (Apr 15, 2018)

POI Admin said:


> I have drunk the water from tanks in boats and motorhomes for 50 plus years with not a single problem.
> 
> Do you or don't you drink the water from your onboard tank?



Pretty much Exactly the same post could have come fro me, So it’s another Yep from The Nest...


Don’t know if that coming from a Zombie helps or Hinders the point though !


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## mistericeman (Apr 15, 2018)

4 litre bottles of supermarket water for drinking here....


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## Minisorella (Apr 15, 2018)

Haha! Chris, tell me this isn't because I said I thought the majority of us carried separate fresh drinking water... is it? :raofl: I did say I could be wrong :wacko: 
Excellent idea for a poll 
  Oh and it's separate drinking water for me ta.


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## Herman (Apr 15, 2018)

I don't, because you cannot trust the water supply abroad, so i always load up with 10ltrs of drinking water in a bottle with a tap fitted.


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## Mul (Apr 15, 2018)

As we don't use ours 12months and drain/dump open all valves taps for winter. Deep milton'd last month. Drained, flushed and drained and flushed again. We're happy to use our water now 'til Oct/Nov with top-ups.

Won't fill at french aires. Seen too many grubby foreigners swilling toilets out with the drinking (potable) stuff. No amount of wipes/rinsing/using own pipes would make us want to. 99% safe, probs. Umpteen folks use no probs, but not risking it !

Our tank does us upto a week by which time we are looking for a site to charge/refill/top-up.

Chrz Mul.


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## Tezza33 (Apr 15, 2018)

I do but I keep my tank and pipes clean and I _*treat*_ my water, I take it out for a drink:tongue:


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## iampatman (Apr 15, 2018)

Yes and no.

Pat


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## runnach (Apr 15, 2018)

Good Poll sir, reading another post I was wondering, Incidentally using flat bat I am not about to criticise anyone fwiw drunk from the tanks years,,, My Grandfather was a collier had two raw eggs whisked in milk for his breakfast before his shift that is way off limits nowadays ,,,traceability seems the buzz word

Good topic

Channa


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## yorkslass (Apr 15, 2018)

I used to drink from the tank but I don't like the taste of tapwater anymore, so bottled for me.


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## witzend (Apr 15, 2018)

I voted yes as we drink the same water as we filled the tank with but usually from a can which we filled from the same source (_quicker & saves batterys no pumping_)


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## witzend (Apr 15, 2018)

yorkslass said:


> I used to drink from the tank but I don't like the taste of tapwater anymore, so bottled for me.


At home I gave up tap water until I fitted one of THESE which a friend recommended


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## Moped (Apr 15, 2018)

Use tank water 100% of the time when boiling for hot drinks regardless of source although water source is taste tested first. Use mainly tank for cold if water UK sourced. Use mainly bottled for cold if tank water filled outside UK. Why take a chance when bottled Euro water is under €1 for 8ltr in Spain. Note that some European potable water can be heavily chlorinated (never been a UK issue for us) so recommend you taste a sample before filling up and pass if the taste is not to your liking. This can vary from town to town even in the same region. I wonder how many who drink bottled use tank water for teeth cleaning?


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## cobra rob (Apr 15, 2018)

clean the tank regular and have no problems drinking from it if needs be,


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## Canalsman (Apr 15, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> Haha! Chris, tell me this isn't because I said I thought the majority of us carried separate fresh drinking water... is it? :raofl: I did say I could be wrong :wacko:
> Excellent idea for a poll View attachment 62696  Oh and it's separate drinking water for me ta.



Well spotted!

I wondered if you were correct, suspecting that you were not ...

Let's find out


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## Canalsman (Apr 15, 2018)

Herman said:


> I don't, because you cannot trust the water supply abroad, so i always load up with 10ltrs of drinking water in a bottle with a tap fitted.



This I think is a long-held myth.

In mainland Europe, at the very least, water is as well treated as it is in the UK. I have no qualms about filling my tank.


