# Water Locations



## fofeg101 (Jun 3, 2011)

Members contribute some great Wild camping locations but my experience thus far is finding water is harder than finding an over night stop over, could we all look out for easy places to get water also?


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2011)

Hi Guys,
never ever had any problem in finding water either in the UK or mainland Europe.
Now we are 3 weeks into our European tour through France, Spain and now Portugal for the last few days and again no problem in finding water.
Now been on a campsite for nearly 2 years except to meet a relation who just happend to be caravaning in France last year.
Look out for small village taps, founts or at worst toilets or cemetaries. last resort a garage!


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## diggdeep (Jun 3, 2011)

*water*

in u.k church yards or garages all ways have water we had no pro wild camping all time


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## jayeastanglia (Jun 5, 2011)

also try a local farm some can be friendly and tell you a nice quiet spot to park for a night or 2


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## Deleted member 775 (Jun 5, 2011)

water is so easy to find as most if not all service stations have a tap or machine for air and water . we always used those, we used to fill the tank up for washing and the like  and then after filling the tank we filled some pop bottles to use for drinking and boiling for hot drinks. if you dont want to just drive in and only use the water then put some fuel in the van at the same time , some fill there water tank up befor leaving hove for the weekend ,but a better way is wait untill you are near your destination pull in to a service station an fill up with water ,saves lugging all that weight with you whilest traveling ,and it will save a small amount of fuel to boot


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## Campervanman (Jul 8, 2011)

I'm having a heck of a job finding a water tap in Newhaven today...  Another good place is an Allotment. I found both an Allotment and Cemetery but you have to go through a bit of a posh housing estate to get to both. Bad parking on road too. I think I need a sea water purifying device.


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## vwalan (Jul 8, 2011)

if you have a 10 litre container .just knock any door of a house or sa shop etc nob ody will object. just dont be greedy. 
get one then try again round ther corner. .you may finf when chatting to the people they let you have asmuch as you want .
cant you find a public toilet with a tap.  
works for me if i need to really get water. 
cheers alan.
must be a boat yard or marina there i,m sure. 
did you ask at a garage.


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## kimbowbill (Jul 8, 2011)

spent 5 wks in the Highlands of Scotland, never had any problem getting water, :wave:


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## Mastodon (Jul 8, 2011)

kimbowbill said:


> spent 5 wks in the Highlands of Scotland, never had any problem getting water, :wave:



I've often thought of fitting a water catcher on my roof...


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## kimbowbill (Jul 8, 2011)

Mastodon said:


> I've often thought of fitting a water catcher on my roof...


 
mobile swimming pool lol


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## Campervanman (Jul 8, 2011)

Yep! There is a Sainsburys petrol station where we used to get water as there is a handy tap round the side of the building... but now switched off. I sat and watched cars filling up with liquid gold (petrol) and went back to fill up from the rad water flexi pipe (only for toilet rinse) found this to be dry too... but saw later that you have to put in 20pence for it to flow! buggah that!

Also found a public loo, but the only tap is the all in one soap, water, drier anti vandal thing. That would take ages to fill up a sizeable container.

Plenty of marinas of course... but no courage to go and ask, bit like asking at a proper camp site for a fill up.

I thought that councils have to abide by an ancient by law that states a drinking water tap must be available for use... anyone know about this?


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## fofeg101 (Jul 8, 2011)

Campervanman said:


> "but no courage to go and ask, bit like asking at a proper camp site for a fill up.


Ditto - I have the same problem, I haven't got the bare faced cheek to just knock on a door and ask "Can I have 30 gallons of your metered water please, and is it OK to walk through your house with my muddy boots on?". As for Farmers, I live in the country and I know the Farmers around here, they don't even like you setting foot on their land, and asking for free water would result in running back down their drive with an @rse full of bird shot.


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## vwalan (Jul 8, 2011)

hi ,we usually do have a few of those big plastic butts in the back. i,m collecting water in them now .soon drips off the roof of truck in a rain storm. i use it at home for toilet swilling .saves water through the metre. two winters ago it rained that much in portugal we never turned a tap to fill up for 7 weeks . collected water off the roof and used a few fonts. 
in uk just ask a house shop pub. garage . if you dont ask you dont get. always try the water before filling with fuel .if no water then get fuel somewhere else. 
but ask 10ltrs nobody refuses . tell them what its for if they seem friendly. what about sports centers or kiddies park .they normally have a fountain for drinking water. 
have considered a tube off the gutter into the tank ,but you cant check it like if it drips into a tub. sometimes it can be sandy . like sahara rain. not good for putting in tank then. 
20p isnt the world if needed. we never normally buy drinking water . use the tank . do have a safari filter but hardly ever use it.


