How to clean water tanks?

Hi all

I have 3 X 40 litre water tanks in back of ute all plumbed to one tap. Each tank has separate tap so only one tank is used at a time and they can be isolated if a bad batch of water is taken on board.

What does everyone use to clean/sanitize their water tanks or bottles without removing from vehicle?

Also does anyone use a filter when filling tanks like a caravanning friend of mine does?

I've been careful/lucky so far as each night I boil the kettle and then next morning fill several drinking bottles kept in the cab.

I just brought some tank cleaner but bi-carb soda should work as well
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/RV-and-Ca...tem51cbdb7ff1l

I use Milton's baby bottle sterilization solution or tablets.
You can find them in any supermarket baby product section. If it's good enough for baby, then it's good enough for me!

I have never needed to clean out a tank.

We have always been a bit choosy about what water we put into our tanks (where possible do the cup of tea test first) & filter it going in as well as coming out. We have a dual filter for filling, just use drinking water hose connected with click on garden fittings. The first filter is a 1 or 5 micron sediment filter & the second a 1 micron carbon silver filter. This ensures no bad tastes or nasties to make us sick (eg Giardia).

We use a second 1 micron carbon silver filter for our drinking water - probably overkill, but we don’t like the taste of chlorine & this ensures all our drinking water tates as good as the tank water at home.

The water tank needs to be light proof to prevent the growth of nasties.

When not in use we always store the tanks full. We have done this & then drank the water after standing for over a year, just as good as the day it was filled.

All the above was with our bus. With the Patrol we will follow the same procedure whenever possible, but will also carry some liquid chlorine for the odd occasion when we need to fill from creeks etc. (We have a second pump for this purpose so filtration is still possible). Adding a small amount of chlorine (swimming pool chlorine - 12% free chlorine) at a rate of 4mls per 100 litres to the tanks will ensure the water is safe to drink & the carbon silver filter on the cold tap ensures no chlorine taste.

Milton, great for cleaning that and disinfecting mops to just don't leave it in anything for more than 24hrs or it turns bad and eats plastic.

bi carb.....

Yep Milton baby bottle wash, takes the plastic taste out too.

Both ute (2 X 60L) & van (2 X 80L) tanks are flushed once a year with suburbia water and 1/4 cup of BiCarb.
When we arrive home all 4 tanks are drained.
When out on the road and in the bush any water taken on board is filtered in and out.
We travel to the nearest town supply and fill before venturing off road.
Substantial fuel saving not lugging extra 280kg when not required.

Hi Cuppa

Was in town today shopping and dropped into irrigation shop who also sells filters etc. The whole two filter system you mentioned with bracket to fit will only cost about $100 so will definitely go with that.
Was lucky up the Cape last year when I filled one tank with bore water from Moreton Telegraph station camp ground and ended up with big brown floaty things (like the ones that come out of diesel that had water in it). It looked ok and spelt ok but obviously not. Proved the wisdom of having 3 separate tanks-more good luck than management.

Hi Wiz,
If you use a ‘poly’ sediment filter element it would be worth carrying a spare in case it ever gets clogged up (fine colloidal clay sediment will do it quite quickly). However if you use one of the pleated ‘paper’ type elements, which cost a few bucks more than the solid ‘poly’ filters, you can rinse them clean if they get clogged.

Multiple tanks are definitely the way to go. The two we had in the bus were joined, but when travelling rough roads I had taps which allowed me to isolate them from each other & to pump from either which proved useful when sprung a leak in the WA Goldfields, a result of a corrugation induced stress fractured tank (I improved the support for it’s replacement)

We are limited to 2 tanks in the Patrol, but now with the Tvan we have a 3rd plus a couple of jerries.