Caravan parks, are they required to supply clean water?

Yep, John is spot on. I used to be Maintenance Manager at a small town/caravan park who's only water source was the river. The water we pumped was treated with a small dosing plant and we would record the chlorine levels and turbidity twice a day - this is what the Council and EPA required us to do (as well as report any illness suspected from being started by the water quality - we never had to do that in the 4 years I was there). When the river ran clean, it was easy, but during heavy rain when the river would turn brown, that's just what you got out of the tap - nothing we could do about it, but it was fine to drink and no one ever got sick, but you would get a lot of complaints.

Fitting a filtration system wasn't an option due to the cost - for a basic system to cut the turbidity from dirty river water to clean enough water you woukdnt know, started at over $100,000 for the volumes we pumped (up to 80,000 litres per day during peaks times)

No, it's not pleasant, but you have to look beyond your washing and think where the water is coming from. No one want to use discoloured water - even the people living there, but you get what you get in some places, if you don't like it, move on - but give the poor guys running the place a break - I know what it feels like to be yelled at for this when there's nothing you can do about it.

As for it being 'not fit for human habitation' - again, move on if you don't like it. Water not being clean doesn't mean it's not fit to consume.

In this case I believe the water is not fit for consumption. The park operator told us not to drink it and gave us 2 x 10L casks of purchased water to drink. Not really enough for two adults and four children for six days in over 30 degree heat. When going bush camping I would normally take 40L of water and my Lifestraw water filter to replenish from any source. Coming to a caravan park I thought that this wouldn't be necessary.

Aaron

Water quality depends on where you live.
In Blackall it's bore water, stinks of sulphur, boiling hot but quite drinkable.
Karumba is river water, once your used to it you can drink it.
St George, bore water again but not as stinky, drinkable but full of minerals that stain everything & hot.
Ravenshoe, creek water but fine.
Doomadgee, river water, brown/red when the river flows, clear at other times, drinkable once your used to it, may give you the runs if your not!
Bottled water, a RIP OFF!

Jonesfam

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Originally Posted by Homestar

Yep, John is spot on. I used to be Maintenance Manager at a small town/caravan park who's only water source was the river. The water we pumped was treated with a small dosing plant and we would record the chlorine levels and turbidity twice a day - this is what the Council and EPA required us to do (as well as report any illness suspected from being started by the water quality - we never had to do that in the 4 years I was there). When the river ran clean, it was easy, but during heavy rain when the river would turn brown, that's just what you got out of the tap - nothing we could do about it, but it was fine to drink and no one ever got sick, but you would get a lot of complaints.

Fitting a filtration system wasn't an option due to the cost - for a basic system to cut the turbidity from dirty river water to clean enough water you woukdnt know, started at over $100,000 for the volumes we pumped (up to 80,000 litres per day during peaks times)

No, it's not pleasant, but you have to look beyond your washing and think where the water is coming from. No one want to use discoloured water - even the people living there, but you get what you get in some places, if you don't like it, move on - but give the poor guys running the place a break - I know what it feels like to be yelled at for this when there's nothing you can do about it.

As for it being 'not fit for human habitation' - again, move on if you don't like it. Water not being clean doesn't mean it's not fit to consume.

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The trouble with using river water is a herd of cows are always upstream somewhere using it as their toilet.
I feel for those in South Oz, after every state has finished polluting the Murray, speed boats. 2 stroke, swimming washing, fertilising, urinating drownings etc etc they get to finally use it.

Strahan & most of the West Coast in Tassie has tannon (tea) coloured water, very drinkable & fresh. Blackwood. Vic. when they got town water on many years ago you had to boil the water for years after & keep water tanks for drinking. The tank water was so much better. Ideally if you are suspicious of the water (at least we can buy bottled water these days).

We have some of the safest water in the world, yet you see tourists buy bottle water.

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Originally Posted by Roverlord off road spares

The trouble with using river water is a herd of cows are always upstream somewhere using it as their toilet.
I feel for those in South Oz, after every state has finished polluting the Murray, speed boats. 2 stroke, swimming washing, fertilising, urinating drownings etc etc they get to finally use it.

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Yeah, but the majority of the world use rivers as their drinking supplies. Any bacteria is easily dealt with by small doses of chlorine. As I said in my first post, we never had a reported illness in all the time I was there - or since I believe. The Council and EPA would conduct their own tests regulalry on our supply and we're always happy with the results - even when it was brown.

It doesn't seem all that long ago (late 70's) when in the town I grew up in, the water was taken directly from the creek - no treatment at all. You just boiled the water when it rained... :D. I remember them building the water treatment plant there in the early 80's and everyone was ****ed off when it can on line as the water often tasted of chlorine after that. Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Roverlord off road spares

The trouble with using river water is a herd of cows are always upstream somewhere using it as their toilet.
I feel for those in South Oz, after every state has finished polluting the Murray, speed boats. 2 stroke, swimming washing, fertilising, urinating drownings etc etc they get to finally use it.

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Don't forget the Avid Angler who has been cremated and requested that his ashes be strewn into the river! ;)

Presently here the town water supply from the Murray River, although "potable" it looks like tea due to all the tannins etc. that were picked up by the recent floods. It happens every few years when we get an extra high river.
Hence the reason many years back we installed a few extra tanks and changed our house over to rain water.


Cheers, Mick.

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Originally Posted by mick88

Don't forget the Avid Angler who has been cremated and requested that his ashes be strewn into the river! ;)

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Aren't he lucky we aren't like the Indians and the Ganges River. The have dead cows floating down it, faeces, they bathe, wash and throw the thousands of cremated loved ones remains into it. They think it is holy and good. It's one big cess pool.