Drinking Water from Watermakers

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by speciald@ocens.

I am a doctor and have played one on TV. Rain is not dirt free. Each drop condenses on "dust". Most Caribbean islands are fresh water deficient and use reverse osmosis to provide their population drinking water. Even some American municipalities have similar plants. There is no floride in ro water - a minus, and no chlorine - a plus. Trace minerals may be missing - like magnesium but diet will provide adequate amounts.

I've collected rain water aboard a couple boats I've owned. There is definitely dust in the water. But it does settle to the bottom. A good reason to have inspection ports on the water tanks.

It is great for washing/cleaning but I don't drink it. I stored a gallon in a sterilized glass bottle for over a year just for GP. It stayed clear but did have the sediment at the bottom.

I also lived in Alaska for a while and use to drink the melted glacier water from springs. It seems I could never get enough. I could feel my stomach getting full but it felt thin, like there was nothing going down my throat. Also if it were frozen into ice cubes it would crack & pop if you put it in a glass of liquid. Strange stuff!

All in all, I'm not sure what to believe! The medical/science industry tells us one thing, and a few years later has to upgrade their opinion.

Some people even melt snow for drinking water w/o ill effects. And I know other cruisers that drink their RO water w/o problems. So I think it comes down to each individual. I'll be getting a WM soon and will probably be drinking it, since the water in the S. Pac. is not known for it's quality. One just has to pull the water from clean clear sources (outside of the ports).

If you're not feeling good with your diet, then change. That's worked for me. Like my older brother of 81 years always says " If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself!"

[Alecadi]

Originally Posted by escapeyachting

Most of the rest of the replies seem to have missed the point and don't understand the chemical and biological processes involved or, worse, revert to sarcasm or crude humour about beer... .

This forum is VERY helpful. Each time I wanted explanations or advices I found them here. I had answers on Batteries, on generator, on routes etc... a very BIG help Even today on a question on AIS...

BUT WHO SAYS THAT WE CANNOT HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR HERE?

Sailors are renown to have a good laugh whenever they can...

Relax and cheer up

[Sonosailor]

Groundwater, surface water, lake water, glacial water, RO water, distilled water: If it meets WHO or local drinking water guidelines, the minerals are measured in milligrams per litre, micrograms per litre, or parts per million or parts per billion. All in all, there's nothing significant there to be missed by the human body in comparison to solid food, and especially in comparison to a proper diet. We drink it for the molecule H2O.

To the doctor who said a lack of chlorine is good, I think he should stick to doctoring. Chlorinated water causes maybe one treatable problem in 100,000 people who drink it from birth to age 70 (worst case, and not exactly proven), while there are so many microbes out there that are not tolerant of chlorine that can kill all 100,000 people over the next weekend (regularly proven).

I'm a retired municipal engineer: Water was my "life's blood", while sewerage was my "bread and butter". ;-)

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by escapeyachting

At last, a useful reply from the doctor and from capn_bill - thank you! Most of the rest of the replies seem to have missed the point and don't understand the chemical and biological processes involved or, worse, revert to sarcasm or crude humour about beer... I thought this forum was intended to be helpful. Obviously not.

So, the conclusion is that RO water is not perfect and needs to be supplemented by minerals/vitamins - just as we thought! We have the best watermaker on the market on board - and a back up - so we will manage our water and our health appropriately. Thank you.

Guilty, sorry.

Welcome to the forum.

You seem to pick what you want for the answers (very common) by thanking the doctor and capn_bill. But most of the answers do not support what you want, i.e. needing a supplement. Most say it simply (in more words) - no supplement needed.

Anyone can die from drinking too much of any kind of water.............or beer.

CHEERS.

[gixerjen]

Originally Posted by hummingway

Beer is a wonderful thing but ... ~ ... Any beer is a diuretic and is going to carry your electrolytes away so whereas one might help more isn't necessarily better, at least in that respect.

kill joy

Originally Posted by delmarrey

Some people even melt snow for drinking water w/o ill effects.

mountaineers / climbers do it regularly. . . admittedly not for months at a time, but I don't believe it does them any harm.

Originally Posted by Alecadi

This forum is VERY helpful.
........

BUT WHO SAYS THAT WE CANNOT HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR HERE?

Sailors are renown to have a good laugh whenever they can...

Relax and cheer up

yay! even my obvious beginner questions have been well tolerated tis a good forum this! :thumbs:

[Albro359]

I make my own beer on the boat using water from my watermaker..which is TDS 300-700 usually....

So am I going to die from drinking beer made from RO water ?....I don't think so...

The paranoia I see associated with all this "will it do me harm" is unbelievebable....geeze just use common sense, be sensible, have a varied diet, have a beer or 3, lighten up and enjoy it..

