Water

goinsoon · Guru

Water

ChiChi1 · Guru

Wondering if we could get a list together on where to get good quality water along the road.

Can stock up on food, and have power from solar and there are numerous dump points, But lack of water sends me scurrying back to CP's after about 3 days.

Are there any water friendly places you have come across?

Happywanderer · The Master

That worries me too Chichi. Have seen on here you can fill at service stations and the like but worries me if suitable for drinking. I always carry a 10 litre of drinking water in the van as well as having the tank full just in case.

Ma · Guru

Ask questions at the Visitor Information Centres, that's what they are there for

Happywanderer · The Master

So true Ma, I never thought of that.

Firefly · Guru

Yeah we have found rather a few. One place is in the park on the south side of Camooweal in Qld. You can fill up there without a worry in the world. They were very obliging.

I will add some more tomorrow when I fire up the other computer with the information on there.

Last year, we listed each spot we filled at. smile

Ma · Guru

The women at the Info office at St. Helen's were less than helpful when it came to water.

Tried to send us all the way out to Binalong Bay when there were two taps 100 yards up the road that were specifically put there for travellers water needs.

Chinchilla Info centre were very obliging and said "sure you can" just use the gold top taps. Water was good too.

Sometimes if there is a park at a railway station you can fill up from the tap there too.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Of all places, Coober Pedy has good water... better than you'll get for a long way, they are happy to let travellers fill up, theres a special set of taps beside the road. Its not free but out there water is so precious we didnt mind a couple of $ for good drinkable water to fill the tanks.

justcruisin01 · Guru

In WA, Exmouth in 08 the only place for water was the info centre.

Vic · Guru

Denmark, WA......Water Corporation mains water from tap near the river (see silver box) at the northern end of the park which is opposite the small IGA in Denmark (there is a large IGA in the next street).

There is a short dirt road (about 100 metres) and a turn around point there.

Look for the silver box cabinet and you can't miss it.

Cruising Granny · Guru

Most roadhouses have taps, and I'm sure if you asked nicely they'd oblige, or advise where you can get good potable water.
In most places I've travelled, there are plenty of signs advising if the water isn't suitable for human consumption.
Coober Pedy has to buy and truck water in. There is no bore water out there, and it doesn't rain enough to catch long-term supplies in rainwater tanks. They buy, so we have to, but I thought 20c for a 4 min shower at the caravan park was quite generous.
That's the park by the pub. The other park charges more for showers I believe.
WA has great water in most places. They're lucky like that.
Adelaide's water has improved over the years, but I still filter it for human consumption and my tea.
Some information centres aren't very obliging or friendly. Some offer coffee and not much else, while many are very friendly, and full of useful information. They're usually volunteers, and it depends on the managing organisation, eg council or tourism association.
Safe and happy travels, and never be afraid to ask.

jonathan · Guru

.. I decided a while back to carry a small filter system that I can attach between a tap and the fill-point, be it a water tank or a jerry or my MH .. mine is basically the same as this, but designed for portability ..

Use it consistantly .. worth a read folks .. and I have no promotional agreements with the company .. Its just one of many !!

http://www.thinkwater.com.au/Product/Whole-House

(sorry, I still cant make anything interactive .. I did once upon a time)

Jon

-- Edited by jonathan on Wednesday 25th of January 2012 01:36:08 PM

-- Edited by jonathan on Wednesday 25th of January 2012 01:36:52 PM

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

go to Bunnings and get a fourway tap connector (anout $7) and when you see a tap without a turn handle on it use your own fourway connector, these handleless tap's are only there to stop people leaving the tap running, some tourist info places have these taps and if you ask they will load you a connector for a small fee, returned of return of their tap key

Rip and Rosie · Guru

Caravan Park at Dunnedoo has free tank water, and lots of truckies fill their containers there.

animalcarer · Senior Member

Jeez its only water, the info centres should be more obliging, my friend runs the one at chinchilla, most parks have taps but check if the water is good. Also showgrounds we have got water from there.

jimsiron · Veteran Member

Cruising Granny wrote:
Most roadhouses have taps, and I'm sure if you asked nicely they'd oblige, or advise where you can get good potable water.
In most places I've travelled, there are plenty of signs advising if the water isn't suitable for human consumption.
Coober Pedy has to buy and truck water in. There is no bore water out there, and it doesn't rain enough to catch long-term supplies in rainwater tanks. They buy, so we have to, but I thought 20c for a 4 min shower at the caravan park was quite generous.
That's the park by the pub. The other park charges more for showers I believe.
WA has great water in most places. They're lucky like that.
Adelaide's water has improved over the years, but I still filter it for human consumption and my tea.
Some information centres aren't very obliging or friendly. Some offer coffee and not much else, while many are very friendly, and full of useful information. They're usually volunteers, and it depends on the managing organisation, eg council or tourism association.
Safe and happy travels, and never be afraid to ask.

Coober Pedy's water is piped in from out the Oodnadatta road out of a bore, about 25km away then treated via reverse osmosis system, it is very pure and requires no further treatment.

regards

jimsiron

cannylass · Senior Member

The visitor centres have always let us fill up there, and we have seen many vans doing the same, or a park which has a tap

Cruising Granny · Guru

Thanks for the update Jimsiron. Any bore water out that way would be pretty hard so I guess the purification makes it usable.
That's Australia.
It always seems to me where they need water they don't get it, and where they don't seem to need the water they get plenty.
In the matter of water, ask and you could receive.