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## Campervanman (Jul 8, 2011)

Some good ideas Alan and thanks for them! I dont fancy venturing into kiddies play parks unless I have my own kiddies with me, sadly they are grown up now and no grand kids on the horizon yet to take with me, I'd just feel too uncomfy getting water from there. 

Sports centres and marinas are all businesses and probably are on water meters like fofeg mentions. I can just imagine being stopped for theft lugging a container away from premises. (Am I being too paranoid?) 

A tap.. if not owned by the Council belongs to someone and they might not like me/us helping ourselves.

I quite honestly feel like storming into Council offices demanding where public stand pipes are these days.... and on that note I just sent the local council an email... 





> "Hello... I am in a Motorhome touring and staying in and around the area and I am looking for a public drinking water tap. Please can you tell me where I can find one in Newhaven. I believe that every town has to provide one according to certain bylaws. Many thanks if you can help".


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## donkey too (Jul 8, 2011)

I always use bottled water for drinking and stream, spring etc., for washing. But in France where I stay there is a great spring. Funny enough just down thew hill from the cemetry. The water from it is fantastic. Seems to have more body in it:lol-053: The locals all take containers to fill.


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## vwalan (Jul 8, 2011)

just ask at the places .they could say no . but i bet they say yes. try it .let us know how you get on. 
rubber push on connector like used to be on twintub washing machines hoses . a length of plastic pipe 3 ft long like i say 10litre water container . works just about every where . does take time. but you ask . people give money to charity . 10litre of water isnt going to break their bank. look for a council yard or somewhere like that even some factories will let you fill at their loading bay. ask, never been refused yet.


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## fofeg101 (Jul 8, 2011)

vwalan said:


> 20p isnt the world if needed.


Please tell where I can fill up my 30 gallon tanks for 20p?


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## vwalan (Jul 8, 2011)

op. said it was 20p to get the water to flow in sainsburys garge. 
you dont have to take 30 gallon of water thats being greedy .just a bit here bit there. come on i lived all over uk in campers never had a problem. i a\sk in schools swimming pools anywhere theres a tap ask. but be there for ages and they dont let anybody do it again. i also look for sewage and watwer works . anywhere .even supermarkets have taps out the back sometimes . 
i dont buy bottled water but a suare metre of water is a quid . there abouts . offer them a quid . paying to fill a tank doesnt comer under paying for drinking water to me buying bottled is paying. 
bet 50p would do it.


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## fofeg101 (Jul 8, 2011)

vwalan said:


> i also look for sewage and watwer works .


Sewage water......What about Cholera!!?


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## fofeg101 (Jul 8, 2011)

Anyway, earlier, I posted locations for water in Wales for Canalsman's database, that's what we want.....locations. If you find a friendly Garage, Farm, School, Building Site let us knows exactly where it is.


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## Campervanman (Jul 8, 2011)

Well... Alan does have a point, if you dont ask you dont get, simple as that. My trouble is that I ask very very nicely with a big smile and if I get turned down its ruined my day, lol. I'm too sensitive thats my problem. 

Wonder if approaching them dragging my tongue along the ground will work? Sitting here now in the van with it peeing down outside and no way of collecting all that lovely free water... probably washing all the seagull muck off the roof too.


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## vwalan (Jul 8, 2011)

sewage works also have fresh drinking water. i worked on sewage works ,i know many of the operators have campers and caravans . the sites are secure and make good parking for them if living in towns. they also would i,m sure let you fill up with drinking water. you have to think out og the box. 
personaly i think giving referance to garages etc will kill the availability of use. just about every house or building in uk as drinking water so its out there.


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## vwalan (Jul 8, 2011)

asda ,tesco ,or a garden shop sell those black /green tubs hold about 3 big buckets full. i usually carry three of them . in a good rain shower takes not much more than an hour to fill my tank. also good for washing clothes in or having a bath. just put a bucket under the drips. i try to keep my truck clean just so i can get clean water if required. 
think think and think again. rainwater is ok for drinking i find usually.


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## skratt (Jul 22, 2011)

Hi all,
  yes, over the years I have found water tank filling in the UK and abroad to be one of the more difficult problems. I mean water for showering, washing up, laundry and drinking ( filtered ) which I have a 120 litre fresh water tank for.
 I havent got room or time to have big plastic containers hanging around so usually :-

 Go to a garage, ask if they have a tap to fill up and then buy diesel, if they don't have a tap or won't let me use it, I move on. 

 In Europe I keep a supply of Jetones ( tokens ) to use at the service points. I also keep note of the ( getting fewer ) free service points.

