Water Quality

[Gary521]

Over the years, I have observed how some folks treat the potable water hose and water spigot in the RV park. I have watched people stick their sewer hose directly over the spigot to wash it out. I have watched folks drag the potable water hose through the gravel and mud. I have seen them use the potable hose to attach to the black tank flush etc etc. Now, I pull into the park and want to attach my water hose to that spigot - I don't think so. I want to carry a sanitizing spray with me to sanitize the spigot and my own water line. I know that a bleach solution maybe the best at doing this but a bleach solution has an effective shelf life of maybe two days. This becomes not practical if you move around a lot. Doing some research ( I used to work in the medical industry - doing research ), I found what restaurants use to sanitize equipment and counters. It is a solution called "QUAT" or quaternary immonia solution. The shelf life of quat solution is several months ( up to 12 ). This sounds like a great way to go. So I have used the quat solution for over three years now. To get the stuff, you can purchase a concentrate on-line or in resturant supply stores. For the concentrate, you mix about a tablespoon to a gallon of water. This is great but the quat concentrrate has a shelf life too and that is about three years. You ain't going to be using a lot of concentrate in three years. There is another way. You can purchase quat tablets at the same places. A couple of tablets in a gallon of water and off you go. Look at that idiot over there with the spray bottle and disposable gloves attaching on the sewer hose. What a sissy! Ever get sick on the road and wonder where you caught it? Maybe there is an answer in this. The sanitizing process with a spray bottle takes all of about 15 seconds.Even when I wrap up my hose getting ready to leave, I don't let it touch the ground, if I can help it. Forget the 5 second rule here. There are critters running around. I live in Colorado and have gotten deathly sick from drinking water from pristene high mountain steams. This is a illness called giardia.Just a thought that I would like to pass on.

 

[mobilcastle]

Thanks for the info


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[DocFather]

Over the years, I have observed how some folks treat the potable water hose and water spigot in the RV park. I have watched people stick their sewer hose directly over the spigot to wash it out. I have watched folks drag the potable water hose through the gravel and mud. I have seen them use the potable hose to attach to the black tank flush etc etc. Now, I pull into the park and want to attach my water hose to that spigot - I don't think so. I want to carry a sanitizing spray with me to sanitize the spigot and my own water line. I know that a bleach solution maybe the best at doing this but a bleach solution has an effective shelf life of maybe two days. This becomes not practical if you move around a lot. Doing some research ( I used to work in the medical industry - doing research ), I found what restaurants use to sanitize equipment and counters. It is a solution called "QUAT" or quaternary immonia solution. The shelf life of quat solution is several months ( up to 12 ). This sounds like a great way to go. So I have used the quat solution for over three years now. To get the stuff, you can purchase a concentrate on-line or in resturant supply stores. For the concentrate, you mix about a tablespoon to a gallon of water. This is great but the quat concentrrate has a shelf life too and that is about three years. You ain't going to be using a lot of concentrate in three years. There is another way. You can purchase quat tablets at the same places. A couple of tablets in a gallon of water and off you go. Look at that idiot over there with the spray bottle and disposable gloves attaching on the sewer hose. What a sissy! Ever get sick on the road and wonder where you caught it? Maybe there is an answer in this. The sanitizing process with a spray bottle takes all of about 15 seconds.Even when I wrap up my hose getting ready to leave, I don't let it touch the ground, if I can help it. Forget the 5 second rule here. There are critters running around. I live in Colorado and have gotten deathly sick from drinking water from pristene high mountain steams. This is a illness called giardia.Just a thought that I would like to pass on.

Great post. The parasite is called giardia. The illness is called giardiasis aka "beaver fever" and causes gastroenteritis in humans and is not fun.

 

[recumbent615]

Thanks for that advise. I've used bleach solution and agree mixing it is a pain. I will have to stop by my local supply store and see if I can find the tabs


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[MTPockets]

I use one of those bleach sprays sold for disinfecting kitchen counter tops. These contain bleach. What do you mean about a two day shelf life? As far as I can tell, the stuff in these bottles is good til it's gone.

 

[Gary521]

The disinfecting action of the bleach does not work after a couple of days. After this time, you are accomplishing nothing.

 

[recumbent615]

I believe the Bleach does not dissipate when kept in a closed bottle and not subjected to UV light. ( from my time as a pool boy ) but exposed to air and UV it does not continue to work very long at all. I would like to point out one other thing. There are two standards of clean we need to address here. Sanitizing and disinfecting, bleach is a disinfectant and as such must be cleaned off of surfaces prior to being allowed to contact anything that will be ingested. Bleach and the residual chemicals are poisons and need to be treated as such. This is why if you treat your potable water supply with a bleach solution you need to fill and flush and repeat until you do not smell any bleach. the same goes for any where else you use this solution - you must flush it. Sanitizing is a different beast altogether. sanitation does not clean and should not be considered cleaning, case in point is the sanitation of surfaces in a restaurant. the process is to first clean the services with soap and water, then rinse with clean water to remove all soap residue ( sanitation does not work when there is soap present ) then the sanitation solution is sprayed on the surface and wiped down to insure that the entire surface is covered and reapplied if needed to cover the entire surface and allowed to air dry. it is the chemical and the contact time allowed during air dry time that performs the sanitation. This process is also used in the three sink process for wash, rinse and soak sinks for utensils in a kitchen where high temp dishwashers are not available.

All of the information that I have been able to locate is related to the food processing industry or food service. and all of the chemical solutions are meant for non porous surfaces.


Bottom line here - keeping a dark colored spray container of bleach solution to hit the water source before hooking up might not be a bad idea... jut remember to rinse it really well before hooking up your hoses... and to Garry's point I think that keeping everything really clean and thinking of where you are dragging your hoses - is always a good idea. I've been guilty of just tossing my water and waste hoses in the bed of the truck - not a good thing - not to be repeated ever especially now that i have a storage tube mounted under the rig for the sewer hoses.

 

[MTPockets]

When I roll my hoses I always screw the ends together. Keeps any residual water from running out and anything from getting in.

 

[recumbent615]

When I roll my hoses I always screw the ends together. Keeps any residual water from running out and anything from getting in.

I use quick connect and do the same. Keeps the critters out of the hoses too