Hi
If you are use WFP and live in a flat and don't have access to an outside tap. What is the best way to get your van tank filled with pure water
Various options have been mentioned. I live in a flat too. I can't even be sure that I would be able to park in the same road as my flat so no hope there.
I had to ask around and see what was out there. I got lucky. My IBC and RO has been set up in someone's large shed for several years. It is a very large shed that is used to store things. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, the occasional mishap can happen with the water. Also, it is on a wooden floor that is carpeted. I got this very cheaply - the only "payment" being free window cleaning. After a recent mishap I decided to ask around and will be installing my kit elsewhere soon. Although this place will cost me, it is a very good deal. In the meantime, I am buying purified water from another window cleaner.
If you decide to buy your water, I suggest you have some loose containers around (perhaps enough for a days work) in case you can't get the water exactly when you need it.
One thing I had considered doing - though it would need a large van and a very fast RO - is to have a twin tank system in the van. Rent a standpipe from your local water company, fast fill tank 1. Have a leisure battery and a pump to pump through RO (and possible DI) to tank 2. Clean windows from tank 2. If there is concern about what to do with the waste water, it could be recycled to tank 1 so long as the TDS is checked. It's probably possible to go up to 400+ as they manage with that from the mains in Essex and Cambs. It would be an idea to have a quick release on the pipe so that you can choose whether it gets recycled into tank 1 or goes straight to drain. If no drainage is possible by the time the waste water's TDS has climbed high, a 12v sub pump could be hooked up via crocodile clips to a leisure battery and dump the waste quickly down a convenient drain. Of course you could wait for the RO to filter direct from the mains rather than pumping via RO from one tank to another but you may feel that you have better things to do with your life.
Such a system may sound far fetched and the comments I've had have been pretty neutral. However I believe it could be made to work and would be fine for someone with no work premises and no chance of filtering from home. It would be necessary for several quick releases though so that the water could conveniently be made to go where you want it to go and so that you could choose to filter direct from hydrant (when you have some time) or filtering between tanks while you are working or driving around. The amount of pumping might be a bit much for a split charge system to maintain the batteries so regular removal for manual charging would possibly be necessary. It may even pay to have a three battery rotation and possibly have 110 amp batteries (though heavy to carry up the flats steps). So two batteries in the van and one on permanent charge - so long as you had the right charger that would maintain only once fully charged.
The advantages would be:
No cost for premises.
No need to buy pure water.
Maintaining your independence.
Possible disadvantages:
Pay to rent standpipe - plus possible metering charges.
Higher electricity bill.
Heavy start-up costs.
Mental breakdown trying to keep track of it all
.
I was considering such a system for when I get my next van in the future but that looks like it will be unnecessary now.