Drinking water from the water tank

[Gullsea]

Hi all,
I am a Dutch newbie on this forum, but I’m kicking off with my burning question straight away…
This summer I'm going to hit the water for a few weeks with my "new" boat with 150 litre water tank, and I really afraid I will get sick on board due to drinking contaminated water. Does anyone here feel the same, and if so, what do you do to prevent this

In the Dutch (motor)boating scene people are usually pretty easygoing when it comes to the safety of water on board (for drinking, showering, cleaning, etc..) Well, I am certainly not a coward, but prevention is better than cure ... I am curious what your opinion is when it comes to using filters (membrane / carbon / UV / etc) and adding chemicals to the fresh water tank...

Thanks in advance for your reply! :encouragement:

 

[NoviceRod]

We use cheapest supermarket bottled water for drinking on the boat. Tank water for everything else.

Of course, it is usual practice to drink other than water when on a boat, I believe

 

[prv]

There was a thread recently on the nearby sailing forum. Can't see any difference between motor and sail on this subject

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?392920-Do-you-drink-the-water-from-your-tank

A mixture of people who drink only bottled water, people who drink tank water after filtering, and people who keep the tank clean and drink the water directly.

I fall into the latter group, and have never had any problem. The water tastes exactly the same as from my tap at home. I do sterilise the tank with puriclean each spring.

Pete

 

[omega2]

we boil ours and mix tea with it!! LOL

 

[sailorman]

Hi all,
I am a Dutch newbie on this forum, but I’m kicking off with my burning question straight away…
This summer I'm going to hit the water for a few weeks with my "new" boat with 150 litre water tank, and I really afraid I will get sick on board due to drinking contaminated water. Does anyone here feel the same, and if so, what do you do to prevent this

In the Dutch (motor)boating scene people are usually pretty easygoing when it comes to the safety of water on board (for drinking, showering, cleaning, etc..) Well, I am certainly not a coward, but prevention is better than cure ... I am curious what your opinion is when it comes to using filters (membrane / carbon / UV / etc) and adding chemicals to the fresh water tank...

Thanks in advance for your reply! :encouragement:

we always use the tank & over the winter that water could be weeks old

 

[Robg71]

Once every six months, i do the same to my boat as we do to the fresh water supplies at work, and that is to superchlorinate.
Add a large dose of (basically granulated bleach) to your water tank. Pump it in to your taps, so you can smell it. Leave to stand for six hours, then empty all of it...

Fill with fresh.....

One squeeky clean tank...

 

[BartW]

on the small boats we used to use tablets for cleaning a denture (kunstgebit) for rinsing ones a year the water tank,
on the bigger boat, we make sure that the tank is emptyed and filled very regulary, and use the water for everything except for drinking we use bottled water.

 

[rafiki_]

We use the tank for tea and coffee. You can tell when it inserted to be changed, as the taste becomes metallic. For drinking water we use bottled water. I guess if you instal a filter you could use the tank water for drinking?

 

[Bandit]

I tend to fully empty the tank at the start of the season and refill with fresh water adding a suitable dose of Aquasol liquid which I believe is chlorine based.

When we are on holiday on the boat after the first tank or so I don't dose it till after the holiday ( wife says it makes the tea taste funny?).

We tend to drink bottled water from the supermarket and we have a 10 litre can we fill from the tap directly for tea and cooking.

I assume in Holland you have to drain the fresh water tank in case of freezing anyway in the winter?

I did once take the inspection hatch off an old boat's water tank once and there were some strange things growing in it?

Be Safe drink beer, wine or spirits

 

[Actionmat]

We drink the water from the tap, never buy bottled and to be quite honest I think tea tastes better on the boat. I've never put chemicals in the tank, I just use it regularly and empty it before filling up.

 

[superheat6k]

We drink the water from the tap, never buy bottled and to be quite honest I think tea tastes better on the boat. I've never put chemicals in the tank, I just use it regularly and empty it before filling up.

