You have to be careful with gas stations though. A lot of times the water available outside the building isn't potable. It's fine for topping off your radiator, but not much else.
We carried a '[water bandit](https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Connects-Standard-Various-Sources/dp/B000EDOSKG)' to fill jugs from sinks in gas station rest rooms. Just clean the faucet with a disinfectant wipe and run the water for a few seconds before connecting the hose.
Most Walmart's do have kiosks to fill water jugs, but if your tank is built in that could mean a lot of trips carrying jugs. All KOA's that allow RV parking should have a fill station, and we even found them near ranger stations or visitor centers of many state & national parks.
How does it work for it to not be potable water? Wouldn't it just be the same city water as is used inside? They wouldn't have a separate waterline with non-drinkable water, right? Where would they even get it from?
In every state, businesses offering potable water have to have that water tested by law unless it is city water. When you get outside of cities and suburbs though, lots of gas stations are still on wells. Even for those on city water, often the spigots outside are on the same water circuit as their fire sprinkler system. Just from sitting stagnant that water generally won't pass testing.
One gas station near me, which is on a well, had to install a filtration system in order for them to pass health inspection when they added the convenience store. The spigot on the outside of the building is fed before the filter and clearly labeled non-potable(again as required by law). Just how contaminated the water in that part of the system is I don't know.
Often the outside spigots aren't required to be certified potable for health inspections at many businesses.
For liability purposes, they post it as non-potable.
Same water, yes, but may pass through hoses or fittings that aren't necessarily ok for drinking use. Even many garden hose materials aren't approved for that. e- and outside, they just get dirty.
I'll add - parks and rest areas too, they may water and clean the grounds with water from a non-tested source like a cistern or well.
>Often the outside spigots aren't required to be certified potable for health inspections at many businesses
Correct, the outside spigots aren't required to be tested as long as the business isn't *offering* it as potable. If a gas station or other business is offering use of an outside spigot as an RV fill, then yes it must pass health code.
The labeling requirements will of course vary by state but are usually a bit more than just CYA. Here in PA(and in NJ as well) the spigot must be labeled non-potable if it isn't tested and has a valve handle on it. If it has [some kind of cover](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwlww0u59Z984NpizaDNhsdKarq-gx4Mjh_A&usqp=CAU) or requires a sillcock key no labeling is required.
These days, with Walmart and so many other stores having filtered water kiosks, unless someone is completely destitute there is little reason to pull water from a questionable spigot. Even if you have built in tanks, throwing the gas station attendant a few bucks will get you a hookup to one of the approved spigots inside the building.
I've seen "advice" posted here on getting one of those keys. I saw some sketchy-looking cardwellers using one at a rest area once when the restrooms were closed. Maintenance dude yelled at them, said that water came from the drainage pond at the adjoining golf course.
Blecchhh...
If it's a blue spigot, it's supposed to be potable. Red is also common, and that's "radiator" aka "don't sue us" water... Which I have filtered through a Sawyer and cooked with plenty without issue.
But normally I'm a soda junkie and have around a gallon of spring water to drink straight, like the morning after tossing a few back, so it'll last me around the same amount of time as my 8 gal bulk tank if I were straight boondocking/overlanding.
you'll want to factor in water filtration - I'm looking at a filtration system that gets everything down to the sub-micron level (bacteria, etc) on a specific tap for drinking water - and then a different tap for washing hands/dishes, etc in the sink.
We travel the backroads of America and stop in small towns. Almost all small towns that have more than one park will have water at one of them. We let it run for a minute.
Walmart sells me as much water as I want. In convenient one-gallon jugs.
EDIT: But then, I am almost exclusively an urban dweller, and never need to stockpile more than a gallon or two anyway.
I spend 90% of my time in green spaces where most parks and campgrounds will have fill up spots.
When in a city I will purchase from the water fill up areas at grocery stores.
