Domestic water systems have an endless supply of fresh water available and an ability to dispose of "grey" water through drainage mechanisms. Motorhomes, by their nature, cannot possibly be connected to a constant supply of fresh water, nor can they be connected to a fixed drainage mechanism. The key to adequate provision of water requirements comes in the shape of two water tanks - one for fresh water, the other for waste water.
Fresh Water
The motorhome will come equipped with a tank for fresh water, usually with a capacity of around 100 litres. There is normally an external filling point, where a hose can be inserted and fresh water poured into the tank. This tank distributes water to the kitchen sink, bathroom sink and bathroom shower. It also normally fills the the water boiler, which, in turn, supplies hot water to these devices also. Caring for the fresh water tank includes regular cleaning with a cleaning agent that will not harm the ability to drink this water and draining of this water tank over the winter to prevent freezing damaging the fresh water tank.
Waste Water
The second water tank in a motorhome is the waste water tank - not to be confused with toilet waste . All motorhome sinks drain into a waste water tank. This tank must be emptied regularly to keep the water system functioning. Most campsites will have a waste water disposal point, usually whereby the vehicle is driven over a drain and the waste tank opened from the outside of the motorhome.
Another important consideration is the bad odour that can be emitted from stagnant waste water. There are two ways to eliminate bad odour from the waste water tank - empty it regularly or use chemicals to neutralise the odour.