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## Canalsman (Apr 15, 2018)

Moped said:


> Use mainly bottled for cold if tank water filled outside UK. Why take a chance when bottled Euro water is under €1 for 8ltr in Spain.



With the current focus on the over use of plastic containers perhaps this is to the detriment of the environment.

As I posted above water in Europe is safe to my belief.


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## runnach (Apr 15, 2018)

POI Admin said:


> This I think is a long-held myth.
> 
> In mainland Europe, at the very least, water is as well treated as it is in the UK. I have no qualms about filling my tank.



You are correct and a long held myth especially in France ...It is a legal requirement on campsites at least that eau potable is fit for human consumption ...A question we were often asked the answer is it is safe but soft hard areas the taste will differ just like the water here 

Channa


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## Pauljenny (Apr 15, 2018)

We both have immune system weaknesses. She's diabetic, Me, M.E.

We have to be extra careful, so tank water is too risky.

I rely on the sanitising effect of ethanol.... . Good old fashioned alcohol.

Better shafe than shorry.


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## chablais (Apr 15, 2018)

new to motorhome this year, just done eight months across Europe, set off drinking from tank, but couod not get rid of the taste of the tank, even with repeated cleaning, so carried a ten litre jerry can to drink from, filled up wherever we could, Aires, churches, garages, fountains, etc. No problems, most Euro countries have potable water at least as good a standard as UK. Do not understand anyone that buys bottled water, bad for the environment and expensive. Water can taste different depending on the ground it travels through, also hard, soft etc. No tummy troubles over eight months. I think unless the onboard tanks are in constant use it is difficult to keep them taste neutral


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## Weston (Apr 15, 2018)

Yes, I always clean it the tank and pipes out every spring. If the water tastes funny I switch to bottled, if I have concerns with the water I will put purifying tabs in, still alive so nothing bad has happened so far.


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## Minisorella (Apr 15, 2018)

Pauljenny said:


> We both have immune system weaknesses. She's diabetic, Me, M.E.
> 
> We have to be extra careful, so tank water is too risky.
> 
> ...



Sorry, I'm a bit hard of hearing... did you say better shiraz than sherry?


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## Martin P (Apr 15, 2018)

What,? You drink water. Yeuck


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## sasquatch (Apr 15, 2018)

Martin P said:


> What,? You drink water. Yeuck



Fish pee & sh*t in water!


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## carol (Apr 15, 2018)

I drink the local water that I've bottled but not the water I've put in the tank. This is only because I've not treated my tank and not sure the best way to do this. I'm not squeamish at all about local water!


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## Tezza33 (Apr 15, 2018)

witzend said:


> At home I gave up tap water until I fitted one of THESE which a friend recommended


We use one similar, it does taste different


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## n brown (Apr 15, 2018)

depends on the flavour - sometimes it's 'orrible. i never worry about the quality and have drunk water you can't see through , but the taste is important


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## Canalsman (Apr 16, 2018)

carol said:


> I drink the local water that I've bottled but not the water I've put in the tank. This is only because I've not treated my tank and not sure the best way to do this. I'm not squeamish at all about local water!



The simplest way to treat the tank is with tap water. Water is chlorinated and it will see off the nasties.

A few fills and empties with a little standing time should do the trick.

There have been threads in the past by members who work or have worked in the water industry who have made this observation.

Personally I would advise leaving the tank empty if the 'van isn't in use. If you use the 'van frequently then the constant emptying and refilling is the ideal regime.


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## campervanannie (Apr 16, 2018)

I too due to medication have a suppressed immune system so no I never drink water from the MH tank I use bottled water filled from the taps at home yes probably over cautious but better to be safe than sorry.


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## CarlandHels (Apr 16, 2018)

*Bottled water is best???*

During the wife's chemotherapy and radiotherapy she was instructed NOT to drink bottled water due to her immune system being so low. Only drink tap water. If she used the water from the tank of the motorhome we would boil it first even tho it came from the same tap she was drinking from at home..