Happywanderer · The Master

Water, water everywhere. And not a drop to drink.

Its ok having one of those tap top thingees for where the council have taken off the tap top, but you still need to know its drinkable.

I bought one at Bunnings on the advice of the Green Lakers who for some reason kept losing theirs so anyone going shopping in Shepparton would be asked to grab a couple more.
How many hiding in your van now Jimbo??

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

Happywanderer wrote:
Water, water everywhere. And not a drop to drink.

Its ok having one of those tap top thingees for where the council have taken off the tap top, but you still need to know its drinkable.

I bought one at Bunnings on the advice of the Green Lakers who for some reason kept losing theirs so anyone going shopping in Shepparton would be asked to grab a couple more.
How many hiding in your van now Jimbo??

I should have been more specific, we only fill our shower tank with water that we are not sure of where it comes from, drinking water is obtained from CP or suppermarkets.

We have two holding tanks one for drinking water and the other for showers

Beth54 · Guru

On my last trip, I bought 1.5 ltr bottles from the supermarket as they were a lot easier for me to handle...cos I'm a weakling...but it should be easier now that I have a caravan and don't have to keep lifting them out of the car.

Yes, you're right CG, as always, I do have a couple of 'proper' containers which I'll have to get out of my storage shed before my next trip.

I remember when we could return bottles in Qld too. We lived close to the Pacific Highway, and many a bottle could be scavenged along there. We'd use the money to go to the local pool. If we found a large Coke bottle, they were worth sixpence! The smaller ones were only worth threepence, if I remember rightly.

GD, impossible for me to carry 20lts.

-- Edited by Beth54 on Thursday 26th of January 2012 08:41:56 PM

Beth54 · Guru

I tend to carry a 10 lt bottle from the supermarket, but I do worry about adding the plastic problem at the dump.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

Beth54 wrote:
I tend to carry a 10 lt bottle from the supermarket, but I do worry about adding the plastic problem at the dump.

don't throw those bottles away, we once went to a supermarket out bush and had to buy a bottle to fill up from their water machine, cannot remember where it was.

Beth54 · Guru

_wombat_ wrote:
Beth54 wrote:
I tend to carry a 10 lt bottle from the supermarket, but I do worry about adding the plastic problem at the dump.
don't throw those bottles away, we once went to a supermarket out bush and had to buy a bottle to fill up from their water machine, cannot remember where it was.

I do keep one Wombat, for that reason. I've seen one of those machines here in Brisbane somewhere, but never out bush.

Happywanderer · The Master

I have a 10 litre container from Bunnings which I leave home full of my own tap water. If I have to buy drinking water at the supermarket I will keep an empty one of those as well, in case I come across good drinking water further afield.
I often have a couple of 2 litre milk containers cleaned and filled with drinking water too if I remember to save the bottles. Plus of course my water tank for washing, cleaning etc.

Cruising Granny · Guru

In SA those bottles are worth 10c ea empty. There's fortune lying on the roadsides of every state except SA.
I keep the empty mineral water bottles and refill them with the tap water I filter at home. I also carry a 20litre jerry can of water and another 5 litres for the car.
I have to keep the bottles in a dark bag so algae doesn't form. That's the water when I'm on the job on the road.
The van has 120 litres in its tanks still from Cairns. Better to keep them full.

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Take care with those bottles from the supermarket! A family we were travelling with had one split and spill its contents all over their sleeping bags. Jerry-can style containers are much more robust, would recommend you carry 1 or 2 x 10 liter ones (Easier to carry than a 20 liter jerry can)

Cruising Granny · Guru

The mineral water bottles don't live forever, but I keep them in one of the Coles blue fridgy bags. If they look a bit fragile I just replace it. Not a biggy.
I can still handle a 20 litre jerry can of water or diesel. When I can't I'll downsize my storage containers.
When I visited Carnarvon Gorge over Christmas I filled my water bottle in a spring-fed creek. Very sweet, cool water, with no ill-effects.
I don't like buying shop water unless I run out and am desperate.
I grew up with rainwater, also with no ill-effects, contrary to the opinions of some wankers who reckon it's only good for watering the garden. Well, it is, but it's good to drink and make tea with too.
It's good stuff!

Boroma577 · Guru

You can buy an inline water filter from BCF for about $30, very easy to use and works well.

Re water when travelling.....I always use the info contained in the Camps book. It tells you where water is available and if it is potable or not.

I also collect rain water when camped up for a time and pump it via the filter into my general water tanks.

-- Edited by Boroma577 on Friday 27th of January 2012 01:07:36 PM

Beth54 · Guru

Yes, I shouldn't buy shop water either, but it certainly tastes better than town water in most places. The water at Tin Can Bay is really nice, so soft, just like rain water. I grew up on rain water too CG, and always love to drink that where possible.

Just on the subject of tanks, when my son was building his house, he didn't want to get the town water on, just wanted tanks. But Brisbane City Council wouldn't let them. As it ran down their street, they HAD to get it connected. What a stupid law!