We're new boat owners so the learning curve is kind of steep, and sometimes the questions are pretty elemental but..... We've always taken drinking water along when we chartered. I hear some people drink from their holding tanks with no problems. After hearing news reports on the drinking water on airplanes - you kind of wonder about holding tanks. I'm thinking that maybe a purifier pitcher onboard would be a good idea. Anyone want to chime in on what you do to keep you drinking water safe? Thanks!
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You probably will not find a consensus
We do not charter, but have our own boat. We drink from the fresh water storage tanks with no problem. Occasionally when cruising we get a batch of water that just doesn't taste very good. We dump those tanks and refill at the next opportunity. We have never gotten sick from any water. We have 4 tanks and are careful to rotate the tanks so that no one tank becomes stale. This is to maintain good taste. However, I have a friend who finds that when he drinks water that he is not accustomed to, it upsets his system. So when he is with us, he brings a jug of his home water with him for his use. It seems like our tank water that is cooked, like in coffee, does not bother him. When he goes to his winter home in Florida he takes 5 gallons of water from home. He mixes it with the local water in a decreasing concentration until his system becomes accustomed to the Florida water. I think he does the same on his return. I don't know if any of the pitcher-type water filters will take out stuff that would make you sick, or if they are just filters for the lumps in the water. The safest method may be to buy bottled water as you go, but I think it is a PITA to haul that heavy stuff to the boat from a shopping trip.
We do not charter, but have our own boat. We drink from the fresh water storage tanks with no problem. Occasionally when cruising we get a batch of water that just doesn't taste very good. We dump those tanks and refill at the next opportunity. We have never gotten sick from any water. We have 4 tanks and are careful to rotate the tanks so that no one tank becomes stale. This is to maintain good taste. However, I have a friend who finds that when he drinks water that he is not accustomed to, it upsets his system. So when he is with us, he brings a jug of his home water with him for his use. It seems like our tank water that is cooked, like in coffee, does not bother him. When he goes to his winter home in Florida he takes 5 gallons of water from home. He mixes it with the local water in a decreasing concentration until his system becomes accustomed to the Florida water. I think he does the same on his return. I don't know if any of the pitcher-type water filters will take out stuff that would make you sick, or if they are just filters for the lumps in the water. The safest method may be to buy bottled water as you go, but I think it is a PITA to haul that heavy stuff to the boat from a shopping trip.
If you have not tested and are not sure of the source of your water then do not drink it. Bottled water is just too inexpensive. Think of it as a risk/reward; am I willing to bet my life on an unknown versus the cost of a case of Perrier?
safe to drink
we think of the fresh water tank for flushing the head and showering - salt water makes the holding tank stink. for drinking and cooking we only use bottled water. we never open the toilet to the sea, we just put in fresh water from the tank and flush.
we think of the fresh water tank for flushing the head and showering - salt water makes the holding tank stink. for drinking and cooking we only use bottled water. we never open the toilet to the sea, we just put in fresh water from the tank and flush.
Another "It depends"
You are right to wonder what grows in the dark, but you can make your tanks clean and safe. Check the archives under "shocking water tanks" or something like that, posted a year or two ago by Peggy Hall (The Head Mistress)... We routinely do this about once a year, or whenever the tanks have been sitting too long. One tip: make sure you let the dock water run for a good while to get to clean water before starting to add to your tank. Water sitting in a hose, or a dock line, can grow weird stuff too. There are filters you can plumb in which will work too, including a simple GE attachment to the faucet available at Home Depot. Consumer Reports gave it a top rating. Or, keep it simple and carry a jug on board. S.
You are right to wonder what grows in the dark, but you can make your tanks clean and safe. Check the archives under "shocking water tanks" or something like that, posted a year or two ago by Peggy Hall (The Head Mistress)... We routinely do this about once a year, or whenever the tanks have been sitting too long. One tip: make sure you let the dock water run for a good while to get to clean water before starting to add to your tank. Water sitting in a hose, or a dock line, can grow weird stuff too. There are filters you can plumb in which will work too, including a simple GE attachment to the faucet available at Home Depot. Consumer Reports gave it a top rating. Or, keep it simple and carry a jug on board. S.