Not only that, did anyone watch the documentary on bottled water a while ago that showed the amount of micro plastic floating around that you can't see with the naked eye....

It's tank water for us all the way, now she's finished chemo etc we don't boil it anymore for her. But do refill every week from home....


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## Wooie1958 (Apr 16, 2018)

Yes we do and never had any problems in the 11 years we`ve had the van from new   :dance:

I use Puriclean Puriclean 400g Water Purification Treatment Caravan Water System Cleaner 5014532040569 | eBay   twice a year and i`ve just done it now ready for the Euro jaunt      

We don`t shower ( because it`s useless ) in the van so a tank of water lasts a long time and when needed we buy bottled water which goes in the tank.

Don`t like the idea of loose bottled water in the van and as sure as eggs are eggs you`ll run out at the most inopportune moment  :mad2:

I keep a couple of multi packs ( 6 X 1.5L ) Cristaline bottled water         
     in the garage and put it in the tank regularly to keep it pretty full    :hammer:

After seeing what them dirty barsteward Johnny Foreigners do which the potable taps  we will never ever drink water from them     :scared:


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## Dezi (Apr 16, 2018)

I asked this question to a fellow traveller in China many years ago and his answer is below.

Providing that your water tank complies with material requirements, ie it allows no sunlight through, and you clean it out once a year with your prefered choice then it will be perfectly safe to drink regardless of whether the water has been in the tank 10 hours or 10 weeks. 

Taste is another matter.

The gentleman I asked.

ResearchGate

Dezi


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## tidewatcher (Apr 16, 2018)

*middle of the road*

When sailing I fitted a smaller tank purely for drinking water as the main tank was in the keel and fiberglass so could never be properly cleaned. Old habits die hard so on the van I drink from the cleaned twice a year tank if boiling for tea or coffee, bottled water for cold drinks. If there is any doubt when abroad fall back on the white and red wine for cold drinks.


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## SCRUMPY BOY (Apr 16, 2018)

yup


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## Rod (Apr 16, 2018)

Always


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## Beemer (Apr 16, 2018)

Yes, we do, mostly after it has been boiled for tea, coffee etc.
We have also had an on board water filter connected to the fresh water tank system and have been using it for cold drinking for the past 4.5 years, using the same filter :scared: with no recognisable ill effects 
Recently, I have renewed the whole drinking water filter system, and notice that the filters should be changed every 6 months... we will see.  

I always completely empty the fresh water at home before a trip, refill with fresh, and when we get back home the water stays in the tank until we go away again (usually try to get away every 4-5 weeks if possible).  With our previous motorhome, at the end of the year, we used to fill the fresh water tank with water, add some Milton liquid and leave for the day before emptying it out.  Filling up the tank when we wanted to go away again.  We found that the water tasted of Milton though, so never done it again.


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## Nabsim (Apr 16, 2018)

I have voted no but will say why.

The mh is the first thing we have had with onboard water tanks so we are used to filling a separate container with water, if necessary getting bottled water.

When we took the mh away a few weeks ago the first place we stopped had a private water supply so had to be boiled anyway. Also we had not had any water in the tanks before this so had not had chance to clean them through.

While we were looking at how best to clean tanks and manage water we have come across threads where people are saying using sterilising solutions can damage the hot water side of things so this put me off Milton and the sterilising stuff Caz got from camping shop. I have since seen a video from Diamon Dave where he says don’t bother with sterilising but use lemon juice or vinegar so I currently have lemon sloshing around waiting to be emptied.

This is split between do you drink from tank water or not but another split should really be added, if you drink from tank water do you have water filtrating/purifying equipment you also use.

Singling our plastic bottles is a bit lip sided when there are many more sources of plastic causing more problems that the bottles, I do agree plastic packaging should be withdrawn as soon as possible, can’t see the younger ones taking to veg with mud on and stuff that has to be washed clean though, not if half those I work with are any judge, they throw things away when it reaches the sell by date for gawds sake 

From what I see most folks can’t agree on what should be done or how so it’s very hard as a newcomer to work out what’s best


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## Nesting Zombie (Apr 16, 2018)

Nabsim said:


> I have voted no but will say why.
> 
> The mh is the first thing we have had with onboard water tanks so we are used to filling a separate container with water, if necessary getting bottled water.
> 
> ...




