
Sourcing water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene is a regular task for nomads. Fresh water can be obtained from spigots available in various places, from commercial water vendors, and by collection of water from natural sources. Before you obtain water, you'll need to know the difference between potable (drinkable) and non-potable (non-drinkable) water. Depending on your water source, you'll then need to filter and/or purify the water.
Apps to find water
iOverlander, WeTap, FindASpring, and other apps have water refill locations marked on the map.
Spigots
When looking for places to find water, you'll want to be on the lookout for available water spigots. You may find it easy to ask for permission to collect some water from:
- friends/relatives houses
- some rest areas
- some public parks, dog parks, or park visitor centers
- garden centers (standalone or attached to big box stores) may allow you to use their watering hose
- cemeteries
- some gas stations have water at the fuel pumps (ask for permission to use water from other locations)
- campgrounds and marinas
Transfer pumps
Transfer pumps are useful for moving water or other liquids from one place to another through a hose or tube. Continue reading …
Water kiosks
Water kiosks usually sell fresh water for 20c-50c/gallon. The way the stations are set up may require the use of a bucket or other tall container to collect the vended water. Some search terms that may pay off: "water kiosk near me", "water vending near me", "ice vending near me", or "water fill near me". Continue reading …
Bulk water
Sometimes "bulk water" is available for a flat fee. This is economical if one can take on a lot of water, but if you need only 2 gals it could be cheaper to buy them at the gallon price elsewhere. Some RV service stations will sell water, $5 is a common fee. The famous RV Pit Stop in Quartzsite has long fill hoses and sells R/O water for 25c/gal, but you can fill your tank with filtered well water for a flat $2-$4 depending on the season. Some small town water companies will have a public spigot priced (very cheaply) by the gallon or by flat rate. Towns with no plumbed water tend to have very cheap bulk water (like 20 gallons for 25 cents) but the hoses are very large and may not be useable for nomads.
Campground Day Use
Some private and public campgrounds have a "day use" fee which is much lower than the overnight rate. For example, a campground that charges $40 to stay overnight might only charge $5-$10 for day use. If the day use includes water filling and trash receptacles, it might the same price as using a water vending machine you might otherwise use when sourcing water. Fill your water, dump your trash, use the bathroom, etc. Continue reading …
Dump stations
Sourcing water from dump stations is possible but requires care; the water itself is likely potable but dump stations are prone to sewage splashing and other misuse by uninformed RVers. This means the spigots are likely contaminated. Carry gloves to disconnect any connected hoses; disinfect the spigot with a sanitizing bleach-water solution or similar; fill your tanks or containers; put things back the way you found them. Continue reading …
Natural water sources
Natural water sources are a great way to supplement your fresh water supply. You can collect rainwater, water from rivers and streams, or even ponds or puddles. However, note that collected water should be presumed non-potable (non-drinkable); it often needs to be filtered for any use, and must be purified before drinking or otherwise consuming. Continue reading …
Atmospheric water generator
An atmospheric water generator collects water vapor from the air even in very arid climates. It's one option for sourcing water when boondocking or in very remote locations. Continue reading …
Resources
Resource | Description | |
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Find A Spring | Global map of natural springs with descriptions and photos. | |
Search forums and groups | Search van life discussion groups for "places to find water" | |
Search related sites | Search van life sites for "places to find water" | |
Search NomadLife.wiki | Search other pages on this wiki for "places to find water" |