drinkable water from tanks

[NiceBeny]

I normally use a britta filter to clean water for use in galley, but have now bought a filter that is connected to hose to clean the water when it comes on boat into the tanks. is this the best way besides maybe a under counter filter in the lines? I do not have much room anymore because of water maker system. what about cleaning the tank and supply lines to heads and galley faucets? bleach mixture?

 

[David in Sandusky]

Peggy Hall, our Head Mistress wrote the book:

http://shop.sailboatowners.com/prod.php?53615

Get it! It has the best, and sometimes only real answers to all the odor/sanitation problems you may have on your boat.

Chlorine shock is the technique you want to purify your fresh water system. The key is to use the right amount of chlorine! Too much of too long will eat your pipes and fixtures. Too little won't kill the little beasties. Once every spring after launch takes care of us for the summer.

 

[thinwater]

Actually, a Brita filter does nothing for water safety (any bugs will just drift through), and chlorine is a partial treatment. You also need the right under-sink filter. In fact, you need to take the same steps the public supplies do:

• Prefiltration. Hoses shed lots of algae and pipe scale. You can't sterilize a tank that is not kept clean or water that contains signification particles. Chlorine cannot penetrate these.
• Chlorination. There are many rules of thumb, most of them too high. The only sure way is to get test tapes from the aquarium store and make certain there is some detectable residual after an hour. 1ppm is enough.
• Screen the tank. Can bugs crawl in through the vent? They will. Add a screen.
• NSF certified filtration. Chlorine can't kill gardia and cryptosporidium. NSF 53.

There was a long series on this in Practical Sailor. You can learn a lot there.

A summary here.
http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2014/06/drinking-water-filtration-short-version.html
http://sail-delmarva.blogspot.com/2014/06/drinking-water-filtration-short-version.html
Or you can do nothing. Public water is pretty safe and most of us have good immune systems.