Water Sanitation

Got a question. I have observed some brutally disgusting practices regarding the park water hookup. I have seen guys sticking their sewer hose around the tap to to flush the hose. I used to work in the medical industry and know that this is contaminating the spigot. I have also observed the power flush hose for the black tank being connected with the same hose for the fresh water line - another cross contamination no no.
I was in Carlsbad last year, and this is the first and only park where I observed the site locating guy come over and sanitize the water spigot before I hooked my hose on it. I bowed graciously.
As far as the sewer and water go, I always wear disposable gloves when hooking and unhooking / flushing the sewer line. I have started to carry spigot sanitizing solution made from a diluted bleach solution.

My question is: What do other folks do and what is their formula for a sanitizing solution - if they have one. I don't know if I have ever seen anything like this. Can you buy this stuff? The homemade stuff is cheaper and maybe better but just wondering. In the medical industry, we were required to undergo training every year regarding
waterborne, bloodborne and airborne pathogens ( germs ). Seeing what goes on around the sewer/water sometimes gives me the creeps. What are these folks thinking??!!

Thanks for the information. We're eagerly looking forward to some warmer weather so that we can enjoy our first TT. We do intend to use campground water supplies, and hadn't even thought about this issue. As a teacher, I'm required to have some of the same training each year before school starts. The disposable gloves sound like a good idea.

I use Clorox cleaner with bleach. I keep the spray bottle near the water connect panel so it is handy when I hook up. Spray the park spigot first thing, then when I go to hool up the water it has set for a minute or two. I spray my fresh water hose ends too.

I also use a bleach solution to spray the spigot before connecting. And don't forget to turn that water on for a few seconds at least to flush out any critters, rust, or sediment that may have built up since the last camper. While you have the bleach bottle out, it's also a good idea to spray down the picnic table. You'd be amazed at what some folks use it for.

A 10:1 bleach solution works well. If you don't have bleach handy use hydrogen peroxide out of the bottle or if you want 4:1 dilution. Both will kill most of the pathogens that could be there. If it is a bare brass hose connection on the hydrant then a small propane torch works very well but obviously not on the hose.

That's a great idea regarding the picnic table. We normally cover the thing but maybe we don't sometimes. Also, flushing out the spigot is a good idea too. I am checking into a sanitizer with the basic designaion of quat ( an ammonia based sanitizer ). The chlorine bleach stuff works great but it has a very short shelf life of maybe a day or so. I am lazy so I don't want to keep mixing the solution if I am moving a lot. The quat solution has a shelf life of about a year. This product is primarily used in the food industry. One of the quat solutions is benzalkonium chloride or the same stuff that hospitals use in hand sanitizing. I found a restaurant supply store that has test strips so that you can check the ppm of the quat over time. If you are really bored, and have nothing to do, check out the link attached. It will put you right to sleep but it explains all about sanitizing.

Before I go off and get myself into trouble, I want to check out the hydrogen peroxide too. That's pretty cheap stuff and maybe does not degrade quickly.

http://www.schiff-consulting.com/choosing.html

I was bored so I did some checking. Hydrogen Peroxide is not all that great. But I did find something that is. You need two spray bottles. Fill one with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide and the other with white or apple cider vinegar ( right from the store ). It does not matter which spray you use first, the peroxide or the vinegar. It makes a really, really good sanitizer. DO not mix the two together in the same bottle as it forms an acid which is a good sanitizer but can be a bit harmful.

Maybe they should sell these at RV stores. I found that mix on a search, too. I've also read that a 0.5 micron carbon filter will stop almost all bacteria, cysts, and many viruses.

View attachment 11983

Good ideas, I have been thinking about sanitizing my fresh water tank but never thought about the campground spigots. You are right you never know what the previous vivitor may have done. Gross! lol

On our last trip of the year last year, the water spigot contamination idea hit me. We planned on using bleach, but I know the dilution has a really short life. I'll have to check into a couple of these other ideas before our season starts.

Kristy

Your medical background gives you an entirely different perspective to pathogens and their transfer. Many people seem pretty clueless to those matters.

How about just keeping a container of disinfecting wipes handy, like Clorox or Lysol brand disinfecting wipes, or for a hospital grade disinfectant wipe you could get some CaviWipes (http://www.amazon.com/CaviWipes-Dis...OLJ0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1297484923&sr=8-3). These come in pop-top tubs or individually wrapped.

