Can Bleach Be Used Instead of the Camco TastePure Drinking Water Freshener

Updated 12/22/2025 | Published 05/15/2022

Question:

How much sodium hypochlorite is in a bottle of Camco Drinking Water Freshener ? How much regular bleach would be needed for a 20 gallon tank of fresh water to accomplish the same results ?

asked by: Richard W

Helpful Expert Reply:

We do not have the chemical breakdown of how much sodium hypochlorite is 1 bottle of Camco TastePure Drinking Water Freshener # CAM40206. Each bottle is 16 oz. and is used in a ratio of 1 oz. per 20 gallons of water.

I do not have the answer to how much bleach you would use to get rid of the algae and slime build up in your tank, but I can tell you that it will not accomplish the same result and that is because of how they are used. When you use the Camco TastePure Drinking Water Freshener # CAM40206 properly, the water is safe to drink without having to flush your tank/system. While if you use bleach, you will have to fill and empty your hold tank until you no longer have a bleach smell present.

expert reply by: Scott S

Richard P.

12/22/2025

The safety data sheet for Camco TastePure Drinking Water Freshener says it contains 0.2 - 0.4% Sodium Hypochlorite by volume, and that 1oz is sufficient to treat 20 gallons of drinking water. Regular household bleach is 5 - 6% Sodium Hypochlorite, which means it is 12.5 - 30 times as concentrated. So the equivalent amount will only be a few drops. This Camco product is really just bleach diluted to a useful concentration (1oz:1gallon) for your convenience. You could make your own by filling a 16oz bottle with water and 1oz of bleach and save yourself $12.