Yes, I Sterilise My On Board Tanks ‘Fairly’ regularly probably about every 3 or 4 months, & Yep, I Put a few glugs of Good Old Milton in & Draw it through normally While At a Site Pit Stop Fill n Dump.
All the water I THEN Collect (Rain, Stream, River, Lake, Snow, Even Tap water if suspect) is Filterd BEFORE it goes into the On Board 100lt Tanks. I Also have 1 X 35lt (ish) Aqua Roll if the Raw water That is to be collected is a walk away OR is used for just the Storage as is the smaller 3 x 10lt water containers also used for the collection of  ‘Raw’ un Filterd water from whatever source is handy. Then this is Filterd at a rate of Just over 4.5 lt an hour straight into the On Board Tanks Normally in the Evening & Over Night While At a Park up. When the Tank is Full I can Then of course carry a further 60 odd Lt of Raw water in the Containers to Filter & Top up the main Tanks as it is used.
Once all FULL UP it’s really easy to keep on top of things as Historically The Average water usage aboard The Nest is around 15 lt a Day. So only a cpl of Containers & say 3 HRs of Filtering that I just let happen while I watch a movie or catch up on the WC forum


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## Deleted member 74361 (Apr 16, 2018)

Been drinking tank water in boat (stainless tank) and MH(plastic) for 40 years.

OH half drinks bottled cold, but tank in coffee.

On a work assignment in Kathmandu I was sitting at a bar talking to a UK water engineer, who explained that the water pipes in the city had been installed in Victorian times and were iron which had rusted, and that since there was no sewage system that it could leech into the fresh supply, so never touch the water!

I looked at his drink and asked quietly what about the ice in there? Response - 'Sh*t I never thought of that!'


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## Tbear (Apr 16, 2018)

I swim in rivers, lakes, the sea and probable the worst, swimming pools so I see no point in getting too upset about drinking the water from a MH tank.

Richard


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## Canalsman (Apr 16, 2018)

Nabsim said:


> Singling our plastic bottles is a bit lip sided when there are many more sources of plastic causing more problems that the bottles ...



Have a look at this:

A million bottles a minute: world's plastic binge 'as dangerous as climate change' | Environment | The Guardian

16 million plastic bottles A DAY chucked away! And that's just the UK!


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## GeoffL (Apr 16, 2018)

We don't drink the MH tank water. However, we have a couple of 10-litre water containers for drinking water that we fill at the same time we top up the MH tank. Been doing that for over two decades of caravanning and carried the practice on when we switched to a motorhome last year.


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## Tim120 (Apr 16, 2018)

When fresh water filling in France and Spain on aires or service areas some if not most would have two outlets marked eau potable (drinking) and non potable (not for drinking) signs on the same machine to dispense water. Likewise here in the UK on the odd ocassion we have stayed on a site at a service point water is marked as potable and waste. These two are separate from the cassette rinse water.
Surely there are not two different supplies fed to one point for water to provide potable/non potable water.?

In answer to the question we have done both, using water fed from a local supply into the tank and bottled when we could not find a supply.
Filled tank and bottles from a supply when we have found one.


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## Nabsim (Apr 17, 2018)

POI Admin said:


> Have a look at this:
> 
> A million bottles a minute: world's plastic binge 'as dangerous as climate change' | Environment | The Guardian
> 
> 16 million plastic bottles A DAY chucked away! And that's just the UK!



My last comments on plastic bottles. An enzyme has been developed that recycles plastic bottles, we can now recycle plastic but it is only just being told in the news so you may not have heard yet. The problem is the existing plastic that has been thrown away already. My comment was not meant to make out it is okay, it was meant to point to a much larger problem of plastics and packaging not just bottles. People are fairly stuffed with regard to buying things in single use plastic although it is starting to change but they have always had a choice where to put it once used. Thats a far bigger problem to my mind.