Probably not safe
We don't drink the water from our tanks. The tanks are reasonably clean and we treat them with chlorox every so often but the water tastes and probably leaches out chemicals from the pipes etc. I doubt that there are harmful microbes in our tanks. If and when we live on the boat and use the water regularly we may start drinking from the tanks. then I'll install some hardware store filters and activated charcol to get rid of the taste.
We don't drink the water from our tanks. The tanks are reasonably clean and we treat them with chlorox every so often but the water tastes and probably leaches out chemicals from the pipes etc. I doubt that there are harmful microbes in our tanks. If and when we live on the boat and use the water regularly we may start drinking from the tanks. then I'll install some hardware store filters and activated charcol to get rid of the taste.
Recommission the system at least annually
This is all it takes to keep onboard water safe, and tasting/smelling as good as any that comes out of faucets on land: Fresh water system problems--foul odor or taste--are typically caused by allowing water to stagnate in the system. Although most people think only in terms of the tank, the plumbing is actually the source of most foul water, because the molds, mildew, fungi and bacteria which cause it thrive in damp dark places, not under water. Many people—and even some boat manufacturers—believe that keeping the tanks empty reduce the problem, but an empty water tank only provides another damp dark home for those “critters.” There are all kinds of products sold that claim to keep onboard water fresh, but all that’s really necessary is an annual or in especially warm climates, semi-annual recommissioning of the entire system—tank and plumbing. The following recommendations conform to section 10.8 in the A-1 192 code covering electrical, plumbing, and heating of recreational vehicles. The solution is approved and recommended by competent health officials. It may be used in a new system a used one that has not been used for a period of time, or one that may have been contaminated. Before beginning, turn off hot water heater at the breaker; do not turn it on again until the entire recommissioning is complete. Icemakers should be left running to allow cleaning out of the water feed line; however the first two buckets of ice—the bucket generated during recommissioning and the first bucketful afterward--should be discarded. 1. Prepare a chlorine solution using one gallon of water and 1/2 cup (4 oz) Clorox or Purex household bleach (5% sodium Hypochlorite solution ). With tank empty, pour chlorine solution into tank. Use one gallon of solution for each 5 gallons of tank capacity. 2. Complete filling of tank with fresh water. Open each faucet and drain cock until air has been released and the entire system is filled. Do not turn off the pump; it must remain on to keep the system pressurized and the solution in the lines 3. Allow to stand for at least three hours, but no longer than 24 hours. 4 Drain through every faucet on the boat (and if you haven't done this in a while, it's a good idea to remove any diffusion screens from the faucets, because what's likely to come out will clog them). Fill the tank again with fresh water only, drain again through every faucet on the boat. 5. To remove excess chlorine taste or odor which might remain, prepare a solution of one quart white vinegar to five gallons water and allow this solution to agitate in tank for several days by vehicle motion. 6. Drain tank again through every faucet, and flush the lines again by fill the tank 1/4-1/2 full and again flushing with potable water. People have expressed concern about using this method to recommission aluminum tanks. While bleach (chlorine) IS corrosive, it’s effects are are cumulative. So the effect of an annual or semi-annual "shock treatment" is negligible compared to the cumulative effect of holding chlorinated city water in the tank for years. Nevertheless, it's a good idea to mix the total amount of bleach in a few gallons of water before putting it into either a stainless or aluminum tank. People have also expressed concern about the potential damage to rubber and neoprene water pump parts. Again—the cumulative effect of carrying chlorinated water is far more damaging over time than the occasional “shock treatment.” And it’s that cumulative effect that makes it a VERY bad idea to add a little bleach to each fill. Not only does it damage the system, but unless you add enough to make your water taste and smell like a laundry, it’s not enough to do any good. Even if it were, any “purifying” properties in chlorine evaporate within 24 hours, leaving behind only the corrosive properties. An annual or semi-annual recommissioning according to the above directions is all that should be necessary to keep your water tasting and smelling as good as anything that comes out of any faucet on land. If you need to improve on that, install a water filter. Just remember that a filter is not a substitute for cleaning out the system, and that filters require regular inspection and cleaning or replacement. To keep the water system cleaner longer, use your fresh water...keep water flowing through system. The molds, fungi, and bacteria only start to grow in hoses that aren't being used. Before filling the tank each time, always let the dock water run for at least 15 minutes first...the same critters that like the lines on your boat LOVE the dock supply line and your hose that sit in the warm sun, and you certainly don't want to transfer water that's been sitting in the dock supply line to your boat's system. So let the water run long enough to flush out all the water that's been standing in them so that what goes into your boat is coming straight from the water main. Finally, while the molds, fungi and bacteria in onboard water systems here in the US may not be pleasant, we're dealing only with aesthetics...water purity isn't an issue here--or in most developed nations...the water supply has already been purified (unless you're using well-water). However, when cruising out of the country, it's a good idea to know what you're putting in your tanks...and if you're in any doubt, boil all water that's to be drunk or used to wash dishes, and/or treat each tankful to purify. It's even more important in these areas to let the water run before putting it in the tank, because any harmful bacteria will REALLY proliferate in water hoses left sitting on the dock.
