Med tap water verses bottled water.

[nortada]

Here in Lagos Marina, drunk tap water for the last 18 years - no I’ll effects so far. ?????

 

[STILL AFLOAT]

We used the Jabsco Aqua Filta

Yes, and unlike the more exotic types, the replacement cartridges are easy to find, in most decent chandlers !

 

[STILL AFLOAT]

Thanks. How often must they be changed and do they slow down delivery from the galley pump to a trickle. Do you have to buy all sort of fittings. If so I can maybe source the materials from here before flying out.

No, Had them on several boats through the years, never had a problem. first use , flush the excess charcoal , before use, only takes a few seconds , then the water is clear
cartridges last a year, actually probably more than that , but recomended to swop each year. I use a magic marker and write the month n year on the filter, the supplied label, is tiny and probably not readable under the galley sink or wherever. No, it comes with the head that you screw to the bulkhead or whatever, there are 2 movable hose barbs, so cut your water hose and attach, ok yes you will need 2 Jubilee clips . Then put vaseline on the o ring, fit it to the filter , then screw the filter in, Ok I have never got the filters watertight, by hand, but there is a nut thing on the bottom, of the filter body, that you can put a wrench on, if need be .

 

[AndrewB]

Thank you. I had forgot all about on board filters. I will study this angle and buy the best filter i can afford. I now remember a skipper on a Bavaria who told me he had a centrifugal filter. If he filtered diesel from his tank, his rotating filter seperated the water from the diesel so efficiently it was good enough to drink. I think he was pulling my leg. I will however have a good look at water fiters. Carbon maybe.

I once made the mistake of filling a water tank with diesel. Not realising, we went on drinking water from the tank, and never noticed until a few days later when thick diesel started coming through. This was using a very efficient Seagull MkIV filter. (It was a horrible job afterwards to clean the tank).

 

[Graham376]

Did you use GRP, West Epoxy or some international hull coating for the barrier? Must be a really messy job. I reckon I could handle painting the inside with many layers of epoxy. Do you think just clean and paint would work. Painting on six layers would be a barrier coat irrespective of the surface. Grinding is a job to avoid at all costs. Right or wrong.

Just did a standard polyester repair to match original with wax in gel to stop it being sticky. Left open for a few days and well wiped out with acetone. No problems with taste, we use an Aquasource filter after the pump which removes tastes but not bacteria.

 

[vyv_cox]

Lots of people have mentioned the General Ecology filter. If I can buy the complete system in Greece (holder, filter, connectors) I will install it ASAP.

The General Ecology filter seems good, I have one on the boat and a slightly different one in my motorhome. However, as with most specialist equipment, it was not cheap and the replacement filters are outrageously expensive. I understand from thinwater's posts that domestic units in USA in particular are far cheaper and apparently perform just as well. Domestic water filtration exists in UK but is not very common.

 

[BurnitBlue]

Just did a standard polyester repair to match original with wax in gel to stop it being sticky. Left open for a few days and well wiped out with acetone. No problems with taste, we use an Aquasource filter after the pump which removes tastes but not bacteria.

That is fantastic news. I have been reluctant to follow MOA posters advise and exhange them for bladders. Also the idea of sandblasting or grinding is not appealing. I will make a workable schedule to coat the insides with whatever is available and try grinding a section just to see how difficult it would be.
I suppose people are wondering why I am making such a big deal with water on board. Well last years nightmare where I had a massive thirst and fever for six weeks yet was forced to count the water bottles etc etc.
Thanks. I guess I will buy the flter that is available at first then uppgade when I come across a better system.. Great if I can commission the water tanks for drinking water with a really good filter.

 

[FirstAway]

Thanks. How often must they be changed and do they slow down delivery from the galley pump to a trickle. Do you have to buy all sort of fittings. If so I can maybe source the materials from here before flying out.

They recommend to change the cartridge every season, the unit comes complete with hose barbs see here Jabsco 59000-1000 - Aqua Filta / Pressurised Fresh Water Pump Accessories / Pressurised Fresh Water Pumps / Pumps / Marine / Xylem JabscoShop - Jabsco & Rule Pumps and more - from the experts

It probably slows the water a little but so as you would notice.

 

[BurnitBlue]

They recommend to change the cartridge every season, the unit comes complete with hose barbs see here Jabsco 59000-1000 - Aqua Filta / Pressurised Fresh Water Pump Accessories / Pressurised Fresh Water Pumps / Pumps / Marine / Xylem JabscoShop - Jabsco & Rule Pumps and more - from the experts

It probably slows the water a little but so as you would notice.

So simple. Are you sure that will work? I was expecting lots of pipes and valves like a submarines control panel. Big rotating wheels on the diverter valves. Gurgling sounds to indicate the system is busy killing bugs. Are they all like that. They don't even have a switch to turn it on. I was honestly looking forward to designing an elegent water control system. Something impressive that I could admire as it fought biological battles on my behalf. Isn't there anything more complicated looking that gives a secure feeling that the thing is doing something sophisticated and extremely complicated?

 

[Pasarell]

We drink water from the tank and no problems after 4 years in the Ionian. Tanks are from TekTanks and we clean them each year. At each fill we add an Aqua Tabs Mega Tab which is supposed to dose 225L. With tank capacity of 450L we generally underdose but not by too much. Drinking water comes from a separate tap in the galley after going through a General Ecology filter. Filter cartridges last about 2 years before there is any noticeable reduction in flow

 

[FirstAway]

So simple. Are you sure that will work? I was expecting lots of pipes and valves like a submarines control panel. Big rotating wheels on the diverter valves. Gurgling sounds to indicate the system is busy killing bugs. Are they all like that. They don't even have a switch to turn it on. I was honestly looking forward to designing an elegent water control system. Something impressive that I could admire as it fought biological battles on my behalf. Isn't there anything more complicated looking that gives a secure feeling that the thing is doing something sophisticated and extremely complicated?