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## GeoffL (Apr 17, 2018)

hairydog said:


> Do you keep them in the dark, or are they opaque?
> How are they better or cleaner than the tank?



One is opaque; both are kept in shade. However, the big difference is that the water is changed at most every few days and they are thoroughly washed before we go on a trip. It would be very difficult to vigorously shake the MH tank in the same way! The other advantage is that by using our 10 litre containers, we have an additional 20 litres on board and two 10 litre containers that we can use to carry water to pour into the tank if we can't or don't want to use the hose.


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## Nesting Zombie (Apr 17, 2018)

hairydog said:


> Do you keep them in the dark, or are they opaque?
> How are they better or cleaner than the tank?



Because the Raw water I collect is only normally stored in my Containers for ‘Maybe’ 2 Or 3 Days before I Filter it & Put it in my Main Fresh water Tank, I just use Thease -


Each one is 10 lt, They are VERY Strong & can put up with a bit of chucking about & a punishing trip in my Rucksack if needs be, & (To Me) the YELLOW Top denotes RAW WATER, I have 2 Green ones for Diesel (The Nest) & 1 Red one for Petrol (Genny).

Not mixed the up,,,YET !,,,


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## Tony Lee (Apr 17, 2018)

In overt 30 countries including several regarded as third-world and never a health problem attributable to the water.

Only a couple of times we bought water - Baja and southern USA and that was only because coffee and tea made with the local tap water was undrinkable


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## Nesting Zombie (Apr 17, 2018)

Well,
According to the figures in the Poll, Roughly Twice as many ( currently At around the 66% mark ) ‘Do’ 
Than Don’t (Currently at around the 33% Mark), But we are all still here so Proof that Whoever is Doing Whatever is Working for you them However & Wherever we all do it !


I Think!.


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## Caz (Apr 17, 2018)

Can't really vote as I fall somewhere between the two extremes.

From Halloween through to Easter I don't use the fresh water tank at all in case it freezes. I have 3 x 2 litre containers that I use. In summer I tend to keep them filled up as easier to get to when travelling than the tap. However, when I am stopped and can get to the tap I use that for everything, including filling the dog's water bowl. 

Having said that, I never drink water cold anyway so it's always boiled for my coffee. If I am thirsty then I drink fizzy/flavoured water - which has to be bought in plastic bottles as it's the only way it comes from the shop.


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## Nesting Zombie (Apr 17, 2018)

Hey Caz,
I use to drink FAR FAR too much of that same kinda Bottled Fizzy Water as I think you’re on about,,,But even I know it’s Awful Fake Stuff that just makes you feel even more Thirsty!. I hardly drink the stuff now.

Have you thought of water & say a Squash if Some sort as a change ?.


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## Minisorella (Apr 17, 2018)

Nabsim said:


> My last comments on plastic bottles. An enzyme has  been developed that recycles plastic bottles, we can now recycle plastic  but it is only just being told in the news so you may not have heard  yet. The problem is the existing plastic that has been thrown away  already. My comment was not meant to make out it is okay, it was meant  to point to a much larger problem of plastics and packaging not just  bottles. People are fairly stuffed with regard to buying things in  single use plastic although it is starting to change but they have  always had a choice where to put it once used. Thats a far bigger  problem to my mind.





hairydog said:


> No, an enzyme that can digest plastic has been  identified and is being worked on, but is not yet in use, and needs to  be altered to take high temperatures so it can eat liquid plastic.  Unfortunately it will still cost far more than making new plastic from  oil, so it will need fiscal help to be viable. And if it were to escape  to the wild and evolve that would not be good. Yes, too much plastic is a  bigger problem, but plastic-bottled water is an utterly unneeded  product that typifies the wider and bigger problem of all single-user  plastic.



