What do you use your fresh water tank for?

[Baitrunner]

Because we don't get to use our boat every weekend I have a 5 litre can we fill with fresh water for making tea/coffee with.

The crew are not happy.

Although I have a tap that goes through a filter (and it is not an anti-bacterial filter) they want to use this. I don't think it is safe.

What do you do ?

We have bottled water for cold consumption but will it be safe to use the water from the tank for boiling? Or should I use an additive?

Comments please?

[JennyMorgan]

Gosh, water sits in a boat's tank all winter and you never hear of anyone dying from drinking it come the spring! Indeed how many yards flush out their water systems prior to the first let, or drain them at the end of the season?

 

Mark, re your last question, I would be happy to have a cuppa when you are in the area.

[Chelsea14Ian]

I may be wrong be if you use the many hose pipes along the river,boil it will be fine.However as you only have a 5 litre can I would replace with fresh on each trip.

 

Question do you not have an internal tank.We do and last weekend filled it about twice,our water goes through a filter.We use for tea coffee washing and washing up.

 

Hope that helps 

 

Ian

[JawsOrca]

I only drink from bottled water I don't trust hoses and filters. Washing up and brushing teeth etc is ok unfiltered but certainly not drinking unless boiled.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

We always use the tap water for washing, preparing veg, or boiling the kettle for tea. If we`re going to drink the water on its own, we ALWAYS use the filtered water, and have done this for years, and we`ve NEVER had any ill effects.

 

It`s worth remembering, if you`re clinical about everything, you will not build up an immunity system to cope with bacteria etc, so don`t be too keen to be to clean.

 

Anyway, it`s been proven many times that BOTTLED water can sometimes be no cleaner or safer than most tap water.

[dnks34]

We just drop a few aquatabs or whatever they are called into the water tank (full) each year and only use the water for teeth and washing, if its consumed its boiled first.

[Matt]

Drinks from the filter. Teeth etc straight from the tank. So far so good!

[JanetAnne]

Just remember that many boats water tanks are some of the first items to go in and then get built round/into the boats interior. They dont come out easily and so just might be the originals....

 

My original tanks came out last year, they were thick galvanised steel and had almost two inches of 'stuff' on the bottom inside. This was mostly rust and scale and probably, in reality, quite harmless to you humans but it was a real eye opener to my lot! They had been in since 1960. Some of the rust was pre decimal and most of the rest could be measured in feet and inches 

 

I will ask for a photo, they are still outside (mainly because they cant lift them)!

[MostlyAfloat]

Actually that's quite an interesting question, having been a plumber for 30 odd years, it always amazed me how people actually were oblivious to what sometimes fell into the storage tank in their lofts - pigeons, mice, squirrels, detritus from the roof, dust etc - because at some point they left the lid off the tank after having a nose round years before or it was never ever fitted with one - and I got a call that the water upstairs tasted "funny" ....

Nothing wrong per se with storage tank water, it's just what can inadvertently get into it and give it that subtle je ne se quoi, after all you bath in it, shower in it, brush your teeth with it and I've never heard of anyone dying or contracting any exotic illness in 30 odd years.

Personally I have a filtered street fed drinking tap as well in the bathroom sink mainly because I am just a fussy so and so...

Filling the fw tank on a boat is very similar I would imagine - grit, less than careful hirers dragging the business end across the grass - and the tanks almost being impossible to service or completely flush out at the end of a season (good idea methinks for a similar system like a power flush service as per central heating?).

Personally I wouldn't worry too much, boil it and it's fine, filter it and it's fine, your domestic supply at home goes through miles of sometimes Victorian pipe work that has been missed an upgrade over the years, I still visit houses that have lead pipework in it..... The owners were mad of course and tried to pay in milk bottle tops.. and I recently changed an old galvanised tank in an elderly ladies house that's capacity had been halved because of the sediment in the bottom and she was in her 90's....

No doubt when I get down the broads this year my daughters will use designer bottled water for the sproglings, because they have been brainwashed over the years buy ad campaigns to buy bottled water at 90p a bottle yet complain at the cost of petrol....

I only drink tea or "fermented" hic... water when away I shall no doubt live a few more years!

Ray

[Hockham Admiral]

We've drank water straight out of the tank for over 50 years and still live to tell the tale. In fact we still take a pint of the stuff to bed each night!    :naughty:

[ranworthbreeze]

We usually buy one of the 5 litre bottles of water for drinking and brushing teeth, we then refill this from the taps on the Broads  (direct from the tap not through the hose). We have done this since a few years ago when someone was over zealous with some tank cleaning solution, the taste of boiled Milton's in ones tea is not pleasant.

 

Regards

Alan 

[Hockham Admiral]

We usually buy one of the 5 litre bottles of water for drinking and brushing teeth, we then refill this from the taps on the Broads  (direct from the tap not through the hose). We have done this since a few years ago when someone was over zealous with some tank cleaning solution, the taste of boiled Milton's in ones tea is not pleasant.

