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Need to purigy water?

1K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  SailNet Archive 
#1 ·
I''ve been wondering, if using a water maker, does the water still have to be purified/boiled, or does the watermaker also filter out any of the bad guys? Also, when filling water tanks at different places in the Carribean, does it need to be purified? Definitely want to keep Montezuma aff of the boat.
 
#2 ·
I''m not sure what size the membrane is in a water maker. To filter out virus'' you need to get down to 1/3 of a micron. Small bacteria is in the 3-8 micron size. When I used to design holding systems for aquatic animals used in research we would offer RO systems and they had no worry about bacteria and/or virus''. So I would assume an RO system gives you pretty pure water. All that passes the membrane is h2o molecules and some small ions.
 
#3 ·
RO membranes DO NOT afford complete protection of bacterial and viral passage..... only provide a reduction - especially in such an intermittant and poorly maintained RO system as found on a boat. If you for some reason you need to prevent bacterial growth into a storage tank, etc. you need to block the effluent bacteria from the RO with at least a 0,2µM absolute rated microfilter. Additionally if anyone onboard is vulnerable to endotoxin reactions (metabolites from old dead bacteria cells), then it is necessary to provide filter membranes approaching 0,02µM abs.
 
#4 ·
Have been different places in the Caribe. Roadtown, Tortola has excellent drinking water. They use reverse osmosis. St. Lucia is okay, you can drink it. Would not touch the water from St. Thomas, USVI!

On the other hand, if you are worried, with the AquaPur system I have drunk, cooked with, made coffee with, brushed teeth and showered with water from the Hudson River. Happened one year when we were delivering a boat down from the Erie Canal system late in the year (October). We got to Tarrytown Marina and the marina was closed. Refused to let us run a hose. The restaurant we ate at even refused to let us take a pitcher of water to the boat to fill up the coffeemaker! So, we hooked up the watermaker, and when the tank was full, did the test with the little tablets and it turned out to be even more pure than a cup of water I had gotten to go (for 2.00) from the restaurant!

In any case, the AquaPur watermakers do work wonderfully. This was one that was a portable model - you could link it to the water system or use it independently in a life raft. (If they can make the Hudson drinkable, what more could you ask?) And, from my experience in the BVI and the Grenadines, water is the least you need to worry about.

Best of luck,
MaryBeth
 
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