I heard the good news yesterday about the enzymes too...  let's hope it'll be a brilliant new and  more efficient way of dealing with plastic and drinks bottles in  particular. By the way, a lot of people don't realise that empty water  bottles have been used to make fleeces for a very long time. PET is  highly recyclable and reusable.  As you say Nabsim, if only more people would separate and  put stuff in recycling bins instead of throwing them in the normal waste  to end up on tips   Packaging drives me nuts... I won't even start...  
HD, I don't agree about bottled water or other drinks not being needed now, although I wish they'd never been invented! If bottled water had been nipped in the bud donkeys years ago, we'd still have lots of drinking fountains around and wouldn't need to resort to buying drinks when we're out and about. Nowadays, we have no choice... other than to carry our own refillable bottles... usually lightweight and plastic 

I've got a bit of a concern about the whole plastic furore. I should say  first, I'm a great believer in recycling and ethical use and disposal  of everything we use... I use glass at home and a refillable drinking  bottle when out and about, a refillable coffee mug whenever I can logistically carry it with me and have  used fabric shopping bags for decades, certainly long before anyone  thought up 'bag for life'.  However, leaving aside the disposal aspect  for just a second or two... plastic is an incredible material that has  totally revolutionalised our lives in many ways. It's light, durable,  mostly inert and non-toxic (unless left hanging around in the sun) now  that BPA has been addressed, it's cheap, washable, sterilisable, easy to  make colourful without harmful coatings, etc, etc. Think of the old  days of glass, wood, rubber, leather, metal (lead!) and early attempts  at plastic, such as bakelite... now associate those with modern baby  equipment, children's toys, pet equipment and toys, medical equipment, simple things like  washing up bowls and dozens of useful things that we carry in our vans.  Think of the expense of trying to avoid plastic again and switching back  to more natural materials. Wood for example... gorgeous but do we  really want to cut down all those trees to avoid plastic? Glass... I'd  happily go back to doorstep milk delivery and collections but for other  things, it's far too dangerous, eg, to give to littl'uns (and the odd  hooligan!).

Anyway, my main point is, pushing us into giving up plastic via the  relentless guilt trip about using it need NOT be the battle cry in this day  and age. I have no doubt we have the brainpower, the technology and the  inventiveness to find better ways to recycle/dispose/reuse and even  change the chemical composition of plastic, to allow us to continue  using such an invaluable material. The thing is, do we have the will? Someone, somewhere  needs to be able to make money out of it for the research and  development to be put into it in the first place. The enzyme news is a  great start and I hope it encourages more work in the field. The  alternative is more punishment, taxation, guilt and blame on the  consumer... as happened with plastic shopping bags and now even diesel -  ie, "we won't stop you using these [incredibly harmful] things, we'll  just make you pay through the nose for the privilege and boost our own  profits into the bargain"!

OK, soap box is back behind the sofa... I'll go quietly...


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## Tbear (Apr 17, 2018)

I may be a bit thick but I really don't see why don't just burn it. At low temps it gives off all sorts of toxic stuff but at high temperatures it is much cleaner. As an easily available source of energy it could be used to produce electricity and as what we are doing now is causing massive damage to the environment for generations to come, which is the lesser evil? Is it just because of the NIMBY attitude to incinerators?

Richard


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## Ed on Toast (Apr 17, 2018)

I would prefer to use it for road surfacing an repair, it is very effective and longer lasting than Tarmac.

A plastic bottle tax to benefit good causes, like the carrier bag tax, which has amounted to some £730 million in 2017, plus carbon and littterpicking savings of some £75 million, in the same period. It also resulted in an 80% reduction in bag use.

Automated, reward driven collection machines might also have a place in all this. They work well overseas and a few pennies for cans or plastic bottles, soon adds up.


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## Nesting Zombie (Apr 17, 2018)

With advances in technology the way it’s going, I don’t see why we can’t Crush, Compact, Harden & Re mold The Stuff into Sea Defences & Land Re Claiming Projects, Make ALL Lorry Containers Out of it, Then if STILL got a surplus Send it of into Space as Satellites & Space Stations, & THEN when end of That life comes, Instead of allowing it to Burn up on re entering Earth Atmosphere (Gone) Send it on a collision course with the Sun !.


