You have designed the perfect Tiny House Kitchen and a spa-like Bathroom. But turn on the tap, and... nothing comes out.
Unlike a traditional home, you don't always have the luxury of city pressure pushing water into your pipes. In a tiny house, ADU, or van, you are responsible for the water pressure and, more importantly, the water quality.
At Dream Tiny Houses, we know that plumbing scares people. But it's actually simple. A solid off-grid water system has only three main parts: the Storage (Tank), the Muscle (Pump), and the Safety (Filter).
The Anatomy of a System
Before we talk about filters, you need to understand the flow. Here is the standard 2026 setup for 90% of tiny homes:
- Fresh Water Tank: Usually housed inside the build (under a sofa or bed) to prevent freezing.
- 12V Water Pump: This sucks water from the tank and pushes it to your faucets. The Shurflo 4008 is the industry standard here.
- Accumulator Tank: A small pressurized ball that sits after the pump. It prevents your pump from "pulsing" loudly (thump-thump-thump) every time you wash your hands.
- Filtration: The most critical step.
Filtration: Good, Better, Best
Never trust campground or hose water. To protect your gut and your plumbing, you need a filter. We have ranked the top three solutions on Amazon based on your budget and space.
🥉 The "Budget" Pick: Camco TastePURE Inline Filter
Best For: Weekend trips and filling tanks.
This is the blue tube you see on every RV. It screws directly onto the garden hose before the water enters your house. It removes sediment and that "plastic hose" taste, but it won't remove viruses or heavy bacteria.
Pros: Extremely cheap, zero installation required.
Cons: Basic filtration only, needs frequent replacement.
👉 Camco TastePURE RV/Marine Water Filter
🥈 The "Countertop" Pick: Big Berkey Gravity-Fed Filter
Best For: Renters and Off-Grid Purists.
If you don't want to mess with plumbing pipes, the Berkey is legendary. You pour dirty water in the top, and gravity pushes it through carbon elements into a stainless steel reservoir. It sits beautifully on your counter and removes 99.9% of everything bad.
Pros: No electricity or pressure needed, looks beautiful, incredibly high filtration standard.
Cons: Takes up valuable counter space and has a slow filtration speed.
👉 Big Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter with 2 Black Berkey Elements
🥇 The "Whole House" Pick: Clearsource Premier RV System
Best For: Full-time Living and High-End Builds.
This is the heavy artillery. The Clearsource system uses dual large canisters (like a house system) mounted in a rugged metal frame that sits outside your tiny house. It processes water before it hits your pump, ensuring every drop in your house (shower included) is bottled-water quality.
Pros: Massive flow rate, superior filtration (0.2 micron), protects your entire plumbing system from sediment.
Cons: Expensive, heavy.
👉 Clearsource Premier RV Water Filter System
Don't Forget Winter!
If you checked our Cost Breakdown Guide, you know repairs are expensive. The #1 killer of tiny house plumbing is freezing.
If you are parked in a cold zone, you absolutely need a Heated Fresh Water Hose. These plug into an outlet and keep the water liquid all the way to your inlet. Without one, your supply line will freeze solid overnight.
Final Thoughts
Water is the one area where you shouldn't cut corners. Investing in a good pump and a great filter means you can pull water from almost anywhere with peace of mind.
Now that your plumbing is safe, what about your clothes? Stay tuned for our upcoming guide on tiny house laundry solutions.
