Where do you get water from?

[BikeFreak]

When riding in US, where do you get water from? Do you buy it, do you get it from service station rest rooms, do you ask locals? Or something else.

Lucas

[staehpj1]

When riding in US, where do you get water from? Do you buy it, do you get it from service station rest rooms, do you ask locals? Or something else.

Lucas

I fill up where I stay, if at a camp or room.  On the road eight times out of ten I fill from the drink dispenser in a minimart or fast food place.  I usually ask first and take ice as well.  I also buy something like snacks or whatever.  I don't recall ever being told no to that request.  If I eat at a diner or other restaurant I ask them to fill my bottles.  The remaining times I fill from whatever I find.  In a few places the water was nasty enough that I would buy bottled water.

[indyfabz]

I fill up where I stay, if at a camp or room.  On the road eight times out of ten I fill from the drink dispenser in a minimart or fast food place.  I usually ask first and take ice as well.  I also buy something like snacks or whatever.  I don't recall ever being told no to that request.  If I eat at a diner or other restaurant I ask them to fill my bottles.  The remaining times I fill from whatever I find.  In a few places the water was nasty enough that I would buy bottled water.

+1 on all of those things. Many, many times people in places like bars or diners have cheerfully offered to add ice, at least in the west and midwest. I never buy bottled water unless I will be riding a stretch with few/no services and need extra capacity or the water is really skunky.

[John Nelson]

I have never bought water in my life. I mostly fill my water bottles at commercial or government establishments. Almost every such establishment (gas station, cafe, grocery, country store, municipal building, park, rest area) has a place to get water. It's usually not a problem.

[bogiesan]

Water is generally easily available in the States and almost always free from pumps and spigots and fountains and it is almost always reliably and wonderfully pure.
However, you might want to carry a water purification system of choice for emergencies. Those little tablets are usually all you need in the States unless you are taking water from rivers and still bodies in which case you want a pump.

If this is your first time traveling where you think you might run low on water, learn to fill up all bottles at every opportunity. Not so much for drinking but you might need a squirt for some road rash or to share with a thirsty companion or stranger.