Thread: Caravan parks, are they required to supply clean water?

We stayed at a place in SW WA a couple of years ago and they didn't tell us that the water wasn't fresh. We had to redo 2 loads of washing at our next stop as the washing machine and showers used stinking bore water. We were out of there at 6am the next morning straight into the next town. Explained our situation so we could get an early check-in to use the showers and laundry.

I would think water quality would be the supplying authority not the carvan park. If water quality is poor thats not the parks problem other than bad PR. Contact the local council they look after most water suplies.

I think this particular caravan park would pump their water straight out of the lake. It is out of town, so no mains water.

Aaron

Originally Posted by Aaron IIA

Does anybody know if caravan parks are required to supply clean, drinkable water to their patrons? Or is smelly tea coloured water legally acceptable?

Aaron

They can only supply the water they have. They should inform patrons if they only have bore water. And patrons must understand if tank water is all they have, perhaps you go without washing and use it for drinking only. When we go to Karumba, we always take extra drinking water, from home. Or, just drink beer.

As long as you are told about the quality,you get what you get.Where Im camped at the moment we have bore water.There is a rainwater tank for drinking,at your discression.
The local town,5km up the road has
signs everywhere saying reticulated water not suitable for drinking.
Andrew

We stayed at a park in the Grampians it drew water from a lake, it was putrid.
Then again, my son Kris lived Maryborough in Vic, he had mains town water and when you wash your whites they came out a browny white , so I don't know how people can drink it.

This is the tip of the iceberg (pardon the pun). Clean drinking water seems very low on the list of both global and local priorities, well behind all manner of material 'growth'. This will come back to bite hard in the near future. ...the more pressure we put on the need for free clean drinking water at every opportunity the better, whether it's at the caravan park, the council, wherever.

It's a human right, like breathing clean air.

If water is supply, the safety of the water is covered by quite strict health regulations under state and territory law. (But note that these apply only to safety, not palatability or colour!)

Public water supplies in Australia are usually very safe, but there are occasional lapses. (for example, a month ago, Dubbo issued 'boil water' notices for large areas for several weeks) However, since water sources are whatever there is, it can be very difficult for the supply authority to guarantee palatability or colour of water, and as long as it meets health and safety specifications, they usually don't try. The major coastal cities, except for Adelaide, mostly get water from dedicated reservoirs, and the water is extensively treated, but away from these, water is usually from a river or bores, and apart from being treated for bacteriological safety and tested for absence of other health hazards (such as heavy metals), you get what is available. State regulations lay down standards and testing regimes.

If it is a private supply, not a community supply in a caravan park etc, there are no guarantees, but I would expect any safety aspects to be flagged, although this may be in fine print. For example, roadside stops round here with tank water are clearly signed.

Public water supplies in older towns often have extensive networks of cast iron mains pipes, and these are often internally rusty, giving coloured water. This is harmless, although it does not improve the taste or laundry qualities, and with the only real solution being to replace hundreds of millions of dollars worth of pipes, nobody is rushing to do anything.

John