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Drinking water on the Dawn

craigers

By craigers,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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Sauer-kraut

Sauer-kraut

Posted
Posted (edited)

chengkp75

Blue Ribbon Cruiser

 

I was reading John Heald's post about Carnival selling bottled water by the case, and I read that some people drink the ship's water from the tap. I just wanted you to see the water that came out of our tap a couple weeks ago on the Imagination.

 

I was told by several staff that it was no problem because it was "just sediment".

 

Drink up!

 

QUOTE]

 

Okay, here we go again, I will try to address everyone's concerns, in order, in one post, so bear with me.

 

The yellowish discoloration in the photo is caused by chlorine scale. Most ships do not use metallic piping for drinking water, they use plastic pipes. The residual chlorine that is required to be in the water tends to form a scale layer on the inside of the plastic pipes. When a section of the piping is shut off for repairs, this scale will dry out and fall off the pipe walls. It will then circulate around the ship, and will tend to settle out in the dead end branches at each cabin. When you turn on the tap, the water with the sediment will come out first, but if you let it run, it will clear up.

 

MMastell - there is very little "stuff" to build up in the pipes, other than the above mentioned chlorine scale, since most of the water has very little "hardness" or minerals in it, unlike your pipes at home. The taste you mention is the residual chlorine, and it will be everywhere around the ship, with the exception of ice makers, bar and soda guns, and the water dispensers in the dining venues or galleys, because this equipment has a charcoal filter to remove the chlorine, not for your taste, but because the chlorine scale causes maintenance problems with the machinery.

 

limoguy - the tanks must be maintained to USPH standards, using special epoxy coatings that are specifically made for potable water tanks. USPH also has requirements for periodic inspection of the tanks, to check on tank coatings, and how to repair coatings, and how to sanitize the tank after work is done before it goes back into service.

 

CruzinScotty - see above about why the water in those areas may taste different than your cabin.

 

Ncovert - the water everywhere on the ship is the same water. There are large main pipes that rise from the engine room, and then every deck has a "ring main" pipe that runs up one side the full length and then goes back down the other side the full length. Every location, whether galley, restaurant, or cabin, picks off of the ring main for that deck.

 

Beyond2k - depending on how close your cabin is to the main riser coming from the engine room, you may have more or less chlorine in the water, and hence the taste. The chlorine is required to be maintained at 0.5ppm at the farthest point from where it is injected in the engine room, typically the sensor and recorder are on the bridge, so since chlorine dissipates in water naturally, those areas closer to the engine room will have more than 0.5ppm chlorine, while those closer to the bridge will be at 0.5.

 

Orison - the reason the water in your cabin is never cold is that it is not buried in underground pipes like at home. Nor is it sitting stationary in the pipe waiting for you to turn on a tap like at home. The water is constantly being recirculated, to keep the chlorine level up, and the pipes run in the ceilings of the passageways, and in machinery spaces, so they never get cooled. Plus the pumping add heat to the water.

 

Okay, that takes care of the specific concerns. Now a little about ship's water. Some is made from sea water by distillers, that actually boil the water and what you get is distilled water. Some is made from sea water by reverse osmosis, which presses sea water through a porous membrane at very high pressure, and the pores are sized so only water molecules (or smaller) can pass. This gives water that is potable, but is not distilled. Some is taken on at the various ports. This water must be certified to meet WHO or USPH standards before it is taken on, and a sample is taken first for testing in the medical center for bacteria. This shore water must be segregated from the rest of the ship's water until the test is complete (18-24 hours) and it is negative for bacteria.

 

Okay, so now we have 3 sources of water. Before any of this water gets to the storage tanks, it must be chlorinated to 2ppm, continually. Then, because it sits in the tanks, the chlorine dissipates, and when the tank is pumped around the ship, additional chlorine is added to maintain the 0.5ppm. Your local water board probably chlorinates once at the source (lake, well, river), and that is it. USPH requires continual monitoring, and continual dosing to keep the water safe to drink.

 

USPH also requires that each water tank, and 4 random locations around the ship (not to include ice makers) are tested for bacteria. What local water board comes to your house every few months to test your water?

 

Cruise ship water is probably the safest water you can find, and that includes bottled water (does anyone remember the Perrier benzene problem?). Most bottled water is merely municipal water that is passed through a reverse osmosis machine. It may not always taste great (and water taste is one of the most subjective topics around), but it is always safe.

