Article by Capt. Steve Katz
Got Water?
When boaters talk about water there are a lot of variations: potable, gray, black, bilge, fresh, sea….
What is Potable Water?
Potable water is clean water that comes from your faucet or shower head that you can drink safely or use for food preparation. There is a wide variation of what people consider as clean water. The United Nations reports that, “Every year, more people die from unsafe water than from all forms of violence, including war.” While this may not be a major problem in the USA, it reminds us how important clean water is.
What is Gray Water?
Gray water can come from the shower and sink drains, the washer drain, the dishwasher drain, condensate drain, etc.
What is Black Water?
Black water is water that has come in contact with human waste, particularly fecal matter. Blackwater contains bacteria and possibly other harmful contaminates.
What is bilge water?
Bilge water is not exactly water, but a mixture of variety of substances. It is a mixture of fresh water, sea water, oil, sludge, chemicals and various other fluids.
Most modern boats have individual systems that accommodate these types of water and contain, treat and manage these sources.
When it comes to “clean water” or potable water, a short walk down the pier at most marinas will allow you to see a range of water systems boaters use to additionally treat their freshwater supply before it goes on or into their boat.
Many boaters use water from the garden hose at their marina without any regard to the quality, assuming that someone else monitors and tests the water. Depending on the source of the water, it may have naturally occurring or added minerals or chemicals that are not desirable to use on or in a boat. For example, water with high iron content can leave brownish stains or discolorations of light colored surfaces. This may not be immediately noticeable, but over time this may become apparent. Hard water is water with a high mineral content and high TDS (Total Disproved Solids) and often contains naturally occurring calcium and magnesium that is picked up as the water moves through the earth. At home and on a boat, hard water interferes with almost every cleaning task from laundering and dishwashing to bathing and personal grooming.
One of the most important aspects of investigating your water quality is to measure by some analytical means your water before and after any treatment systems. There are numerous water testing kits, tools and services available.
What can you do to get the best freshwater on your boat?
Install a water maker! If you boat in saltwater you can install a watermaker. A reverse osmosis (RO) water maker produces freshwater by pressurizing saltwater to around 800 psi and forcing it through a semi-permeable membrane. Water molecules pass through the membranes, but practically all minerals and salts are left behind and discharged back to the sea. The resulting RO water is some of the cleanest water on the planet since it is made from sources far away from population centers and pollution. A properly functioning watermaker will produce water with a minimum of 500 PPM of TDS, but often as low as 100 PPM or less.
What if I don’t have a watermaker? What else can I do to get the best fresh water for my boat?
You can install a RO system to process the public freshwater supply or even additionally process watermaker water. The Dometic Spot Zero is a popular system what works well in the marine environment. The Spot Zero system can produce water with less that 20 PPM TDS (Total Disproved Solids)and often into the single digits TDS.
You could install a good carbon water filter to help reduce any odor and filter out some larger solids in the water with only a very slight reduction in TDS.
You can install a water softener to help improve the “feeling” of the water and improve the ability to make soapy water (hard water does not easily make foamy soap) Many people believe a water softener will reduce or remove solids – it does not. A water softener helps make the water “feel” better by exchanging ions. Minerals are simply exchanged for other minerals, leaving total TDS levels relatively constant. The “Wet Spot” marine portable water softener is the most popular product in this category.
While most public water supplies in the USA have acceptable water for drinking and bathing, that same water may not be the best water for the maintenance of your boat. If the quality of your water needs an upgrade there are numerous treatment systems available with a wide range of price points that are specifically made for use in the marine environment.
Captain Steve Katz is the owner of Steve’s Marine Service and holds NMEA, AMEI and NMEA2000 certificates along with ABYC Master Technician certification and factory training from many manufacturers. To reach Steve, call (631) 264-1600.