+1. Simply and regularly empty the tank and refill with fresh, and allow the hose to flush through thoroughly before putting it into the tank.

And please please please don't get the forum going on the subject of marina hoses and the deadly pathogens these can harbour !

 

[Robg71]

Tell that to St Peter Port...
They have removed all hoses from the pontoons.....
****e....

 

[superheat6k]

Tell that to St Peter Port...
They have removed all hoses from the pontoons.....
****e....

Removing marina hoses is the Health & Safety Policia special exercise for 2014 in the Solent area.

 

[Gullsea]

on the small boats we used to use tablets for cleaning a denture (kunstgebit) for rinsing ones a year the water tank,
on the bigger boat, we make sure that the tank is emptyed and filled very regulary, and use the water for everything except for drinking we use bottled water.

So you're doing everything with it except drinking the tank water. I'll probably go for bottled water too when it comes to drinking, although I'm still considering buying a filter and/or a UV purification solution. What I conclude is that if you regularly use and refill the water tank, the water stays 'safe'. I you let it stagnate or just don't use it very often, it can become 'unsafe'.

BTW: Thanks everyone for the response :encouragement: You have been very helpful.

 

[BartW]

So you're doing everything with it except drinking the tank water. I'll probably go for bottled water too when it comes to drinking, although I'm still considering buying a filter and/or a UV purification solution. What I conclude is that if you regularly use and refill the water tank, the water stays 'safe'. I you let it stagnate or just don't use it very often, it can become 'unsafe'.

yes we use water from the tank for cooking, tea, coffee,... teeth brushing, etc,
I sometimes drink it, but advise guests not to, don't want to spoil there holliday with a bad stomach
some folks prefer to drink bottled water anyway, also at home...

I don't bother with extra filters, etc... its more headache to keep these 100% clean then having bottled water onboard.
we have a desalinator which we don't use a lot, its a headache to keep that clean and rinsed regularly.

 

[Croc]

Interesting....about ten years ago i was Commodore of a yacht club with a marina. We heard all about the pathogens in hoses and the committee lead by me had all the hoses on the pontoons removed telling marina users to use their own hoses. A big wail went up from the berth holders but we held firm.
What a mistake... well intentioned but a mistake.
My successor caved in immediately and the hoses were returned (not the same hoses but new ones.)
A few years later I bought a motor cruiser and appreciated the value of pontoon hoses and how much hassle is caused by not having them.So nowadays I keep the boat tanks filled from the hoses and we use the water for washing up, showering and general cleaning. However ,despite putting two Milton tablets into the tank with every fill, we use bottled water for drinking.... and teeth cleaning although a few times after a heavy night I have forgotten to use the bottled water and scrubbed the molars with stuff from the taps with no ill effects.

 

[maby]

If you are not confident of the boat's history, give the tanks a good clean out with Puriclean. We then add Aqua Sol on each fill.

On our first boat, the tanks were leaking, so we removed them to replace them - we were horrified at the black sludge in the bottom. We find that the Aqua Sol does not add too much flavour to the water - certainly not noticeable when making hot drinks. We do carry a Brita filter jug for cold drinking water in the summer months.

 

[Mymobo]

Use the tank all the time. Just keep using the water as much as you can and top up weekly or daily when onboard.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

FWIW I've drunk water from the water tank on our boats for years, except in those areas where I've been specifically warned not to (eg N Mallorca) and never had a problem. For a start, every time you brush your teeth using tank water you are 'contaminating' yourself. If you're worried you could drop a couple of purifying tablets in the tank. IMHO scaremongering over mains water just leads to making manufacturers of fancy bottled water even richer and they don't deserve it

 

[C08]

We have two Plastimo Flexible tanks and use the tank water without any reservation. We just use a Whale Filter in the line which improves the taste and is claimed to reduce bacteria and solids. The only problem we have with boat water is the S Coast water is not the same quality as in the N England.