Potable Water Use

[67vetteal]

I never consume water stored aboard. Clean the Tank and add a small volume of Chlorine, sure. Shower with it, fine. Wash the dishes, fine. Ask yourself this. Would you buy your morning coffee from a store that stores the water for weeks at a time in a dark, Bacteria infested Tank? Either bring sufficient water from home or buy bottled water for consumption. The health of the crew depends on it. Opinions? Al W.

 

[sbw1]

Properly maintained water systems are safe and supply good drinking water. Tank water is all we ever use for our ice, showers and bathing. We have never encountered a problem, nor have our guests ever commented one way or the other about the taste of tank water.

 

[Four Suns]

I think it really depends on how much you use the system. When we are traveling, we go through over 100 gallons of water a day in the tank. It follows the saying of "the answer to pollution is dilution." I sanitize the tank at the beginning of each season and with the amount of water flow, I don't think there is anything to worry about. I probably pump 5000-6000 gallons of water through the system every year.

This is one of those things of if you don't use it, it'll cause problems.... like the vacuflush system.

We do carry lots of bottled water on board as well but that's probably more from a convenience point of view... putting a cap back on a 1/2 filled bottle of water keeps it from spilling while the boys are fighting and beating each other up.

 

[Petep]

Read on, as all have stated above, it depends on your usage. Just did a quick caculation and we also pumped over 5,100 gallons of freshwater through our tanks - and that doesn't take into consideration the freshwater we use while hooked up to city water at our regular dock during the week. The ice maker is constantly replenishing itself and My wife and I drink our "tap" water all the time. Take care of your systems and use it and you won't have problems like anything else on the boat! and enjoy. I never can figure out how someone can complain about boat gas costing so much - but yet will pay over $6.50 / per gal. for those small water bottles @ $1.25 each and we won't even get into the "landfill" problems all those plastic water bottles cause.

 

[Sundancer]

Two boats and we drank out of the tap all the time. Clean it and sanitize it and it's no different than your city water supply. We drain ours each weekend on Sunday when we're putting it on the trailer. We refill on Friday mornings and we're good for the weekend. I've never encountered any problems and we use it for drinking, brushing and cooking. If you clean it and use it the bacteria don't stand a chance. It beats storing all of the water bottles and the garbage when you are done with them.

 

[Presentation]

Follow the below then use the system often:

Water tank – each spring
1. Use a solution of 1 pint Purex or Clorox bleach to 25 gallons of water). With tank empty, pour chlorine solution into tank.

2. Complete filling of tank with fresh water. Open each faucet and drain cock until air has been released and the entire system is filled. Do not turn off the pump; it must remain on to keep the system pressurized and the solution in the lines

3. Allow to stand for at least three hours, but no longer than 24 hours.

4. Drain through every faucet on the boat (and if you haven't done this in a while, it's a good idea to remove any diffusion screens from the faucets, because what's likely to come out will clog them). Fill the tank again with fresh water only, drain again through every faucet on the boat.

5. To remove excess chlorine taste or odor which might remain, prepare a solution of one quart white vinegar to five gallons water and allow this solution to agitate in tank for several days.

6. Drain tank again through every faucet, and flush the lines again by filling the tank 1/4-1/2 full and again flushing with potable water.

 

[Woody]

Two boats and we drank out of the tap all the time. Clean it and sanitize it and it's no different than your city water supply. We drain ours each weekend on Sunday when we're putting it on the trailer. We refill on Friday mornings and we're good for the weekend. I've never encountered any problems and we use it for drinking, brushing and cooking. If you clean it and use it the bacteria don't stand a chance. It beats storing all of the water bottles and the garbage when you are done with them.

Do you have an actual drain on your water tank?

 

[tobnpr]

Unfiltered, I agree.
My wife felt the same way- bottled water only for drinking aboard.
But having enough bottled water aboard for four people for three or four days in the summer is ridiculous- the stowage space alone for twenty gallon jugs of water is absurd.

After some research I bought a filtration system from General Ecology- meets EPA Guide Standard for Microbiological Filtration. Filters everything down to bacteria and viruses. They ain't cheap, but then again neither is bottled water, not to mention the hassle of keeping it stocked aboard the boat. The filter also provides water to the onboard icemaker.

Regardless of what goes into it, it comes out absolutely pure, tasteless, colorless, and odorless.

http://www.generalecology.com/

 

[Sundancer]

Do you have an actual drain on your water tank?

No, we just turn the pump on and open all the faucets It gets pumped overboard while heading in, prepping after we've got it on the trailer or after we get home. It doesn't take very long to empty it. I like to do it as I'm pulling out because it REALLY empties the tank where we park to secure the trailer! Then we're ready for the following weekend. I also use a dedicated white RV hose to fill the tank. I don't use our regular hoses and I sterilize the RV hose at the beginning of the season and let it run for a while before I fill the tank each time to make sure I've eliminated the bacteria.

Think of the money savings, space savings and garbage saving by drinking water out of the tap. Some people just can't do it and they worry about it. It's not that much different from your regular water supply from the city. That sits in a big tank and is turned over periodically too. If you get city water, it probably has a small amount of chlorine anyway. Start the season with a clean tank and drink it!

 

[Jack F]

Does any one use an inline water filter attached to your hose when filling you tank from the dock?

 

[Four Suns]

But having enough bottled water aboard for four people for three or four days in the summer is ridiculous- the stowage space alone for twenty gallon jugs of water is absurd.

Try doing it for 6 people for a month....

 

[fc3]

I pretty much agree with y'all who say that there should be no problem drinking the water from the water storage tank, but the water from the taps is only as good as what goes into the tank. And what goes into the tank on Just Ducky takes yucky. The municipal water system at the marina supplies water that tastes terrible, On the other hand, the water we get from our taps at home is deep artesian well water that tastes better than all of the bottled brands, so we bring water from home. Tastes better and it's not too inconvenient.

Best regards,
Frank C