Do you drink water from your onboard tank?

The point about urine is not correct. MSU samples are the cleanest as most of the muck in the urethra is flushed out at the beginning of peeing but not all. If it where true then nobody would ever have suffered from Bladder or Kidney infections.

I do beg to differ on this point...if you have a urine infection of course it will be contaminated. However, the reason a MSU is required for microbiological analysis is in a normal ie uninfected sample this will be sterile. But I can say that urine is one of the best media for growing bacteria in.
There is no part on your body that is sterile infact you have more bacteria in and on your body than there is cells that make up your body:scared:

The route to a bladder or kidney infection is usually starting from the outside end of the urethra and the bacteria migrate up this into the bladder. Females are more susceptible as they generally have a shorter distance between the anal region and tip of the urethra.
A lot can depend on which way you wipe:wave:

Im not trying to be pedantic but bacteria is a subject I do know very well.

The whole point is make sure everything is clean...wipe that tap with alchol wipes and let it run for a few seconds before filling your container or van.

You are unlikely to grow legionella bacteria in your vans water system as these are found in large cooling systems such as poorly maintained hotel hot water systems and large industrial cooling towers as has been suspected in the recent Edinburgh outbreak.
 
Onboard Water

We have just had 4 weeks in Holland and France and used the tank all the time with no problems ,

I do put a couple Milton tablets in the 160 Litre tank once a month but cannot say i have really tasted them, certainly no worse than our local tap water,
 
champstar said:
The point about urine is not correct. MSU samples are the cleanest as most of the muck in the urethra is flushed out at the beginning of peeing but not all. If it where true then nobody would ever have suffered from Bladder or Kidney infections.

I do beg to differ on this point...if you have a urine infection of course it will be contaminated. However, the reason a MSU is required for microbiological analysis is in a normal ie uninfected sample this will be sterile. But I can say that urine is one of the best media for growing bacteria in.
There is no part on your body that is sterile infact you have more bacteria in and on your body than there is cells that make up your body:scared:

The route to a bladder or kidney infection is usually starting from the outside end of the urethra and the bacteria migrate up this into the bladder. Females are more susceptible as they generally have a shorter distance between the anal region and tip of the urethra.
A lot can depend on which way you wipe:wave:

Im not trying to be pedantic but bacteria is a subject I do know very well.

The whole point is make sure everything is clean...wipe that tap with alchol wipes and let it run for a few seconds before filling your container or van.

You are unlikely to grow legionella bacteria in your vans water system as these are found in large cooling systems such as poorly maintained hotel hot water systems and large industrial cooling towers as has been suspected in the recent Edinburgh outbreak.
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I don't agree with you on the legionella point.
Legionella is in all water and would be in motorhomes water tanks. It is not only cooling towers that cause legionella outbreaks.

It's not the fact that legionella is present but at the optimum temperature and with slime or algae to feed on the legionella increases to dangerous levels. these are then dangerous if the droplets from a shower or spray are taken into the lungs. Also chlorine will kill the legionella but the chlorine gasses off and the water can be re-infected
 
If you only motorhome in Blighty why would you bother with a water tank anyway? All that weight.

Step outside in your dirty clothes..... thats the laundry done.
Take a bucket out, there's your drinking water...no bugs bacteria or dead sheep.
Take a leak..... (best forget the bucket) soon diluted and instantly recycled.

It's guaranteed you will not have to wait more than 30 minutes well not this year at least.

As Mark Twain said a summer in England is the best winter I ever had.
 
I should add this usually affect older or sick people.
 
champstar said:
The point about urine is not correct. MSU samples are the cleanest as most of the muck in the urethra is flushed out at the beginning of peeing but not all. If it where true then nobody would ever have suffered from Bladder or Kidney infections.

I do beg to differ on this point...if you have a urine infection of course it will be contaminated. However, the reason a MSU is required for microbiological analysis is in a normal ie uninfected sample this will be sterile. But I can say that urine is one of the best media for growing bacteria in.
There is no part on your body that is sterile infact you have more bacteria in and on your body than there is cells that make up your body:scared:

The route to a bladder or kidney infection is usually starting from the outside end of the urethra and the bacteria migrate up this into the bladder. Females are more susceptible as they generally have a shorter distance between the anal region and tip of the urethra.
A lot can depend on which way you wipe:wave:

Im not trying to be pedantic but bacteria is a subject I do know very well.

The whole point is make sure everything is clean...wipe that tap with alchol wipes and let it run for a few seconds before filling your container or van.

You are unlikely to grow legionella bacteria in your vans water system as these are found in large cooling systems such as poorly maintained hotel hot water systems and large industrial cooling towers as has been suspected in the recent Edinburgh outbreak.
Click to expand...

