Rusted water in park

[allstarr]

Hi all. The park we've been staying at has rusted water from it's well. The smell can be bad. It leaves a rusty orange-brown on our trailer's bathroom sink, tub, and toilet. I have no idea what it's done to the internal pipes.

This is a new, 2019 trailer, so it's not from somewhere else, which I think the park will try to claim. Others have this issue, as well.

Do I need to get some sort of private inspection done on our trailer's system? Do I need to seek an arbitrator/lawyer? We're in the Fremont, NE [about 45 minutes NW of Omaha].

[hermanmullins]

It isn't rust but Iron in the well water. Great for plants. Drain your tank and flush the system several times. Remove any filters flush then replace with new filters.

Forget a lawyer and just chalk it up as another experience in RVing

Herman 

[rossboyer]

When the OP states there is a smell, the color may be caused by magnesium which is more difficult to counter. 

[manholt]

You have 2 choices....move to another park (My choice), or get a separate filter that goes on camp faucet first, then connect hose to rig.  Reverse Osmosis is the best, but even a portable system is expensive.  What does it smell like? Rotten egg is Sulfur.  

[ianbullock]

I would go with Carl's first suggestion and move to another park, asap! 

[wayne77590]

If it's sulfur the smell will dissipate after it has stood a while.  Also, putting a gallon of sulfur water in the refrigerator will remove the smell,

As suggest, and if you can, move to a different park. However, parks in the same area may have the same problem.  After finding good water do flush the tanks and sanitize with at least chloride bleach. That should take care of the problem.

[manholt]

NE uses 85% ground water, 15% Well & has very tight restrictions on Well water, unless its osed for irrigation!  You can send a water sample to U of N and its free.Also, any water well drilling serv will test it for you..also free!

[rayin]

Calm down, the stains will come off with the right cleaner. Your plumbing is not harmed permanently, nor is your water heater-which may be flushed out with a heater cleaning wand.

I had reasonable success filtering out the red floating iron with an ordinary whole-house sediment filter. Got into that situation at a CG on well water near a lake. After 8 hours the entire filter cartridge was red and had floating specks in the clear housing. Since I always travel with a full fresh water tank I left it untouched and had clear water for the next days traveling.

To be polite I removed the now-red cartridge and left it neatly on the picnic table on display. 😉

Edited July 3, 2021 by rayin

[wildebill308]

Well that is one reason I turn on the water at the camp faucet before hooking up to my little camper. I have not hooked up the water before because it was not so good, just run on my tank for the night. 

Sounds like typical hard water in the Fremont area.

Bill

[manholt]

Its surprising how many do not open park water and let it run, before hooking up hose! 

[txiceman]

All water has a little iron in it, and my sediment filter turn pink or red over a period of time.  And I always turn on the faucet and flush it for a couple of minutes before I hook any thing to the faucet.  I also plug in the RV and check the power at the EMS BEFORE I unhitch the trailer.  Any problems and back to the office for another site.

Ken

[wildebill308]

7 hours ago, manholt said:

Its surprising how many do not open park water and let it run, before hooking up hose! 

To true Carl. You wouldn't believe some of the nasty looking slugs of stuff I have seen come out when you first turn it on. I also use one of the cheap blue filters as a "pre filter" filters to keep my main filters  cleaner longer. 

Bill

Edited July 3, 2021 by wildebill308