I am sure that you could get something like you have described, costing more and with the possibility of something going wrong; this works well for us and I like simple, especially on boats.

 

[dansaskip]

Avoid bottled water - always amazed how many boaters use bottled water - it is very environmentally unsound, too much plastic and expensive to boot. Tap water is fine, yes add a filter if you will and maybe treat with a water purifying treatment. I have used tap water from 40 countries with no problems.

 

[BurnitBlue]

I am sure that you could get something like you have described, costing more and with the possibility of something going wrong; this works well for us and I like simple, especially on boats.

I must admit I was expecting something a bit more complicated. Maybe I had the complexities of a self built watermaker in mind when I thought of a filter system. I am happy with a simple system if it does the job. Maybe two in line filters will satisfy my need for a safe clean system. My post was a bit tongue in cheek not a dig at you. Thanks for your info.

 

[FirstAway]

I must admit I was expecting something a bit more complicated. Maybe I had the complexities of a self built watermaker in mind when I thought of a filter system. I am happy with a simple system if it does the job. Maybe two in line filters will satisfy my need for a safe clean system. My post was a bit tongue in cheek not a dig at you. Thanks for your info.

Don’t worry I didn’t take it personally, but I really do think it was one of the best modifications we have made to the boat. Not just the plastic saving which was a major motivation, but not having to buy and carry the bottles, nor store and dispose of the empty ones.

 

[Caladh]

The only place we found we couldn’t drink the tap water even boiled, was around the Epidhavros area in the Saronic. Just make sure you use your own connectors and hoses when filling.

 

[Metabarca]

Italy: tap water. It's generally purer than mineral water and undergoes more tests. What comes out of my tap (in Friuli Venezia Giulia) is water from the mountains that has been forced through 40-odd miles of rock and sand to get to where it is piped out of the ground. In other words, its extra-filtered mineral water (such is the pressure that many people simply drill a hole down and the water comes out under its own pressure).
Down in the south, depending on where I am, I might be a little more diffident. Never caught a bug from any tap water anywhere here.

 

[Ric]

Three of my close neighbors in the ionion Boatyard will not use Greek tap water even for cooking. In the supermarkets a large amount of floor space is occupied by bottled water for sale and not only in supermarkets. It is sold everywhere. It is obvious that tourists mainly use bottled water in Greece. The mounds of empty plastic bottles on the beaches are proof of this.

My question for UK people who are residents in Greece. Do you use tap water for drinking or do you buy bottled water for the home. Also what is the situation in other Med countries. Like Italy, France, Spain, Turkey etc. Do yachts load up with local tap water for drinking? I have only recent Greek experience.

Bottled water is almost unknown in northern Europe except in restaurants. Is this bottled water a scam or is the tap water in southern Europe really unsafe to drink? If so why? I will be interested in your comments because I hope to spread my sails a bit more this year. Thanks for any advice.

The use of bottled water in Europe is an environmental disgrace. Tap water is safe to drink everywhere in the EU - this is enforced by law. Admittedly it is often very hard and has a lot of chlorine in it - but this can be removed by filtration. In my house in south of France I have two big filters - one removes most of the hardness, the other removes the chlorine. The resulting water is 100% safe and tastes as good as bottled water. I have a sodastream to make carbonated water.

On my boat I filter all dock water through an inexpensive inline filter as I fill the water tanks, then add a couple of sterilising tablets. There is then another filter online in the boat. So again, the water is perfectly safe to drink and tastes really good.

 

[BurnitBlue]

The use of bottled water in Europe is an environmental disgrace. Tap water is safe to drink everywhere in the EU - this is enforced by law. Admittedly it is often very hard and has a lot of chlorine in it - but this can be removed by filtration. In my house in south of France I have two big filters - one removes most of the hardness, the other removes the chlorine. The resulting water is 100% safe and tastes as good as bottled water. I have a sodastream to make carbonated water.

On my boat I filter all dock water through an inexpensive inline filter as I fill the water tanks, then add a couple of sterilising tablets. There is then another filter online in the boat. So again, the water is perfectly safe to drink and tastes really good.

I agree it is a disgrace. However I was reminded a few days ago about tourist attitude to tap water. When a person is at home in say north Europe and he puts a glass under the tap he gets a nice cold glass of fresh tasting water. When he does the same in a Med hotel or boatyard he gets a glass of quite hot water. I am sure most people are taught that hot water from the tap means the wrong tap was turned because hot water comes from the hot tap and is for washing not drinking. We are all taught that warm to hot water is dangerous unless the water was took all the way to boiling point. Partially hot water is a breeding ground for nasties. Nothing to done about learned aversions. In fact if you used the marina plinths they are sometimes supplied through stiff black hose plinth to plinth and the temperature is too hot to shower. Simply a a fact of life.

 

[Slowboat35]

Tap water is fine all over europe.
Bottlred water is the most obscene triumph of marketing over common sense ever perpetratd on the public, selling someting that comes free for such extortionate amounts.
The water in your boat's tanks is probably thousands of times more likely to harm you than almost any tap water.

You may choose to use bottled on occasion if it is over-chlorinated or otherwise odd in taste but European tap water won't harm you.

 

[starfire]

Horrible for making tea, unless run through a carbon filter first.