Planning an RV trip is exciting, especially for first-time travelers. However, a road trip is not all about deciding on routes and finding the best campgrounds. Campers will also need to find solutions to the kinds of practical problems that come up on the road, and finding a purification solution for ensuring the safety of tap water should top the list.
A Simple, Affordable Solution
By far the easiest way to handle water filtration is to invest in a Travel Berkey. These high-quality countertop filters are small enough to fit comfortably on an RV counter and can be used not just to filter tap water in towns but to produce clean drinking water from nearly any source. Campers who get stuck out in the woods longer than they thought on a side trip will have one less thing to worry about if they carry a water filter.
Is Tap Water Safe to Drink?
In the United States, tap water is usually considered safe to drink, at least by the standards of the World Health Organization. However, there have been many known incidents of water contamination across the country due to aging infrastructure and contamination, and people traveling by RV outside of the U.S. borders have no guarantee of water quality in most other countries.
Filtering tap water is the best way to ensure that it is free from not just bacteria and viruses, as might be found in untreated water, but also chemicals and minerals that might not be on the list of substances banned in drinking water. Using a high-quality filter also comes with the added benefit of making tap water taste much better.
Built-In Filtration Systems
Some RVs come with built-in water filtration systems, which means that, as long as campers keep on top of changing the filters, they should be able to drink the water coming from campground hookups without worrying. Every RV is different, but the filtration system could include any combination of the elements found in a home system. At a minimum, it should include a pre-filter, a carbon filter, and an ultraviolet disinfection system.
Campers should also bear in mind that this only applies to water that comes from the tap in the kitchen sink. Except in very expensive models, RVs aren’t like houses with whole-home water filtration systems. The filters are typically beneath the kitchen sink, so avoid drinking water from other sources in the RV unless it’s been treated first.
What About Water Bottles?
Plenty of RV campers rely primarily on water bottles, but it’s both unnecessary and environmentally disastrous. Many of the top brands of bottled water are just filtered tap water. Cutting out both the middle man and a lot of plastic will help to save the environment and the family’s vacation budget.
Always Have a Backup Plan
Experienced campers know that it’s always smart to have a backup plan. In an emergency, bringing water to a full, rolling boil for at least a full minute can kill pathogens. Chemical disinfectants are also available. Neither of these solutions removes inorganic contaminants, though, so they’re not a good primary defense.
The best solution is to have a second water filtration device. If the RV has a built-in filtration system, a countertop filter will do. If it’s small, old, or doesn’t have a water hookup, the chances are good that campers are already relying on countertop filters. Purchasing an additional, smaller portable water filter is a good idea in this case.
