Watermaker water Safe?

[capta]

Oh boy, we've now got a watermaker and we love it!
But, yes there is always a but, isn't there? Anyway, we are thinking of which bottom paint to put on this year as we are pretty unhappy that ours works so poorly (actually not at all) after sitting in a fuel oil spill for 4 days. Then I thought of the watermaker.
How toxic is bottom paint when considered in the context of a watermaker? Should we all have a small hose in the inlet to keep the water from contacting the paint? Is there a safer paint with antifouling properties that work or must we sacrifice one for the other?

 

[Stu Jackson]

The watermaker is a big filter in its inherent design, is it not?

 

[RichH]

A saltwater RO desalinization system isnt going to stop hardly ANY copper ions ... which are about 1/2 the size of Sodium, Potassium and Chlorine ions.

Consider the copper thats leaching out of your bottom paint an enhancement of your daily vitamin and mineral daily supplement. Copper is required for the metabolism of iron and is necessary in the formation of red blood cells.

Rather, be more concerned when using your RO in bio-polluted water such as harbors and anchorages (fecal coliform, viruses, etc.) .... as RO membranes are not all 'that perfectly efficient' even with the 'big' stuff such as bacteria and viruses; and, the reason that you should minimally 'chlorinate' your RO produced water.