I use an inline pump and hose to pump water from anywhere I find a pure water source. Theres some amazing springs about.

Go to a site for a night and fill up.

I like the idea of a roof top rain collector. I have a tube that runs from the roof draining hole to the tank but its not ideal. If someone could invent a collapsable roof tank that kept clean whilst collapsed and could be easily opened when it rained with a pipe that went to the water tank that would be excellent. 

Im don't like the idea of knocking on doors or turning up at a farm. 

A good idea might be If we had a POI list of all smaller garages that would'nt mind us filling up with water on the condition we spend money on fuel, rather than getting fuel at the big Supermarket garages who usually never have taps.

 is that already started on here somewhere ? I will have a look 

cheers


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## Bernard Jones (Aug 12, 2011)

Campervanman said:


> A tap.. if not owned by the Council belongs to someone and they might not like me/us helping ourselves..


In a cemetary I guess it belongs to the Church, which I have always thought makes it as much mine as anyone elses.
In any case the residents have never complained


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## Bernard Jones (Aug 12, 2011)

fofeg101 said:


> Sewage water......What about Cholera!!?



Our water is recycled sewage.
There has always been the same water on earth being recycled for millions of years.
The water we drink must have flowed through many creatures kidneys before ours :scared:


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## christine (Aug 13, 2011)

I. too, get paranoid about running out of water. We have managed on our most recent trip to the Highlands at public toilets. These had push taps which resulted in using a gas hob kettle under the tap which was then poured into a large water container and then into the van tank. A funnel helps.Long winded but it worked for us! We also put buckets under the van when it rains and soon have plenty from the water pouring off the van.


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## teen (Aug 13, 2011)

Easy water filler!  just take a long neck plastic pop bottle  and cut an oval hole in the side - the pop bottle will sit neatly in the water filler hole,( no need to hold it) and the oval lets the water go down at its own speed - the popbottle dosnt take much room - ours is under the front seat.  If you forget to take it with you you can just get a bottle of pop - or tonic! then pour in the water from whatever tub you can lay your hands on - I love the Idea of collecting rain water - when wilding in Ireland we collected washing water in bottles from a stream and next day found little living things swimming around!!!!


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## vwalan (Aug 13, 2011)

hi. i can assure you that a manned sewage works will have drinking water available . (very few dont), i use a pop bottle as well one cut lika funnel the other as op, explained . one fits inside the other . 
to get water from a basin use a rubber push on with a few feet of hose . you can get them in pound shops . mine came from an old twintub washing machine years ago. 
i do have a berken feld filter its a ceramic filter with silver inlay . as used by the world ealth people . i got mine from brownchurch landrovers in london . others use the nature pur system. i like to catch water in the cheap plastic tubs then you can atleast check to see if its clean. boiling watwer for a few minutes will do a good job of sterilising it. after all we are on wild camping . 
i travel all over europe and have done a few in africa and asia . never had a problem getting water . you may not be able to have gallons but people always are happy to let you have a drink and a bottle full to see you on your way. 
keep your filter for the real needs . with care most water can be drunk . they say water leaving a good cesspit is ok for drinking but havent tried it . 
we do have gold fish swimming in a few sewage water outlet tanks here in cornwall . seems if there is a problem they will die . bit like canaries in the pits . but really water isnt a problem . wild camping or is it camping by numbers . chris does a good job with the poi. i can say i have never used them or have them . hate the idea of following instructions to wild camp . have lots of fun thats the main thing . cheers alan.


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## Canalsman (Aug 14, 2011)

christine said:


> I. too, get paranoid about running out of water. We have managed on our most recent trip to the Highlands at public toilets. These had push taps which resulted in using a gas hob kettle under the tap which was then poured into a large water container and then into the van tank. A funnel helps.Long winded but it worked for us! We also put buckets under the van when it rains and soon have plenty from the water pouring off the van.


 
Don't forget that push taps can often accommodate a push on and tighten type hose fitting ... then one person holds the tap down whilst the other directs the hose end.

Alternatively use velcro straps or a weight to hold the tap push button down.


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## christine (Aug 14, 2011)

Many thanks for the push button tap tips!!


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## vwalan (Aug 14, 2011)

hi. you can also use cable ties or self locking adjustable straps. you can never have too many fittings ready for this . these days you can get adaptors for the square taps . they slide on and clamp from the top. very usefull for handbasins . in spain you still see street cast iron taps you need a strap to go round the big cast iron pillar to keep the tap running .


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## Tbear (Aug 14, 2011)

Allways managed to find a tap in England but Graths tip about a watering can works really well in France on the Aires and at village fonts which often had a push button thing.

Richard


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