AndyLou Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Hi I was wondering if anyone knows of a list of places where it is possible to get water when wild camping or travelling around. We don't have much problem with the toilet as public toilets are readily available for emptying the cassette; to be discrete I have a bag I put it (the cassette) in then take to the toilet to empty. What I have struggled with is easy access to clean water. Any advice much appreciated. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 There is always a supply of water at cemetries. I have only used such a source on one occasion in France but have been told that wildcampers are regular users. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arvy Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 It is true that you can get water from cemeteries but that does not mean that you connect a hose pipe to the tap. Use a container and be discreet. Locals will get upset if you are seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 You could of course use a bourne at an Aire, usually costing only 2 or 3 euros. There are plenty of those, usually signposted as a motorhome dump. Worth buying "All the Aires" for the listings. Water taps at cemetries will be intended for watering plants and may not be potable water so beware - I've been on French campsites where we were directed to a single tap near the recption for potable water because the other taps on the site weren't! You could also ask at garages where you are refuelling. If you want to ask someone for potable water use the phrase "J'ai besoin d'eau potable", which means "I have need of drinking water". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 I think Andy&Lou is not asking about obtaining water outside the UK? I don’t motorcaravan in the UK (and certainly have no difficulty obtaining water in France) but I can well imagine that finding sources of freshwater in this country could be challenging for ‘wild campers’. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Do the C&CC still offer a MH top up service? I'm sure they used to let you drain waste water, empty loo cassette, take on fresh water and use toilets and showers for a (not too) small consideration. Could this be an option if you are desperate? Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Keithl - 2017-07-19 10:37 AMDo the C&CC still offer a MH top up service? .... Yes but I think they've put the price up to £8! You could ask at garages for water in UK - and you wouldn't need to ask in French. I suspect there is more chance, now that so many of us are on water meters, of being accused of stealing if you help yourself to water without permission in UK! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Join wildcamping and get access to poi's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witzend Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 Mike88 - 2017-07-18 3:56 PM There is always a supply of water at cemetries. I have only used such a source on one occasion in France but have been told that wildcampers are regular users. There is NO need to anger the locals by visiting cemetery's for water in France where nearly ever community has a aire I've just spent 8 wks without paying for water once obtaining it from aires Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike88 Posted July 18, 2017 Share Posted July 18, 2017 witzend - 2017-07-18 8:54 PM Mike88 - 2017-07-18 3:56 PM There is always a supply of water at cemetries. I have only used such a source on one occasion in France but have been told that wildcampers are regular users. There is NO need to anger the locals by visiting cemetery's for water in France where nearly ever community has a aire I've just spent 8 wks without paying for water once obtaining it from aires That is why I have used such a source only on one occasion. I would usually use aires or dare I say it campsites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 You could of course BUY bottled water! PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 My Rapido’s freshwater tank has a capacity of 120 litres - it would take an awful lot of San Pellegrino water to fill it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallii Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 I asked at the Marie about the location for water in a small French town, I was directed to the cemetery ! " All the motorhomes use it," the young lady said. " There is a toilet just inside the gate" she added. When I got there, two other M/H were parked up for the night. So I stayed the night. The neighbours were very quiet :-) H Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLou Posted July 19, 2017 Author Share Posted July 19, 2017 Thanks for all the advice so far. Yes I think I did mean in the UK as access to aires in the rest of Europe seems easy and cheap. CC&C do a service but it is £7.50 which given that some CS sites only change about £8 for a night's camping seems way too much. I think I will need to get a better container for filling. A watering can seems ideal but is very bulky to carry. I had a cheap folding 10 litre container and a cheap funnel but both have sprung a leak. (buy cheap buy twice). Thanks for your help Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Andy&Lou - 2017-07-19 12:35 PM Thanks for all the advice so far. Yes I think I did mean in the UK as access to aires in the rest of Europe seems easy and cheap. CC&C do a service but it is £7.50 which given that some CS sites only change about £8 for a night's camping seems way too much. I think I will need to get a better container for filling. A watering can seems ideal but is very bulky to carry. I had a cheap folding 10 litre container and a cheap funnel but