"uninfected sample this will be sterile" Followed by "There is no part on your body that is sterile" Am I the only one that is a bit confused by what you are saying.
 
Tbear said:
"uninfected sample this will be sterile" Followed by "There is no part on your body that is sterile" Am I the only one that is a bit confused by what you are saying.
Click to expand...

The Bladder is in your body not on it....The outside of your body covers all your skin etc but also the inside of your mouth through the alimentary canal (stomach and intestines) all the way to your rectum.

I did not mean to confuse you or others all I was trying to say is under normal circumstances and if collected properly then urine should be sterile.

The point about legionella I do not take as a motorhome hotwater tank is usually heated to around 70 degress and is constantly flushed thereby making the risk of Legionella minimal..fresh water tanks do not provide conditions for this bacteria to grow. Legionella bacteria are present in the environment but the conditions are not right to provide infectious risk to humans as it has to be inhaled in water droplets ie showers in big complexes like hospitals and hotels or in steam vapour given off from cooling towers.

You have more chance of contracting Salmonella, cryptosporidium and enteric viruses from water than legionella.

The thread asks who drinks from the onboard water tanks and if the tanks are clean and proper precautions taken when filling them then I in my informed opinion think they are safe but and it is a big but proper sanitary conditions should be taken at all times.
 
I take your point on Legionella. It has been found in domestic hot water systems and a shower has got to be a good way of distributing it, however it is rarely reported so must be very few cases.

The number of positive urine cultures from percutaneous nephrostomies, ureteric stents and catheter specimens of urine would suggest that by the time it reaches the kidney pelvis it will already be contaminated. Therefore by the time it has been stored in the bladder and passed out via human genitalia, the chances of it being sterile are a bit remote.

Lets not go down the route of the special treatments clinic

Richard
 
i know i was always told on survival courses that peeing on a wound will clean it and help it . also an optician once told me if you need to clean contact lenses before inserting .again pee on them . we were going into the desert and had limited carrying capacity . every thing had to do at least two things . i,m sure you get the idea.
as it is there are some lovely fresh water holes spread around the sahara.hardest bit is finding them . but when you do .its real nice water. very often just look for a stick in the ground and gently feel around there is very often a plate over a small hole and a bit of string on the end is a container hopefully full of water . drop it back down when you leave and make it secure from drifting sand .
 
Viktor said:
I have the smaller Bottle too which might be suitable for others unless of course you want to use it to top up your tank daily as I do with the Jerrycan.
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It seems an excellent method paricularly for those visiting hotter countries.
 
vwalan said:
i know i was always told on survival courses that peeing on a wound will clean it and help it . also an optician once told me if you need to clean contact lenses before inserting .again pee on them . we were going into the desert and had limited carrying capacity . every thing had to do at least two things . i,m sure you get the idea.
as it is there are some lovely fresh water holes spread around the sahara.hardest bit is finding them . but when you do .its real nice water. very often just look for a stick in the ground and gently feel around there is very often a plate over a small hole and a bit of string on the end is a container hopefully full of water . drop it back down when you leave and make it secure from drifting sand .
Click to expand...

Hi Alan,

I think the point is that you do the best you can with what you have got. If peeing on your contacts is all you can do rather than put dirty contacts in then its a choice between a possible eye infection and a probable one but no way am I going to recommend it as normal practise. Personaly I'm going to stick with glasses:DIt is also important that you make an informed choice not one based on urban myths.

Off topic I know but are you off back to N Africa this year or staying with us in this country.

Richard
 
hi, hopefully away but think it might be just spain and portugal. going to give africa a rest for a while . want to see some of the places havent been for awhile .and annoy ken on the way. hee hee
change is as good as rest so they say.
 
:idea-007: I suspect that will the current flooding across the UK the interest in the Lifesaver Bottle and Jerrycan has increased somewhat....wonder how many personal visits they are getting to their factory in Colchester.
 
vwalan said:
hi, hopefully away but think it might be just spain and portugal. going to give africa a rest for a while . want to see some of the places havent been for awhile .and annoy ken on the way. hee hee
change is as good as rest so they say.
Click to expand...

I was hoping to try it when I retire in a couple of years but looking at the news and listening to friends talk about witnessed muggings, beggars and rising prices. Think I need a new plan:) Enjoy Spain

Apologies to OP for digression.

Richard
 
hi dont be put off .yes it is getting more expensive. but ther lives are changing .they arent that far behind us now. in fact in many ways they are in front .big industry as started and more is on the way . huge car and truck plants already happening . go and see it before its too late . i,m just trying to catch up on old haunts . good to see the change in spain etc . very often go through too quick. well slow but not enough time to see some things .i actually want to spend more time seeing if the decline in spain is really getting a grip or just the press going on .
 
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