This is all it takes to keep onboard water safe, and tasting/smelling as good as any that comes out of faucets on land: Fresh water system problems--foul odor or taste--are typically caused by allowing water to stagnate in the system. Although most people think only in terms of the tank, the plumbing is actually the source of most foul water, because the molds, mildew, fungi and bacteria which cause it thrive in damp dark places, not under water. Many people—and even some boat manufacturers—believe that keeping the tanks empty reduce the problem, but an empty water tank only provides another damp dark home for those “critters.” There are all kinds of products sold that claim to keep onboard water fresh, but all that’s really necessary is an annual or in especially warm climates, semi-annual recommissioning of the entire system—tank and plumbing. The following recommendations conform to section 10.8 in the A-1 192 code covering electrical, plumbing, and heating of recreational vehicles. The solution is approved and recommended by competent health officials. It may be used in a new system a used one that has not been used for a period of time, or one that may have been contaminated. Before beginning, turn off hot water heater at the breaker; do not turn it on again until the entire recommissioning is complete. Icemakers should be left running to allow cleaning out of the water feed line; however the first two buckets of ice—the bucket generated during recommissioning and the first bucketful afterward--should be discarded. 1. Prepare a chlorine solution using one gallon of water and 1/2 cup (4 oz) Clorox or Purex household bleach (5% sodium Hypochlorite solution ). With tank empty, pour chlorine solution into tank. Use one gallon of solution for each 5 gallons of tank capacity. 2. Complete filling of tank with fresh water. Open each faucet and drain cock until air has been released and the entire system is filled. Do not turn off the pump; it must remain on to keep the system pressurized and the solution in the lines 3. Allow to stand for at least three hours, but no longer than 24 hours. 4 Drain through every faucet on the boat (and if you haven't done this in a while, it's a good idea to remove any diffusion screens from the faucets, because what's likely to come out will clog them). Fill the tank again with fresh water only, drain again through every faucet on the boat. 5. To remove excess chlorine taste or odor which might remain, prepare a solution of one quart white vinegar to five gallons water and allow this solution to agitate in tank for several days by vehicle motion. 6. Drain tank again through every faucet, and flush the lines again by fill the tank 1/4-1/2 full and again flushing with potable water. People have expressed concern about using this method to recommission aluminum tanks. While bleach (chlorine) IS corrosive, it’s effects are are cumulative. So the effect of an annual or semi-annual "shock treatment" is negligible compared to the cumulative effect of holding chlorinated city water in the tank for years. Nevertheless, it's a good idea to mix the total amount of bleach in a few gallons of water before putting it into either a stainless or aluminum tank. People have also expressed concern about the potential damage to rubber and neoprene water pump parts. Again—the cumulative effect of carrying chlorinated water is far more damaging over time than the occasional “shock treatment.” And it’s that cumulative effect that makes it a VERY bad idea to add a little bleach to each fill. Not only does it damage the system, but unless you add enough to make your water taste and smell like a laundry, it’s not enough to do any good. Even if it were, any “purifying” properties in chlorine evaporate within 24 hours, leaving behind only the corrosive properties. An annual or semi-annual recommissioning according to the above directions is all that should be necessary to keep your water tasting and smelling as good as anything that comes out of any faucet on land. If you need to improve on that, install a water filter. Just remember that a filter is not a substitute for cleaning out the system, and that filters require regular inspection and cleaning or replacement. To keep the water system cleaner longer, use your fresh water...keep water flowing through system. The molds, fungi, and bacteria only start to grow in hoses that aren't being used. Before filling the tank