 

One last hint for those who don't like the taste of the water from the sink. Fill a pitcher or water bottle, leave it uncapped for an hour or so, and the chlorine will have dissipated and with it the taste.

Edited by Sauer-kraut
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fonekween

fonekween

Posted
Posted

We were on the Dawn over Labor Day & the water was excellent. We didn't bring bottled water on board nor did it occur to us to do so......we did, however, bring what appeared to be bottled water on board but it wasn't water in the bottles :)

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
chengkp75

Blue Ribbon Cruiser

 

I was reading John Heald's post about Carnival selling bottled water by the case, and I read that some people drink the ship's water from the tap. I just wanted you to see the water that came out of our tap a couple weeks ago on the Imagination.

 

I was told by several staff that it was no problem because it was "just sediment".

 

Drink up!

 

QUOTE]

 

Okay, here we go again, I will try to address everyone's concerns, in order, in one post, so bear with me.

 

The yellowish discoloration in the photo is caused by chlorine scale. Most ships do not use metallic piping for drinking water, they use plastic pipes. The residual chlorine that is required to be in the water tends to form a scale layer on the inside of the plastic pipes. When a section of the piping is shut off for repairs, this scale will dry out and fall off the pipe walls. It will then circulate around the ship, and will tend to settle out in the dead end branches at each cabin. When you turn on the tap, the water with the sediment will come out first, but if you let it run, it will clear up.

 

MMastell - there is very little "stuff" to build up in the pipes, other than the above mentioned chlorine scale, since most of the water has very little "hardness" or minerals in it, unlike your pipes at home. The taste you mention is the residual chlorine, and it will be everywhere around the ship, with the exception of ice makers, bar and soda guns, and the water dispensers in the dining venues or galleys, because this equipment has a charcoal filter to remove the chlorine, not for your taste, but because the chlorine scale causes maintenance problems with the machinery.

 

limoguy - the tanks must be maintained to USPH standards, using special epoxy coatings that are specifically made for potable water tanks. USPH also has requirements for periodic inspection of the tanks, to check on tank coatings, and how to repair coatings, and how to sanitize the tank after work is done before it goes back into service.

 

CruzinScotty - see above about why the water in those areas may taste different than your cabin.

 

Ncovert - the water everywhere on the ship is the same water. There are large main pipes that rise from the engine room, and then every deck has a "ring main" pipe that runs up one side the full length and then goes back down the other side the full length. Every location, whether galley, restaurant, or cabin, picks off of the ring main for that deck.

 

Beyond2k - depending on how close your cabin is to the main riser coming from the engine room, you may have more or less chlorine in the water, and hence the taste. The chlorine is required to be maintained at 0.5ppm at the farthest point from where it is injected in the engine room, typically the sensor and recorder are on the bridge, so since chlorine dissipates in water naturally, those areas closer to the engine room will have more than 0.5ppm chlorine, while those closer to the bridge will be at 0.5.

 

Orison - the reason the water in your cabin is never cold is that it is not buried in underground pipes like at home. Nor is it sitting stationary in the pipe waiting for you to turn on a tap like at home. The water is constantly being recirculated, to keep the chlorine level up, and the pipes run in the ceilings of the passageways, and in machinery spaces, so they never get cooled. Plus the pumping add heat to the water.

 

Okay, that takes care of the specific concerns. Now a little about ship's water. Some is made from sea water by distillers, that actually boil the water and what you get is distilled water. Some is made from sea water by reverse osmosis, which presses sea water through a porous membrane at very high pressure, and the pores are sized so only water molecules (or smaller) can pass. This gives water that is potable, but is not distilled. Some is taken on at the various ports. This water must be certified to meet WHO or USPH standards before it is taken on, and a sample is taken first for testing in the medical center for bacteria. This shore water must be segregated from the rest of the ship's water until the test is complete (18-24 hours) and it is negative for bacteria.

 

Okay, so now we have 3 sources of water. Before any of this water gets to the storage tanks, it must be chlorinated to 2ppm, continually. Then, because it sits in the tanks, the chlorine dissipates, and when the tank is pumped around the ship, additional chlorine is added to maintain the 0.5ppm. Your local water board probably chlorinates once at the source (lake, well, river), and that is it. USPH requires continual monitoring, and continual dosing to keep the water safe to drink.

