Steve from Top End Explorer Tours replied:

I found most servo's would allow you to top up if you ask nicely, Just ask if it is drinkable.

Cheers Steve.

Scubaroo replied:

Had the same question for an upcoming 10 week trip. Have heard numerous first hand warnings telling me not to mix water from different sources.

Renting a camper trailer, and as far as I know, it doesn't have a water filter on the tank.

I'm planning on buying one of these prior to the trip for filtering water prior to drinking/cooking use:

Katadyn camp filter

Basically hang it up each night with water from the tank, and filter into a 20L plastic drum for drinking supply, so that we're always drinking filtered water. Hopefully will eliminate any nasties that find their way into the onboard tank from dubious sources.

It's meant to be used for "base camping" where it's being filled from river or lake water, but I'll try and avoid that situation!

DIO replied:

If the drought continues many communities will be reluctant to share too much of their valuable drinking water. Perhaps you may have to consider buying it - just like they do - perhaps cartons of water from the Supermarket or in bulk from one of those water bottle re-filling machines (vending type) starting to appear in the community.
For far too long we have just taken it for granted that water replenishment when travelling was simply a matter of turning on a/or someone elses tap. Me thinks that those days are vanishing. Just like food, petrol/fuel, souveniers etc you want - you pay.
Of course you could be lucky and gather/catch rainwater or have a suitable filtration system and use river water - probably isn't much worse than we get now from the mains distribution system.
As for the filtration system in your van, you might have to do some experimenting with various sources of water and get them tested in a laboratory as to the suitability for human consumption.

Motherhen replied:

Hi Chris

When re-fuelling and if needing water, we ask if we can fill up our water tanks and check out the hose fittings first. If necessary we will move on to a dearer servo so we can get water.

Some towns have a watering point for tourists.

If in remote and arid areas, i would not object to having to pay for water.

As water quality in different towns varies, we have a separate drinking water tank to use only if the refills taste bad. That way it usually lasts a long time.

The worst water we got was in Murray Bridge SA - horrible even in a cup of tea. Best was rain water from an EO member's tank. Second best was from a small river on a farm in Tassie where we stayed. They pumped from it for stock water and we kept our tanks topped up - clear and just like rain water.

Our travels have not as yet taken us into areas where we may need other sources of water. Some caravaners travel with a water bladder or pump and filters for refilling from wells or streams.

We also carry 20 litre cannisters of drinking in the tow vehicle.

Motherhen

Notso replied:

Most servo's have a water tap, a lot of National Parks and camp grounds have water taps also.

Some of the water is pretty hard, actually in some places you have to run the tap for a while then break off the flow then chew it like an icy pole.

If you come by some good water fill your tanks with it and use it for drinking etc and have a couple of Jerry cans for washing/showering etc.

Tim Owen replied:

We didn't take a hose or any fittings on our trip. When we got stuck, we were often helped out by Tourist Info Centres. My suggestion would be to take a variety of fittings. We also found a lot of taps, especially in Council parks/toilet blocks etc, where the 'head' has been removed preventing blighters from turning on (and leaving on) taps. Take your own tap 'head' (not sure what they are called - handle - the bit your turn anyway).

Member - Kiwi Kia replied:

I carry one of those shower hose kits that you push on to ordinary taps, about $5. I have cut off the shower rose at one end and one of the tap hoses on the other end, this leaves me with a rubber cup that will push fit over most taps and a short length of hose. I can push the cup end over a basin tap and fill a jerry can if required. I also try and drink only bottled water from the supermarket and use my tank for washing and cooking water only (usually involves boiling first anyway).

Member - Uncle (NSW) replied:

We usually carry about 140 litres with us while travelling. In the past while prospecting in the bush in remote areas for weeks at a time we have also run a chain off the big tarp into a 20 litre bucket when it rains,(to top up supplies ) however now we have upgraded to a childs inflatable pool, which packs up small and is very light to carry. Holds approx 120 litres, usually use this for showering and wash up water first.cheers unc

Member - Oldbaz. NSW. replied:

Hi Chris, I suggest you look at water in two ways..
1. Drinking water...instead of worrying about purity, filtering gizmos, getting poor quality etc etc...simply buy it in bottles.
Keep some in your onboard fridge /cooler. Or alternatively obtain from any town supply...all are drinkable usually unless stated otherwise. As a last resort.. boil it...any water is safe if boiled.
2. Bathing/washing etc...quality isnt important although most of us
prefer water to look clean& some may not lather much. Fill your van tank at servos or wherever. We carry 2 by 20 L plastic containers & find this adequate for bush camping by 4 adults per
day. We refill from first source...creek, servo, park etc.
Just one more suggestion...dont put all your eggs.... if you hole
your tank you may be waterless. cheers...oldbaz.

gonebush SA replied:

hi again, is there a test kit available for us layman to test the quality of the water for drinking? or do we just highjack a chemist?. we have in the past got water from servos - always ask first though and usually fill up aswell (it only seems right). but my thinking is that sometimes this might be bore water and would that be ok to drink if it's run through the filters and then boiled?
Chris

jdwynn (Adelaide) replied:

Chris

Check out products at these sites:
msr
aquagiv

Also, Its worth checking out the system used by Bushtracker caravans. Exxy but impressive. Several elements to it. UV lamp kills the nasties though whereas I dont think most systems out there actually do that.

Other thing is plan it. We got advice from EO forum post on water sources in the Simpson and surprisingly there were quite a few. You could do same - just put out a post requesting info forward of where you are on your trip from time to time when near a net cafe.

cheers JD

Member - Brian (WA) replied:

Back about 8yrs ago we stopped at a small North West WA town.
After putting $200 fuel in two 4bys asked if we could fill up my mates tank, We got knocked back. Guess we picked the wrong place to refill.

Baz & Pud (Tassie) replied:

gonebush
Agree with all that has been said above and am surprised that all the mainland travellers haven't mentioned this one.

Nine times out of ten you can find a water tap at the local cemetery, but taste water first to see if OK.

B & P

Willem replied:

Chris

We spent 5 years on the wallaby towing a 27footer. I bought it as a shell and kitted it out. It did not have a water tank.

Most country towns have a park dedicated either by Lions or Rotary or Apex Service Cluibs or maybe just by the local council. In 99% of towns we travelled through these parks had a freshwater tap. Sometimes it was bore water but we learned to live with that. Sometimes it was artesian water and you had to let this settle overnight and then skim the fresh water off the top the next day.

Recently I paid 50c/l for desalinised water at Caiguna on the Eyre Hwy as I wasn't sure of water supplies along the Connie Sue.

Always top up your water at the earliest convenience.


Cheers

westskip replied:

Hi Chris

We did the trip half way round the block in 2006 and carried the normal 60l in the van plus another 100l in the vehicle. Found that we could last a week at most places sometimes up to 10 days if there was creek water available for washing. We mixed water from quite a variety of sources without any trouble.

Westskip