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## Deleted member 74361 (Apr 17, 2018)

Tim120 said:


> When fresh water filling in France and Spain on aires or service areas some if not most would have two outlets marked eau potable (drinking) and non potable (not for drinking) signs on the same machine to dispense water. Likewise here in the UK on the odd ocassion we have stayed on a site at a service point water is marked as potable and waste. These two are separate from the cassette rinse water.
> *Surely there are not two different supplies fed to one point for water to provide potable/non potable water.?*
> 
> In answer to the question we have done both, using water fed from a local supply into the tank and bottled when we could not find a supply.
> Filled tank and bottles from a supply when we have found one.



At Canterbury P+R 'Aire' there used to be one tap, which was used for filling and cassette rinsing. Now a second has been added. The new tap is marked for drinking. I know that both come from the same supply, but the idea is to encourage use of the original for rinsing and the new one, placed further from the WC disposal point, for filling for drinking.

I suspect the same thinking might apply for the French and Spanish situations.

Geoff


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## vwalan (Apr 17, 2018)

Tbear said:


> I may be a bit thick but I really don't see why don't just burn it. At low temps it gives off all sorts of toxic stuff but at high temperatures it is much cleaner. As an easily available source of energy it could be used to produce electricity and as what we are doing now is causing massive damage to the environment for generations to come, which is the lesser evil? Is it just because of the NIMBY attitude to incinerators?
> 
> Richard



if the public put the plastic in the right bions etc it is used in gasification plants to produce electricity etc and hot water. 
the real trouble is folk just throw it around anywhere. 
having worked in the waste industry i say use as much plastic as we can . its only recycled waste from fuel . then burn it in the gasification plants . 
these burn at very high temps . and not in true fires . 
plant trees yes but they can only be used when the oil is finished . 
at the moment the waste that goes to make plastic is being stock piled as they produce more as more fuel is used in vehicles etc . 
blame the public really for chucking waste about the country and burning oil in there motor homes and cars . 
the public are responsible .........irresponsible


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## GeoffL (Apr 17, 2018)

Tim120 said:


> [...]Surely there are not two different supplies fed to one point for water to provide potable/non potable water.?[...]


I know that in at least one finca in Mora la Nova, Catalonia, the water supply comes in raw (and is called 'agricultural water'). It's non-potable but some of this is diverted to a mini filtration and treatment unit to provide potable water. In another finca in the same area, they use ag-water for general purposes and have a 1-tonne IBC for potable water that they fill by driving their pickup to a municiple potable water point, filling several smaller containers, and then decanting the water into the IBC. Again, this results in co-located potable and non-potable supplies.


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## Tbear (Apr 17, 2018)

vwalan said:


> if the public put the plastic in the right bions etc it is used in gasification plants to produce electricity etc and hot water.
> *the real trouble is folk just throw it around anywhere*.
> having worked in the waste industry i say use as much plastic as we can . its only recycled waste from fuel . then burn it in the gasification plants .
> these burn at very high temps . and not in true fires .
> ...



That's my point Alan. The plastic is rarely sorted properly and is often contaminated. Huge ships of waste being moved vast distances to end up in someone else landfill. Some plastics can be recycled with ease but not locally. Vast amounts being fly tipped or dumped in the sea. If you burn it locally to produce energy in small power stations coupled with a recycling centre that can cherry pick the valuable bits out, you have cheap energy and a profit. They could take things like hospital waste which is produced in unbelievable amounts. It is a mix of all sorts of combustible material and costs the hospital a fortune to get rid of. Suddenly it would become a saleable resource. Huge drop in the amount of landfill and perhaps you could even revisit the stuff that is already in landfill which is rotting and producing vast amounts of methane. I am sure it is not done because of the NIMBY's.