 

USPH also requires that each water tank, and 4 random locations around the ship (not to include ice makers) are tested for bacteria. What local water board comes to your house every few months to test your water?

 

Cruise ship water is probably the safest water you can find, and that includes bottled water (does anyone remember the Perrier benzene problem?). Most bottled water is merely municipal water that is passed through a reverse osmosis machine. It may not always taste great (and water taste is one of the most subjective topics around), but it is always safe.

 

One last hint for those who don't like the taste of the water from the sink. Fill a pitcher or water bottle, leave it uncapped for an hour or so, and the chlorine will have dissipated and with it the taste.

 

Thanks;

 

I probably should copy this and save it on my laptop for reuse. I know some have asked that I request a "sticky" status for some of these kinds of posts about ship operations and sanitation.

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Trevor Fountain

Trevor Fountain

Posted
Posted
^ Good.

 

Because I had read somewhere that they recycle the toilet water for drinking water.

Not sure if it is still the case, but in the early days of space travel, NASA Astronauts recycled urine into Drinking Water. I believe this process played a major part in the development of Kidney Dialysis Machines (Reverse Osmosis).

The bottom line is, if the water is made "pure", it makes no difference where it comes from. If you thought about what, at some point, may have tainted your household water, you'd probably never drink it.

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triptolemus

triptolemus

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Posted
Not sure if it is still the case, but in the early days of space travel, NASA Astronauts recycled urine into Drinking Water. I believe this process played a major part in the development of Kidney Dialysis Machines (Reverse Osmosis).

The bottom line is, if the water is made "pure", it makes no difference where it comes from. If you thought about what, at some point, may have tainted your household water, you'd probably never drink it.

 

Guess you missed the dry humor.

 

No pun intended. ;)

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chengkp75

chengkp75

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^ Good.

 

Because I had read somewhere that they recycle the toilet water for drinking water.

 

You're not far off. Most ships use an "advanced waste water treatment plant" that creates effluent that is nearly as clean as most drinking water, and is tested for purity monthly by third party labs. Since recycling this to drinking water wouldn't be good PR, some ships do use this water in the engine room's "technical" water (fresh water for the machinery) or the pulper system (the centralized garbage disposal system).

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chengkp75

chengkp75

Posted
Posted
so does it matter if it's from the water from the soda fountain or faucet water from the cabin, they're all filtered?

 

That all depends on what you mean by "filtered". Many feel that the process of making fresh water from sea water by reveres osmosis is "filtering". There is a slight difference between the water at the drink dispensers, in the restaurants and bars, and that from your cabin faucet. That difference is that in the public spaces, the water is filtered through a charcoal filter right at the machine (drink dispenser, bar gun, ice maker) to remove the chlorine from the water to prevent chlorine scaling of the insides of the machines. This will affect the taste of the water between cabin and public, but not the safety of the water.

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AAAAmerican

AAAAmerican

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Posted

Dear craigers,

 

Many have shown opinion as well some facts here.

 

One area left out is the HIGH Sodium Content on all the Waters filtered etc...

 

So to bring your own bottled water may be the best way.

 

Also nobody I observed mentioned Europe here. They use the different types of water for many separate usages too.

 

 

 

A while back I read where the faucet water on NCL ships was filtered and of high quality,but I can't find that information now.I was wondering if someone had more recent informaion. Thanks Don
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chengkp75

chengkp75

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Again, much urban myth about water here.

 

While water produced from reverse osmosis units will have some sodium, the unit will shut down and recirculate whenever the salinity goes over 10ppm (WHO limits are 20ppm, and NYC water averages 6-10ppm). This water is diluted by mixing with the distilled water made by evaporators (which have less than 0.1ppm) and shore water (which must meet WHO at least).

 

Not sure what the reference to different water sources for different uses in Europe is about. If this is referenced to the ship, it is incorrect. There is sufficient miles of piping on the ship just circulating one water supply to everything onboard, they don't add piping and cost to have separate water systems.

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luddite

luddite

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Posted
A while back I read where the faucet water on NCL ships was filtered and of high quality,but I can't find that information now.I was wondering if someone had more recent informaion. Thanks Don

 

Uhhhh....

they have not switched to using bilge water.

You won't have a problem with the water on the ship.

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