both have sprung a leak. (buy cheap buy twice). Thanks for your help Andy Try Yeomans in Southampton! I have a folding plastic container, with a tap on. Had it for years. but now buy one 6 or 8 ltr bottle from supermarket, and keep that for refilling. It stores behind the passenger seat, no problem. PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Drinking water should come straight from the mains instead of a tank where it could get contminated. Remember the Fawlty Towers episode where the Health Inspector went in the loft and found a dead pigeon floating in the water tank (lol) So I am wary of garage taps near car washes in case it comes from a tank they use for the car wash? I keep it in milk bottles in a 'really useful box' using diferent colour milk bottle tops to identify where I got the water from and use it only for washing if in any doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaven Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Working harbours have been a reliable source, (as opposed to marinas). A Collapsible polythene container can be filled from an ordinary tap and lifted up onto your internal work surface. A length of hose can be used to siphon through your window into your tank filler point. Labour intensive but doable. The other method is using a watering can, but there's no room to carry one in a small van. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John52 Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 PS: get one of these - I got mine from Poundland :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coachman Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 As many have said ,no real problems except my tale up in Scotland,went to a garage , one pump type and asked if I can have some fresh water.He replied his water is Scotland finest LOL.Run tap and water was almost brown, when I asked him about it he replied with straight face "they make Whisky out of it so it must be good. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted July 19, 2017 Share Posted July 19, 2017 Derek Uzzell - 2017-07-19 9:07 AM My Rapido’s freshwater tank has a capacity of 120 litres - it would take an awful lot of San Pellegrino water to fill it... No it wouldn',t it would simply take 120 litres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blaven Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Coachman - 2017-07-19 6:21 PM As many have said ,no real problems except my tale up in Scotland,went to a garage , one pump type and asked if I can have some fresh water.He replied his water is Scotland finest LOL.Run tap and water was almost brown, when I asked him about it he replied with straight face "they make Whisky out of it so it must be good. :-D Living in the Highlands, brown water is not unusual. It's merely a little peat in it,- purer and tastier than tapwater in other parts of the UK. Cambridge water, especially is awful, leaving a scummy tidemark in your tea cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodach Posted July 20, 2017 Share Posted July 20, 2017 Brown coloured water in peaty areas is normal, or rather used to be. The local water boards now seem to clear it up so now colourless. Probably better when it was peaty. Emptying your toilet cassette into public toilets is a definite no no. On Isle of Mull there are notices in the public toilets telling you it is illegal to empty cassettes there. This is supposed to be because the system cannot cope but listening to reports from some who have to clean said toilets motorhomes and caravans seem to be particularly messy and splash everywhere with no thought for anyone else. Somebody else will come and clean it up so why bother doing so myself seems to be rampant. As always the minority spoil it for everyone else. Many of the motorhomes on Mull are hired and some certainly take the view that they will not be back so who cares? I have in the past had sharp words with some emptying their waste water tanks on the surface of our public (free ) car park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLou Posted July 24, 2017 Author Share Posted July 24, 2017 bodach - 2017-07-20 5:31 PM Emptying your toilet cassette into public toilets is a definite no no. This is supposed to be because the system cannot cope. I wonder why this is a no no? What is it the system can not cope with? Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 It will depend on whether the toilet is connected to mains drainage, or a cesspit. If a cesspit, and you use any chemical additive in your cassette, the additive would be liable to knock out the bacteria in the cesspit and stop it working. If no additive (i.e. using a SOG), then it shouldn't make any difference, as all you are delivering is raw sewage, which is what cesspits are designed to work with. Public toilets in rural areas are likely to drain to a cesspit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alanb Posted July 24, 2017 Share Posted July 24, 2017 I am sorry Brian, but in order to stop any further misinformation I feel obliged to point out that you have got your names mixed up. A septic tank is a small sewage treatment plant, while on the other hand a cesspool is just a holding tank. Otherwise I fully agree. Some years ago I was in conversation with an eviromentally conscious campground owner in the Dumfries area. He informed me that his local sewage works would not accept caravan toilet waste that contained formaldehyde. He had to employ a specialist contractor from Paisley, over a hundred miles away. As we only use "green" toilet fluid we were given the OK to use his waste water disposal point which emptied into a reed bed. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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