 

Regards

Alan 

 

It's not as bad as the taste of boiled beer-line cleaner, Alan!!!  :shocked

[Hylander]

When we were on the boat we did as Alan above.        We had about 5 5ltr bottles on board that we filled direct from the tap at the Marina and used this for washing up, the kettle, boiling veg etc.        We also took 1 ltr bottles of Spring Water for drinking.   The tank water was for showing, washing etc.        At home we always use tap water for everything ,  yes we drink it as well.      

[RayandCarole]

Much the same as above

Bottled water drinking/ice

5 ltr bottle filled from marina tap (no hose) for kettle

Boat tank for everything else, filled using own hose, well flushed each time and tank dosed every so often with Milton tabs they use for baby bottles, cheaper than boaty stuff

Ray & Carole

[JennyMorgan]

Lead pipes, aluminium saucepans, dead rats in holding tanks, rampant inbreeding, what chances do the good folk of Norfolk have?!

[MostlyAfloat]

Lead pipes, aluminium saucepans, dead rats in holding tanks, rampant inbreeding, what chances do the good folk of Norfolk have?!

The end is nigh... Give me 6

[fishtone]

We always use bottled water for tea and coffee etc . As we live in a hard water area we always enjoy the luxury of bottled water on the boat.

[Polly]

Brilliant had a very defunct water system so we redesigned it. I ran new water grade hoses and bought two new tanks(aka containers). Brilliant doesn't boast showers so life aboard is more basic than on a stinky. I use a tank cleaner in spring, always fill them up from our own hose on the mooring and use a tap refilled 5l for drinking water, otherwise, tanks for cooking and teeth etc. .

[Bound2Please]

Bottled water for drinking, tank water for washing etc ..............

[BuffaloBill]

We always drank from the taps on hire boats without any problems but since

we have owned boats, I have fitted Aquafilters to them all. See below.

At the start of the season I flush the system a couple of times and then add

Aquatabs and change the filter. We've never had any problems by doing this

and the water always tastes nice straight out the tap. I might add that you may

notice the tap I fitted just before the pump as this makes the job so much

easier to change the filter or maintenance to the pump. The filter is fitted

after the pump as it needs the water to be forced through.

This means that all the taps and shower etc. get filtered water throughout

the boat.

[quo vadis]

For keeping fresh water in simples

[ExUserGone]

We have a polyurethane tank liner and a filter inline with a fountain tap for drinking, the filter is overdue changing by 2 years, we fill from the riverside hoses but let them run till cold before putting in the tank, in the tank is a mesh sock filled with impregnated ceramic beads that keep the water good and clear of nasties and use no tabs of any kind, see link for info. http://www.hovercraftconsultants.co.uk/products/asp/prodtype.asp?prodtype=61&ph=cat&keywords=&recor=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=&PT_MasterCategory=n

Still living to tell the tale (I think)

[Wussername]

You may find this somewhat alarming.

Years ago,on some hire boats, the toilet pump out outlet was on the same side as the water inlet fixture. On the same lenght of decking.

On some craft the toilet outlet was near to the bow of the boat. The water inlet towards the stern. In some cases the former was slightly higher than the latter.

Thus any spillage from the toilet pump out procedure, which sometimes was inevitable, would be hosed away, in the direction of the water inlet. It was not unusual for the pump out to be completed before the water tank was full.

Looking at the present day hire fleets this does not seem to present a problem as fittings seem to be on different sides of the boat or so placed to avoid contamination.

[Viking23]

We have a plastimo flexible tank, they last maybe 7 years before they leak, so if you routinely change them say every 6 years and then look at the inner liner, then you would do as we do...

Only use the water for showering, cleaning teeth, washing up etc.

We, like others, have 3 x 5 litre camping quality, water carriers that we refill direct from the tap but only after the main tank is full, so the tap water should be clean.

I also noticed at West Sommerton, the water tap had a notice... boil before use etc...

When I spoke to a local moorer, he said he'd been drinking it all his life...

Never had any problems, and neither have we... touch wood.

Cross contamination is a high risk, especially when fresh water taps are near to pump out points... there is no guarantee that the fresh water tap has not been used for flushing.

People are also careless when they return the fresh water hose, it often goes in the river, or dragged along the dirty deck or path, through gosh knows what, dogs also use the water tap post to relieve themselves...

The hoses themselves should be suitable for potable water, not all are, and most garden hoses are not.

So be aware of this, and take reasonable precautions, and use common sense.

Be aware that on hire boats, you will never know how they filled your tank on arrival.

Unless you fully drain the tank each season, there will always be a percentage of last seasons water in there... but as the season goes on, then this proportion gets less and less.

[Baitrunner]

Thanks for all the feedback.

No idea what to do now as there is a wide mixture of responses.

I might just keep drinking wine and beer while I make my mind up!!!

Thanks everyone.