Filtering water for drinking

[Eastside3]

I was considering getting a dockside filter when filling the freshwater tank on my new 29. I want drinkable water from the tap. Then I thought about post winterization, after flushing out the antifreeze, just what good is having a filter on the front end without something at the tap. Has anyone installed a filter at the faucet? I’m wondering what’s the best way to have fresh drinkable water without concerns or bad taste. A dockside filter and a Brita pitcher?

 

[Bruce Moore]

We use a whole house filter immediately down stream of the water pump. Works great. Several inexpensive models are available. This is the one we've installed. We also use a pre-tank filter when we take on water at the dock.

Cheers,

Bruce

 

[BB marine]

Ditto to Bruce’s install,and filtering method. Water has always been tasteless and odorless. Filter also helps with water pulsation from the pump. I purchased everything needed for the install at Menards.

 

[baz]

I use bottled water for water drinking. I boil the boat's fresh water for tea, coffee and food making.

 

[BradOwens]

We also use an installed filter downstream from the water pump. That way we have filtered water from every faucet and the shower heads.
Using bottled water will extend the number of days you can stay out without refilling the tank if you have space to store the bottles.

 

[scross]

We have been drinking out of the fresh water system for five years now without any issues. No bad taste or smell to our fresh water. The fresh water tank is drained to empty after each cruise, we triple fill/drain with fresh water after winterizing and that’s it. On a cruise it gets all new water every 3-4 days. No problems here!

 

[1Harrison]

We do not use the boat fresh water for anything but showers and dishes. Once the system has been winterized we never seem to get the bad taste out. Also, if you go north to the Broughtons and beyond it is almost impossible to get clean water. Our solution was a survival water filter. It produces clear drinking water from any fresh water source. It is also what you will want when "The Big One" hits. https://mypatriotsupply.com/products/al ... af17&_ss=r

 

[Red Raven]

We also drink the water from the boat unfiltered and have been doing so for 4 years. Not a problem and tastes great. During the first year we had problems with a bad taste but after cleaning the input screen on the pump really well the taste went away. We do not winterize so that likely makes a big difference.

Also, we traveled to SE Alaska this year and had no problems with tainted water anywhere along the trip.

Curt

 

[fishheadbarandgrill]

For those that use a whole boat filter system, how does the filter affect your water pressure?

 

[BB marine]

I noticed no difference in water pressure and less pulsation.

 

[1Harrison]

Curt,

If you went north of Campbell River and did not experience tainted water you have been very lucky. We have been to the Broughtons the last three seasons and have always had a problem finding clear water. Also, upon return it is a good idea to shock your system with bleach then white vinegar or a month or two down the line you will find your system has developed a strange smell.

 

[Red Raven]

Curt,

If you went north of Campbell River and did not experience tainted water you have been very lucky. We have been to the Broughtons the last three seasons and have always had a problem finding clear water. Also, upon return it is a good idea to shock your system with bleach then white vinegar or a month or two down the line you will find your system has developed a strange smell.

Hi John,

In the Broughtons we always fill up at Lagoon Cove and haven’t noticed any taint. I know the water is brown at Echo Bay and nearby areas so we don’t fill up there. North of that we had no problems. Yes, we add a cap full of Clorox if the water is suspect. On or trip we went through the tank every 4-5 days so we got a fresh supply fairly often.

Curt

 

[Wildcats]

We use a General Ecology Dockside Prefilter to filter all of our water coming into our water tank. Although I generally don't worry about major marinas having problems with their potable water we still filter all of it. The General Ecology Dockside filter takes out particulate matter (sand,dust, rust) down to 1 micron. It doesn't filter out viruses, bacteria, Cryptosporidium or Giardia (these are smaller than 1 micron).

Like Curt, we add bleach to our water after filling our tank. We do this even for potable water from reputable marinas. We drink the water from the tap and use it for our galley and head sinks as well as the head. We purchased the General Ecology Prefilter from Defender Marine in Connecticut. Link: https://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|51|2234214|2243564&id=6754

PS Curt, we would like a copy of your and Tracy's itinerary to Alaska! Hope to see you at the Rendezvous.

 

[Cutwater28GG]

doesnt filtering all water coming into the tank remove the clorine which is helping to control water quality. so effectively you are risking the fresh water going bad faster in the tank? Hence why using a filter just before use is the better solution?

 

[baz]

Installing a 'fresh water making system' is maybe another solution? If you're running solo and on a long cruise this has to be the 'way to go' surely!

 

[Wildcats]

Gavin:

You're right. Removing chlorine does seem contradictory. That was one of the reasons I stopped using standard RV type filters which basically (from what I can tell) have activated charcoal in them while not doing much filtration. I also noticed that I would get charcoal particles in the water coming out of the filter. I thought straight filtration would be a better option for us so that is the reason we do the General Ecology filter and add bleach back in.

I became convinced that this was best for us after reading this article (link: https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/Decontaminating-a-Tainted-Water-Tank-11717-1.html) and seeing the debris and algae from a "potable water" source. If you always get your water from a municipal marina that you know to be safe that may be a good option. Having seen many marinas in the Pacific Northwest that say their water is "ok" but not from a municipal source we decided to go the route we chose. There are obviously many ways to approach this problem!