Potable Water Made Drinkable

[Midnightsun]

Not many drink their water on board however I have done so on all my boats. Never has anyone been ill or felt bad and this includes all my guests on board so I must be doing something right.

Key here is to disinfect/sanitize the system which means all lines and the tank which is rather easy. Best way when the water heater is bypassed as this will do both hot and cold lines. I normally just add some water to my tank then add about 2 cups of liquid chlorine and then fill the tank full again. Once full I open each faucet long enough to get the chlorine water into the line which I do at every tap, both hot and cold one after the other. Doing so allows the chlorine into all the lines to kill any nasties in there. Some people go one step further an add an ounce of chlorine every time they fill water, I personally do not. This should be done every spring when starting the season or twice a year if you are year round boater.

Normally you will smell the chlorine at the faucet. Once they are all done I wait to the next day before I empty the tank. Fill the tank and empty it again by opening up the faucets, both hot and cold all around. Once empty fill up with fresh water again and empty again. Normally the chlorine smell is almost gone but if it still bothers you another round of rinse should do it.

Now for filtration, not that it is required but your water will taste like bottled water so yes I highly recommend it. Standard house filter 2.5" x 10" are the most common and therefor cheapest so this is the best route IMHO. I use 2 of these. https://www.amazon.com/Watts-WH-LD-Premier-Filtration-System/dp/B000E78XH6/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=watts+water+filter&qid=1560195017&s=gateway&sr=8-4 Reason I like these is the top twists to allow bypass/off/filter, basically like a built in valve.

The filters supplied are not the ones you want as those are strictly sediment filters, my preference is 10 micron carbon. I normally buy in larger quantities as you need not worry every year plus it is much cheaper. https://www.amazon.com/Baleen-Filters-Performance-Cartridge-CB-25-1010/dp/B071GPN3HF/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=coconut+carbon+filters&qid=1560195248&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

This is a picture I snapped of my assembly last Saturday.

[mjk1040]

Hans; FYI bleach has never been tested by any agency to my knowledge and thus no one can tell you what all is in bleach. I know we assume it's just chlorine but, is it? The Dept. of Health here in NY would not let me use chlorax bleach or any household bleach to sanitize my water hauling tank for potable water supplying. I had to go to a pool or water plant and get certified chlorine. I do like the filter system and think is a great addition!

[Midnightsun]

Substituted chlorine/liquid chorine in places I had bleach just to be on the safe side.

Looks like bleach is not a problem. https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-dr ... king-water

[bud37]

So after shocking the tank and lines etc.....are you filling and flushing the system with city water , do you use an RO somewhere in this ?

[Midnightsun]

City water is all I use, never saw the need for RO water unless your city water is crap. There is an assumption the water you are putting into the tank is potable, those filters will take out sediment and any strange tastes or odours, they will not make undrinkable water drinkable such as a dedicated RO system.

By the way, a single filter is all that is really needed, like always I tend to go overboard on most of my stuff.

[km1125]

When doing the spring commissioning, I do something very similar. However, I do one more step. Once the system is full, I run a hose from the galley sink to the fill port on deck, then let both the hot and cold water run. This cycles water through most of the lines and back to the tank circulating it. Then I drain it all out and fill with fresh water.

I have not added a filter but have often considered one just for the galley sink.