I sometimes wonder if we don't get so concerned about disinfectants and germs that we set ourselves up to be sick. Some exposure to germs is necessary for our body to build up immunity to them and if we don't we can get sick easier. IMHO. No I don't have a medical background but just grew up in an era where we played outside in the dirt and didn't wash our hands every 5 minutes. I even remember breaking thermometers to get out the mercury so we could coat dimes with mercury and watch it splatter when we hit it with a hammer. I do agree we need to take normal precautions though but my question is do we go overboard many times? I read about a study the other day that said regular soap works just as good as the higher priced anti-bacterial soap. Just some food for thought...not trying to start an argument.

Another place for concern the dump station. I have saw people take the hose for filling your water tank and use it to wash out their sewer hose. Some people just don't care.

You know, I don't know for sure that they just don't care or not or it's just plain having a lack of knowledge. I agree that we should not get paranoid about it but the sewer system is loaded with some real unfriendly critters. As I stated earlier, I wear disposable gloves when I work around the sewer system. I get them by the boxes at either Sam's or Costco and this is cheap insurance. Imagine not using them and enjoyiing that great extra donut in the morning as I hum down the Interstate after just dumping the traiiler. If I recall, there is a soap dispenser in the universal docking station right next to the dump valves. Hmmm, seems like a great place to put hand disenfectant - just a thought.

I don't always use gloves but I do keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer in the bin bt the sewer hook ups. Even after that and gloves, I still feel the need to wash my hands.

@jmgratz... I agree, "If it doesn't kill ya it will make you stronger!" Gotta build up that immune system!
As a matter of fact I do wear gloves and always give the spigot and hose ends a quick shot of Lysol disinfectant, allow it to sit a couple of minutes and then a good quick rinse. And of course a good water filter between the spigot and trailer.

Netem said:

Another place for concern the dump station. I have saw people take the hose for filling your water tank and use it to wash out their sewer hose. Some people just don't care.

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This is why I unhook any hose and use my own. I know what it's been through

Gary521 said:

I was bored so I did some checking. Hydrogen Peroxide is not all that great. But I did find something that is. You need two spray bottles. Fill one with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide and the other with white or apple cider vinegar ( right from the store ). It does not matter which spray you use first, the peroxide or the vinegar. It makes a really, really good sanitizer. DO not mix the two together in the same bottle as it forms an acid which is a good sanitizer but can be a bit harmful.

Click to expand...

Hydrogen peroxide is used in hospitals to disinfect surfaces and it is used in solution alone or in combination with other chemicals as a high level disinfectant. Hydrogen peroxide vapor is used as a medical sterilant and as room disinfectant. Hydrogen peroxide has the advantage that it decomposes to form oxygen and water thus leaving no long term residues, but hydrogen peroxide as with most other strong oxidants is hazardous, and solutions are a primary irritant. The vapor is hazardous to the respiratory system and eyes and consequently the OSHA permissible exposure limit is 1 ppm (29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1) calculated as an eight hour time weighted average and the NIOSH immediately dangerous to life and health limit is 75 ppm.<SUP id=cite_ref-15 class=reference>[16]</SUP> Therefore, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, gas monitoring etc. should be employed where high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide are used in the workplace. Hydrogen peroxide is sometimes mixed with colloidal silver. It is often preferred because it causes far fewer allergic reactions than alternative disinfectants. Also used in the food packaging industry to disinfect foil containers. A 3% solution is also used as an antiseptic. However, recent studies have shown hydrogen peroxide to be toxic to growing cells as well as bacteria; its use as an antiseptic is no longer recommended.<SUP style="WHITE-SPACE: nowrap" class=Template-Fact title="This claim needs references to reliable sources from February 2007">[citation needed]</SUP> ((((VHP is one of the chemicals approved for decontamination of anthrax spores from contaminated buildings, such as occurred during the 2001 anthrax attacks in the U.S.[3] It has also been shown to be effective in removing exotic animal viruses, such as avian influenza and Newcastle disease from equipment and surfaces.))))
Mixing or using the Acetic acid gives you Paracetic acid which is better. We use this in NSF RO membrane sterilization as well as just straight 35% commercial hydrogen peroxide.

Thanks for the tips on disinfecting the water spigot etc. I hadn't thought of that. I carry lysol wipes in a ziplock when I go just about anywhere. You can't be too careful with some of the terrible things you can get from just touching something that somebody really sick has touched. Tom M.

Not to hijack the thread but if you really concerned about germs think about this. Why do people go to doctor's offices? Mostly because they are sick. And then they sit there and read the magazines while they are sniffling, coughing and sneezing. Then they go in and see the doctor. You sit down and read that same magazine. Yuck Yuck Yuck.... Or the baby slobbers all over the handle of the grocery basket and then you use the same basket Yuck Yuck Yuck Germs are everywhere...