Potable water is one of the most important items you can take on your camping or caravanning adventure.  Nearly all camper trailers out there have a water tank. Some campers have 100's of liters of water capacity plumbed through to kitchen & showers. Some have places for simple water jerry cans. One thing every traveller has in mind is safe, clean drinking water.

It all starts with how you clean & fill your water tank.

You can use a standard garden hose if you wish, but some will transmit a bad taste to your water. You are better to get some food grade water pipe, from most camping outlets & fill with that.

What if you have water in your tank which tastes terrible? Or you have forgotten to drain your tanks on your last trip & you have stale water in there?

The first step is to use something like Camec Tank Clean, also available from most camping shops.

Or you can use products you may have around the home.

Step 1: Pour 2L of white vinegar for every 20L of water into the tank, and then fill with water. Turn on all your taps so the water is soaking in all the pipes, and then off again & let it sit overnight. Then flush out with water.

The acid in the vinegar will get rid of any scale or residue in the tank & pipes, particularly in stainless steel tanks.

Step 2: Add a 500g box of bicarb soda to the tank. Turn on all your taps so the water is soaking in all the pipes, then turn taps off & let it sit overnight. Then flush out with water.

The bicarb neutralizes any acidity left in the tank from the vinegar.

Step 3: Get a 2L bottle of red cordial & pour it into the tank, and then fill and leave sit for a day, 2 days or a week. Turn on all your taps so the water out of the tap runs red, is soaking in all the pipes, and then turn it off & let it sit overnight. Then flush out with water. Then fill.

The raspberry cordial will take any taste left by the cleaning agents out of the water.

When you have finished camping, it is a good idea to take the bungs out of your tanks, run your taps dry and let the whole system dry out. Once it's all dry out, replace the bungs & turn the taps off. If you keep your tank, pipes & taps dry, then before each trip you should only have to pour the 2L of red cordial in & flush it out, to have clean drinking water.

You can also buy a water filter for your taps. A silver filter will take out everything bad from your water.