Where do you get water refills on road trips?

[Wildcat]

Another thought not previously mentioned... Are there any artesian wells in areas with public access? For instance when traveling north of Sedona AZ on rt89A, there's a well spigot on the west side of road. No signs. Just a water source. Might have a little stone structure where it comes out. I used it but can't remember the exact details. It was about 10 miles north of Sedona. A local to told us about it and while I was filling containers other people stopped to do same for home use because they thought the water tasted better than their muni piped in water. I'm wondering if there's some type of website or app that might list those type of places with comments from users. I'm always cautious of water quality but willing to place some confidence in the opinion of local users.

 

[Lighthawk]

Good point, Wildcat.

There's a water filling station at the bottom of Tioga Pass, which I think is managed by Lee Vining.

Locally, my town has a spot on Bitney Springs where artesian flows have been directed to half a dozen spigots under a sheltering roof.
Locals are there every day filling up carboys of delicious chilled water. I try to stop and fill up a water bottle when I'm passing by.

 

[pvstoy]

Good point, Wildcat.

There's a water filling station at the bottom of Tioga Pass, which I think is managed by Lee Vining.

Used to get water there as early as 1979. Been 20 or so years since I have stopped there.

 

[DougVelting]

Pilot has RV fuel islands with potable water, dump stations, gas and diesel

 

[Smokecreek1]

California and most of the other western states usually have water at their rest stops. The same used to be said for some of the more remote ones located at historic points of interest; however here in Ca. , CalTrans stopped testing them because of budgetary and medical reasons years ago and actually cemented in some of the water spouts. There used to be a few up here in NE Calif that the water came from springs located on public land (Secret Valley and Willow Cr for example) that we knew were good that we continued to use to fill up our water jugs anyway! It is still a good idea that when you plan to go to some area to WTW to ask about water stops when you to talk to or check in with the local land manage agency about local conditions because there usually are places out there where potable water with pubic access are located.

Smoke

 

[daverave]

there usually are places out there where potable water with pubic access are located.

I usually avoid the places that combine water with pubic access!

 

[daverave]

We've done all of the suggested. On longer trips we usually carry a 3-gallon jerry can for emergencies but 9 out of 10 times we don't need to access it. Since we rarely stay in one place more than two days we can usually find water somewhere on the road but it sometimes takes a day or so to find the right spot. We will start looking when we get down around 5 gallons remaining.

Many small towns do have parks with spigots but the quality can vary. Tonopah used to have one but they finally locked it a couple of years ago. Shoshone has a convenient one. We are not above pulling into campgrounds that are manned by iron rangers and raiding the water there or ask the gatekeeper (if there is one.) In a pinch we will buy 2.5 gallon plastic jugs of water from a grocery too. We carry a hand pump water filter for dire straits but have never had to use it.

 

[JaSAn]

It's different up here in the frozen north. I carry my water in one gallon jugs (6 - 14 depending on trip).

I have no problem getting water from fishing opener to September 30:
- city/county parks, dog parks, rest stops, NF & NP picnic areas/campgrounds/ranger stations.
- Some dump stations have a potable water source.
- Bigger boat launches will have clean water (usually off the local water main) for washing down boats.
- Some grocery stores have dispensers for 1 gallon and larger jugs.
Biggest problem the last two years is that a lot of the public water sources in parks and rest stops have been shut down.

After that all outside water sources start to be shut down; all off by Halloween. But by then my trips are short enough to not need replenishment. Problem is keeping my water from freezing or using frozen water.

 

[teledork]

Good point, Wildcat.

There's a water filling station at the bottom of Tioga Pass, which I think is managed by Lee Vining.

Locally, my town has a spot on Bitney Springs where artesian flows have been directed to half a dozen spigots under a sheltering roof.
Locals are there every day filling up carboys of delicious chilled water. I try to stop and fill up a water bottle when I'm passing by.

I believe that water source is courtesy of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Just don't even consider drinking it. I don't know how it tests out biologically but it tastes like chewing on a lead pipe.

Also anything from a faucet in the town of Mammoth Lakes tastes like a public swimming pool. I don't know of any public water sources in Bridgeport but the water in that town is vile - you can smell the chlorine from 10 feet away. The arsenic is tasteless. Walker has a good source of water - no-freeze hydrant across from the community center.