Might have sounded...I dunno....suggestive...but was not intended to be.

Anyway, yeah a short 'pigtail' of garden hose works well.

At the female end of the hose, cut about 18" or so down from that end. 

Of course, you can always attach a new replacement female end to the long section so you have a good hose with both ends.

I've been drinking hose water for nigh on 70 years and I ain't died yet.  Just let it run until the hose smell went away and the water was cool.  My worries are where the water comes from that goes into the hose. 

This will flush out any bugs or debris. 

Thanks...

I see a possible scenario where all of your potable water is only in the fresh tank. Showers are taken, toilet is flushed many times, water is used for cooking and cleaning, outdoor showers, etc, and one HOT day, the pump runs dry, the fresh water tank is emptied, and you now have ZERO drinkable water!

To prepare for this, I suspect you carry a few bottles of separate drinking water, having been in the military.

BTW thanks for your service!

Yeah carrying 5 gallons of potable water in a seperate jug means you can deduct that weight from your fresh tank when traveling, by filling it less. In fact, I only travel down the road with my fresh tank showing 1/3 or less...weight is an issue with these. 

A lot of this comes from personal experiences. I spent 35 years doing lots of international travel, much to places where people would think you're crazy if you suggested drinking or brushing your teeth using the water from the tap. So, I just learned to assume its all contaminated and never drink from taps, either at home, in hotel rooms, or in my RV's. For me, its not at all a hardship or even an inconvenience, its second nature. 

None of us are ever going to convince the others that our way is better. This is a matter of choice based on experience, and what each individual feels is most convenient and sensible for their needs. 

Originally posted by podwerkz That's a LOT of  work compared to just carrying around a few gallons of actual drinking water. I mean, why is it SO important that your drinking water comes from your pump operated faucet as compared to a gravity dispenser on the counter or floor?

Space and weight.

Carrying extra water in a container or bottles takes up both. I have a tank that can suffice for use if properly sanitized and potable water is used to fill it. For extra safety, some Camco Drinking Water Freshener (essentially bleach) can be used to ensure safety.

I spent 26 years in the Army. I have had to drink water from Water Buffaloes (wheeled tanks) and Lister Bags. Drinking water from them did not make me sick or kill me so I think I can safely drink water from the fresh water tank. Field Sanitation classes provided training in how to keep potable water safe so I feel confident in using my  RV's fresh water tank.

It occurs to me that one of the reasons we are blessed with relatively good senses of taste and smell is that it give us a survival advantage.  If something tastes bad or smells bad, it's a warning to us that it's probably not very good for you.  When water tastes bad it's a warning to your body to stay clear of it, ergo the use of the terms "bitter water" and "sweet water."  One may make you sick while the other is less likely to introduce you to new little friends.

Jeeze. 

I read thru that entire process of sanitizing the fresh tank. Holy Moly.

That's a LOT of  work compared to just carrying around a few gallons of actual drinking water. I mean, why is it SO important that your drinking water comes from your pump operated faucet as compared to a gravity dispenser on the counter or floor?

Using the so called 'fresh water' tank just for showers and toilet use means you are not having to sanitize water and the tanks to the utmost level of sterility just to flush it down the drain. I'm guessing here, but I bet 90% of that 30 gallons ends up in the toilet, the shower, washing dishes, maybe hosing off muddy shoes, or washing the dog. 

In my opinion (and I've been doing this for more than 25 years) ANY water that goes into ANY RV fresh water tank is, from then on, NON-POTABLE. Period.

It's for toilets, showers, and washing dishes.

Agreed. 

Thinking about this, the desert southwest is probably the most difficult area for any of us to be definite about.

For newbies, just for perspective on changing drinking water in tanks - 

and 

It's kinda like asking which motor oil is best....

Where untreated water is put into the tank, the odds of excessive bacterial growth increase along with the risk of becoming ill.  It is all a function of odds or probability.  And each person has her/his own tolerance for risk not only from a point of view of choice, but from a physiological point of view as well.  Some have a higher resistance to water born bacteria; some not so high.  

And there is no guarantee that if you drink campground water, whether put into your FW tank or into separate water bottles that you are going to be free of risk.  I recall reading some comparison tests of San Francisco municipal water compared to bottled water.  The San Francisco municipal water was considerably more pure for both chemical contaminant and bacterial count measures.  In many parts of the country, healthful potable water is getting harder and harder to come by.  

The whole water issue comes down to personal preference.  If you like the water from the FW tank, drink it.  If that risk is unacceptable for whatever reason, don't drink it.  Unlike not getting vaccinated for measles, you're not going to make other people sick by drinking tank water. 

I don't understand the worry.  My city water is chlorinated.  It sits in my pipes, both copper and plastic, until used.  Biofilm is probably growing in the plastic pipes as we speak.

I sanitize my RPod tank before each season with a half-cup of unscented bleach, fill the tank, and then drain it.

I fill my RPod tank before a trip with my city water and drink it.  I don't get diarrhea and it tastes like home.

I think this is unnecessary worry along the lines of antivaxxers.

'Quartzsite Crud' is a thing around that area every winter, and it's pretty common among the snowbirds...all kinds of bugs and ailments travel along with the RVers as they arrive and shake hands and share food, utensils, etc at potlucks and gatherings.

One thing I noticed in our 'tribe' of about 25 people.....only two people caught the 'crud' and I know for a fact that they drink and cook with the water they pump into their RV fresh tank from the available spigots. 

There really is no impasse here, its a personal choice. I look at it this way:

If you

are concerned about sanitizing properly or

don't like to contaminate your local environs by dumping your sanitizing solution on the ground or

are concerned about the quality of the tap water you might get travelling or

want to increase your stored water supply beyond the measly 30 gallons or

are not accustomed to drinking tap water anyway or

all of the above (me),

then bring and drink bottled water. If none of the above are issues for you then feel free to drink water from the tank.  No problems either way, and certainly no reason to argue about it. 

One park I camped in last week had warning tags on the potable water spigots advising pregnant and nursing women not to drink the water. High Nitrate levels.

High nitrate levels cannot be 'fixed' by filters and chlorination.

Makes me wonder what is in campground water that we don't know about....

I'll stick to drinking bottled water and tap water from trusted sources.