each time, always let the dock water run for at least 15 minutes first...the same critters that like the lines on your boat LOVE the dock supply line and your hose that sit in the warm sun, and you certainly don't want to transfer water that's been sitting in the dock supply line to your boat's system. So let the water run long enough to flush out all the water that's been standing in them so that what goes into your boat is coming straight from the water main. Finally, while the molds, fungi and bacteria in onboard water systems here in the US may not be pleasant, we're dealing only with aesthetics...water purity isn't an issue here--or in most developed nations...the water supply has already been purified (unless you're using well-water). However, when cruising out of the country, it's a good idea to know what you're putting in your tanks...and if you're in any doubt, boil all water that's to be drunk or used to wash dishes, and/or treat each tankful to purify. It's even more important in these areas to let the water run before putting it in the tank, because any harmful bacteria will REALLY proliferate in water hoses left sitting on the dock.
Use the water for everything except drinking
Even if you follow all of the steps suggested by Peggy and others I wouldn't consider the water safe for drinking unless you are using the water frequently enough to pass most of it out of the tank at reasonable intervals. [Lines installed by the factory usually have filth from the manufacturing/installation process inside them and should be replaced by lines you have cleaned/treated to your own satisfaction]. Hikers and campers know all about the risks of Giardia and other intestinal pests in stagnant water, but boats and RV's are not immune. I carry bottled water on board for drinking and use the tanks for everything else.
Even if you follow all of the steps suggested by Peggy and others I wouldn't consider the water safe for drinking unless you are using the water frequently enough to pass most of it out of the tank at reasonable intervals. [Lines installed by the factory usually have filth from the manufacturing/installation process inside them and should be replaced by lines you have cleaned/treated to your own satisfaction]. Hikers and campers know all about the risks of Giardia and other intestinal pests in stagnant water, but boats and RV's are not immune. I carry bottled water on board for drinking and use the tanks for everything else.
Thank you!
Thank you everyone for your feedback. Thank you Peggy for the info. I'm going to print that out and keep it handy for spring when the boat goes in. Whether you drink the water or not, that kind of attention to the tanks is probably a good idea. Thanks again, and happy sailing to everyone!
Thank you everyone for your feedback. Thank you Peggy for the info. I'm going to print that out and keep it handy for spring when the boat goes in. Whether you drink the water or not, that kind of attention to the tanks is probably a good idea. Thanks again, and happy sailing to everyone!
sources ...
Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 a piece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards.
Ever wonder about those people who spend $2.00 a piece on those little bottles of Evian water? Try spelling Evian backwards.
Drinking water filter
We drink from our tanks, a 1997 P42, but only after the water has passed through a Sea Gull filter, which has a separate spigot a the galley sink. We keep our tanks clean and fresh, per Peggy's rules above, and we also have a large demand for water on board, so there is a constant input of fresh water into the tanks. But why take a chance. The Sea Gull, and now it has a competetor that is cheaper, has worked for us for 20 years on two boats. Our drinks, ice, coffee and cooking are all done with this extra purified water.
We drink from our tanks, a 1997 P42, but only after the water has passed through a Sea Gull filter, which has a separate spigot a the galley sink. We keep our tanks clean and fresh, per Peggy's rules above, and we also have a large demand for water on board, so there is a constant input of fresh water into the tanks. But why take a chance. The Sea Gull, and now it has a competetor that is cheaper, has worked for us for 20 years on two boats. Our drinks, ice, coffee and cooking are all done with this extra purified water.
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