Richard


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## vwalan (Apr 17, 2018)

Tbear said:


> That's my point Alan. The plastic is rarely sorted properly and is often contaminated. Huge ships of waste being moved vast distances to end up in someone else landfill. Some plastics can be recycled with ease but not locally. Vast amounts being fly tipped or dumped in the sea. If you burn it locally to produce energy in small power stations coupled with a recycling centre that can cherry pick the valuable bits out, you have cheap energy and a profit. They could take things like hospital waste which is produced in unbelievable amounts. It is a mix of all sorts of combustible material and costs the hospital a fortune to get rid of. Suddenly it would become a saleable resource. Huge drop in the amount of landfill and perhaps you could even revisit the stuff that is already in landfill which is rotting and producing vast amounts of methane. I am sure it is not done because of the NIMBY's.
> 
> Richard



gas is taken from most big landfills . and gas from sewage works powers motors that drive generators and supply the mains electric system. 
this sort of thing is what i liked about working in the waste industry. had several trips away in uk and abroad because i was interested in the workings . all paid for by the company i worked for. 
i also pop into works in africa and spain etrc when abroad for awhile . amazing what good work is being done in many places . the western world as we know it is backwards in time compared to many countries .
the desalination plants in africa are fantastic . in many places they are turning the sahara back into plantation land .


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## Tbear (Apr 17, 2018)

vwalan said:


> *gas is taken from most big landfills* . and gas from sewage works powers motors that drive generators and supply the mains electric system.
> this sort of thing is what i liked about working in the waste industry. had several trips away in uk and abroad because i was interested in the workings . all paid for by the company i worked for.
> i also pop into works in africa and spain etrc when abroad for awhile . amazing what good work is being done in many places . the western world as we know it is backwards in time compared to many countries .
> the desalination plants in africa are fantastic . in many places they are turning the sahara back into plantation land .



I can't see any evidence of it happening in the local ones but one does seem to have ventilation pipes coming out open to the air. You should see the water that used to come out of the bottom of it as well. Not much seemed to grow in it.

Richard


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## harrow (Apr 17, 2018)

Richard.

The amount of rubbish that hospitals produce.


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## Tbear (Apr 17, 2018)

harrow said:


> Richard.
> 
> The amount of rubbish that hospitals produce.



Not sure what you mean.

Richard


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## harrow (Apr 17, 2018)

Tbear said:


> Not sure what you mean.
> 
> Richard


Plastics cardboard, that sort of thing, tons of it.

:wave:


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## Tbear (Apr 17, 2018)

harrow said:


> Plastics cardboard, that sort of thing, tons of it.
> 
> :wave:



All sorts of other things as well. 100's of litres of contaminated water which you would not hesitate to chuck down the loo at home is sucked into plastic bags, boxed up and I am told, sent for incineration. Yes folks we burn water! If they don't burn it I hate to think what they put in it to treat it. The previous hospital had its own incinerator but the new one was not allowed as it was against EU regs.

Richard


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## Deleted member 68397 (Apr 17, 2018)

*Drink the water from tanks onboard?*

We probably don't but as a refreshment but do use it for teas and coffees etc.
Have no problem drinking the water straight from the majority of burns, rivers and lochs of Scotland though.

Growlie69


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## Nabsim (Apr 17, 2018)

I have lost touch a bit since leaving the quarrying industry in 2000 but Hope Valley cement works was using scrap tyres that were shredded, pulped then used as a fuel with the resulting fume and particulates being incinerated at very high temperature before being let to atmosphere. anyone who has visited Mam Tor and looked across would never guess what the fuel was 

People putting waste into bins would be a great start, throwing rubbish out and fly tiping should carry huge penalties as far as I am concerned. We often see wagon tyres that have been fly tipped but I haven't heard of any prosecutions recently, may be because I no longer read environmental prosecutions but more likely the council does not have enough money to pay someone to trace serial numbers on the tyres

Making a mess of you water usage post sorry Chris but it is a good topic to discuss


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## Canalsman (Apr 19, 2018)

Thanks everyone for your input.

As I suspected the majority do indeed use the tank as intended ...


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