Water Supply and Handwashing Setup for a Food Truck

A compliant food truck needs a dedicated handwash basin supplied with warm running water, a potable-water tank feeding it and any food-preparation sink, and a wastewater tank at least as large to catch what drains away. Under the Food Standards Code, water that touches food or hands must be potable, handwashing facilities must be usable at all times, and dirty water must be stored and disposed of so it can't contaminate food. Confirm exact tank sizes and fittings with your local council. Key takeaways: Fit a dedicated handwash basin used only for washing hands, supplied with warm running water, soap and single-use towels — separate from any sink used for food or equipment.. Carry potable (drinking-quality) water in a food-grade tank, and a wastewater tank that is the same size or larger so you never run out of drainage before you run out of clean water.. Warm running water is the sticking point on most mobile vans; plan a 12V or gas water heater and enough tank capacity for a full trading session, not a single service.. Store and empty greywater so it can never contaminate food, water lines or the public — dispose of it at an approved point, not down a stormwater drain.. Council and state requirements for tank size, taps and approvals vary; confirm the specifics before you fit out and get the van inspected before trading.. Why water is the hardest part of a food truck fit-out A food truck has to do everything a fixed kitchen does — wash hands, wash food, clean equipment — but with no mains connection and only the water it carries. Under Standard 3.2.3 (Food Premises and Equipment) a mobile food vehicle must have an adequate supply of potable water and the facilities to wash hands and clean equipment, and Standard 3.2.2 requires food handlers to wash their hands whenever contamination is a risk. The constraint is space and weight: water is heavy, tanks take up storage you also need for stock, and every clean litre you carry becomes a dirty litre you have to store and dispose of. No mains water, so everything is carried, heated and stored on board. Weight and storage limits force a trade-off between water capacity and stock space. A full trading session at a market may run many hours with no chance to refill. Water is a top inspection item and a common cause of failed approvals. Potable water: what to carry and store it in All water that touches food, food-contact surfaces, or hands must be potable — of drinking quality. That means filling from a mains or other approved potable source, carrying it in a food-grade tank made for drinking water (not a general-purpose or recycled container), and using food-grade hoses and fittings to fill and plumb it. A tank that once held anything else, or a garden hose used to fill it, can taint the water and is a common non-compliance. Use a food-grade potable-water tank and food-grade fill hoses and fittings. Fill only from a mains tap or other approved potable source. Size for your busiest day — handwashing and cleaning use more than expected. Keep the tank sealed, shaded and on a regular flush-and-sanitise routine. The dedicated handwash basin The single most important fixture is a handwash basin used only for washing hands — never for washing food, utensils or equipment, and never for tipping out dirty mop water. It must be readily accessible to food handlers during trade (not blocked by stock or an esky), and stocked at all times with soap and single-use paper towel. A shared sink, or a basin that gets used for rinsing produce, is one of the most frequently cited defects on mobile vans because it lets hand contamination and food mix. Reserve the handwash basin for hands only — never food, equipment or cleaning water. Keep it accessible during trade and stocked with soap and single-use towels. Provide running water via a hands-free tap where possible, not a poured jug. Site it near the prep and service area so washing hands is easy, not a detour. Warm running water — the usual failure point The Food Standards Code expects handwashing facilities to supply warm running water, and this is where most mobile setups fall short. Cold-only basins are a very common inspection failure. Warm water helps lift grease and soil from hands and makes proper handwashing more likely, so you need a way to heat water on board — typically a small 12V electric heater, an instantaneous gas unit, or an insulated hot-water urn feeding a mixer tap. Provide warm running water at the handwash basin, not cold-only. Use a 12V heater, instantaneous gas unit or insulated urn feeding a mixer tap. Size heating for peak demand across a full session, not a handful of washes. Have gas and 12V work installed and certified by a qualified installer. Wastewater: storing and disposing of greywater Every litre of clean water you use becomes greywater, and it must be captured, stored and disposed of so it can never contaminate food, food-contact surfaces or your clean-water supply. The wastewater tank should be at least as large as the potable tank — ideally slightly larger — so you never fill the dirty tank and lose the ability to drain your sinks before the clean tank runs out. Plumb sinks and the handwash basin to drain into the sealed wastewater tank, not onto the ground. Fit a wastewater tank the same size or larger than the potable tank. Plumb all sinks and the basin to a sealed greywater tank, never to the ground. Dispose of greywater only at an approved sewer, dump point or nominated facility. Clearly label clean and dirty points, and empty the dirty tank as part of pack-down. Approvals, inspection and keeping the system safe Mobile food vehicles are generally registered or notified with a home council, and may need approval or a temporary permit from each council or event where they trade. Water is central to that approval: inspectors typically check tank capacity, that the handwash basin is dedicated and supplied with warm running water, and that greywater is contained and disposed of correctly. Requirements vary between councils and states, so confirm the specifics — minimum tank sizes, tap types and paperwork — with your registering council before you commit to a fit-out. Register with your home council and get approvals for each trading location as required. Confirm minimum tank sizes, tap types and paperwork with your council before fit-out. Flush and sanitise the potable tank and lines on a documented schedule. Run a daily pre-trade check: warm water, soap, single-use towels and tank levels. Checklist: Food-grade potable tank, filled only from a mains or approved source via food-grade hoses. Potable tank sized for your busiest trading day, sealed and shaded. Dedicated handwash basin used for hands only, accessible during trade. Warm running water at the basin from a 12V, gas or urn heater sized for peak demand. Soap and single-use paper towels stocked at the basin at all times. Wastewater tank the same size or larger than the potable tank, sealed and vented. All sinks and the basin plumbed to the greywater tank, never draining to the ground. Clean and dirty fill/drain points clearly labelled to avoid mix-ups. Greywater emptied only at an approved sewer, dump point or nominated facility. Council registration and per-location approvals current; gas and 12V work certified. Common mistakes: Fitting a cold-only handwash basin — one of the most common mobile-van inspection failures. Using the handwash basin to rinse produce or wash equipment as well as hands. Filling the potable tank from a garden hose or storing water in a non-food-grade container. Under-sizing the potable tank so warm water or clean water runs out mid-session. Making the wastewater tank smaller than the clean tank, so you can't drain sinks late in the day. Tipping greywater down a stormwater drain, gutter or onto grass instead of an approved point. Blocking the basin with stock or an esky so handlers can't reach it during a rush. Assuming every council has the same tank sizes and rules instead of confirming before fit-out.