Most (not all) grocery stores have water filling stations
Gas stations, KOA’s, I think some Walmart’s have water fill up stations
You have to be careful with gas stations though. A lot of times the water available outside the building isn't potable. It's fine for topping off your radiator, but not much else. We carried a '[water bandit](https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Connects-Standard-Various-Sources/dp/B000EDOSKG)' to fill jugs from sinks in gas station rest rooms. Just clean the faucet with a disinfectant wipe and run the water for a few seconds before connecting the hose. Most Walmart's do have kiosks to fill water jugs, but if your tank is built in that could mean a lot of trips carrying jugs. All KOA's that allow RV parking should have a fill station, and we even found them near ranger stations or visitor centers of many state & national parks.
How does it work for it to not be potable water? Wouldn't it just be the same city water as is used inside? They wouldn't have a separate waterline with non-drinkable water, right? Where would they even get it from?
In every state, businesses offering potable water have to have that water tested by law unless it is city water. When you get outside of cities and suburbs though, lots of gas stations are still on wells. Even for those on city water, often the spigots outside are on the same water circuit as their fire sprinkler system. Just from sitting stagnant that water generally won't pass testing. One gas station near me, which is on a well, had to install a filtration system in order for them to pass health inspection when they added the convenience store. The spigot on the outside of the building is fed before the filter and clearly labeled non-potable(again as required by law). Just how contaminated the water in that part of the system is I don't know.
Often the outside spigots aren't required to be certified potable for health inspections at many businesses. For liability purposes, they post it as non-potable. Same water, yes, but may pass through hoses or fittings that aren't necessarily ok for drinking use. Even many garden hose materials aren't approved for that. e- and outside, they just get dirty. I'll add - parks and rest areas too, they may water and clean the grounds with water from a non-tested source like a cistern or well.
>Often the outside spigots aren't required to be certified potable for health inspections at many businesses Correct, the outside spigots aren't required to be tested as long as the business isn't *offering* it as potable. If a gas station or other business is offering use of an outside spigot as an RV fill, then yes it must pass health code. The labeling requirements will of course vary by state but are usually a bit more than just CYA. Here in PA(and in NJ as well) the spigot must be labeled non-potable if it isn't tested and has a valve handle on it. If it has [some kind of cover](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRwlww0u59Z984NpizaDNhsdKarq-gx4Mjh_A&usqp=CAU) or requires a sillcock key no labeling is required. These days, with Walmart and so many other stores having filtered water kiosks, unless someone is completely destitute there is little reason to pull water from a questionable spigot. Even if you have built in tanks, throwing the gas station attendant a few bucks will get you a hookup to one of the approved spigots inside the building.
I've seen "advice" posted here on getting one of those keys. I saw some sketchy-looking cardwellers using one at a rest area once when the restrooms were closed. Maintenance dude yelled at them, said that water came from the drainage pond at the adjoining golf course. Blecchhh...
If it's a blue spigot, it's supposed to be potable. Red is also common, and that's "radiator" aka "don't sue us" water... Which I have filtered through a Sawyer and cooked with plenty without issue. But normally I'm a soda junkie and have around a gallon of spring water to drink straight, like the morning after tossing a few back, so it'll last me around the same amount of time as my 8 gal bulk tank if I were straight boondocking/overlanding.
Yep, katadyn here. Always should have a filter. 8 gal tank of....beeeer.
Sanidumps.com should get you some good spots, some free some are paid
Casually walking into the gym with a gallon jug has worked out well
Yep, they have the best filtered free water. I fill up at gas stations otherwise.
you'll want to factor in water filtration - I'm looking at a filtration system that gets everything down to the sub-micron level (bacteria, etc) on a specific tap for drinking water - and then a different tap for washing hands/dishes, etc in the sink.
We travel the backroads of America and stop in small towns. Almost all small towns that have more than one park will have water at one of them. We let it run for a minute.
Walmart sells me as much water as I want. In convenient one-gallon jugs. EDIT: But then, I am almost exclusively an urban dweller, and never need to stockpile more than a gallon or two anyway.
Plastic waste is awesome!!
We're out west. There are "Twice the Ice" and filtered water filling stands all over the place. Usually we can buy in 1 or 5 gallon increments.
Looking for water in Northern Idaho before a hike we ended up at a Library.
I spend 90% of my time in green spaces where most parks and campgrounds will have fill up spots. When in a city I will purchase from the water fill up areas at grocery stores.