And as for the TV doctor's advice.....I would get another opinion...maybe several....but from people that KNOW about water...an don't bother with mineral and vitamin supplements, they are a waste of money.

[Tellie]

I hate to attempt humor if it's going to offend a new member. So for a moment of seriousness. I'm not a doctor or a chemical engineer, but I'm willing to bet I've drank more water from more boat installed watermakers than anyone here. Over the years I'll guess it's been from hundreds if not thousands of watermakers, from Spectras, Village Marine, HRO, Katadyn, PUR, Sea Recovery, Schenkers, FCIs, dozens of home built units etc. Most all of them in many different states of operation and repair. Many operating at docks, Marinas and various repair facilities whose water is more than questionable. I've persnally owned half a dozen watermakers on my last two boats and the current boat I'm on now. I drink it, my wife drinks it, my daughter drinks it, my dog drinks it, every guest that has been aboard has drank it. I've given thousands of gallons of RO water away to fellow cruisers for years. So far not one has had any problems. I've never had any water borne or watermaker related illness, ever. I personally know many of the people in the boat watermaker business. We socialize and talk shop. There's no hush hush conversations we can't let the end users know. There's no secret understanding between us that we're selling RO equipment that might be harmfull to our customers. The military uses the same technology as well. Again I'm no doctor, chemical engineer or biologist. But I work in the enviroment where watermakers are used by cruisers, not in a lab. Are watermakers perfect? Nope, not by a long shot. If you're worried about what your not getting in RO water add this to your list as well... Algae, aluminum, ammonium, ameobic-cysts, arsenic, asbestos, bacteria, barium, benzene, bicarbonate, boron, bisphenol-a (BPA), cadmium, chloramines, chloride, chlorine, chloroform, chromate, chromium, coal sludge, coliform bacteria, copper, cryptosporidium, cyanide, E.coli, fecal bacteria, fluoride, formaldehyde, fungi, giardia, heavy metals, hepatitus virus, herbicides, hydrochloric acid, influenza virus, inorganic minerals, iron, lead, lindane, manganese, mercury, methane, microbes, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), mold spores, nickel, nitrate, parasites, polio virus, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), Tetrachloroethylene (PERC), perflurorchemicals (PFCs), pesticides, phosphate, pharmaceutical drugs, protozoa, radioactivity, radium, rust, salmonella typhi, salmonella typhosa sediment, selenium, shigella, silver, simazine, sludge, sodium, sodium cyanide, strontium, sulfate, sulphur, total dissolved solids (TDS), toxaphene, trihalomethanes (THM), turbidity, vibrio cholerae, viruses, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), yeasts,

..and many more which can be found in the hose water from the dock.

Nope just haven't found any real reason to be concerned about leaching, well,.. there was this one lady...Old Woman on the Beach



Old Woman on the Beach

[nwdiver]

Ahh....... all the big water front resorts in the world use RO and/or distilled water..... several Gulf Nations only use RO water, I don’t think you have anything to worry about on your boat, as said before add an electrolyte packet every once in awhile to refresh your salt content should you need to.

[Sonosailor]

Tellie: You left out tobacco smoke. Apparently RO can hold back every one of those big ugly molecules in tobacco smoke.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by nwdiver

Ahh....... all the big water front resorts in the world use RO and/or distilled water..... several Gulf Nations only use RO water, I don’t think you have anything to worry about on your boat, as said before add an electrolyte packet every once in awhile to refresh your salt content should you need to.

I prefer potato chips or Doritos with my Spectra water.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I hate to attempt humor if it's going to offend a new member. So for a moment of seriousness. I'm not a doctor or a chemical engineer, but I'm willing to bet I've drank more water from more boat installed watermakers than anyone here. Over the years I'll guess it's been from hundreds if not thousands of watermakers, from Spectras, Village Marine, HRO, Katadyn, PUR, Sea Recovery, Schenkers, FCIs, dozens of home built units etc. Most all of them in many different states of operation and repair. Many operating at docks, Marinas and various repair facilities whose water is more than questionable. I've persnally owned half a dozen watermakers on my last two boats and the current boat I'm on now. I drink it, my wife drinks it, my daughter drinks it, my dog drinks it, every guest that has been aboard has drank it. I've given thousands of gallons of RO water away to fellow cruisers for years. So far not one has had any problems. I've never had any water borne or watermaker related illness, ever. I personally know many of the people in the boat watermaker business. We socialize and talk shop. There's no hush hush conversations we can't let the end users know. There's no secret understanding between us that we're selling RO equipment that might be harmfull to our customers. The military uses the same technology as well. Again I'm no doctor, chemical engineer or biologist. But I work in the enviroment where watermakers are used by cruisers, not in a lab. Are watermakers perfect? Nope, not by a long shot. If you're worried about what your not getting in RO water add this to your list as well... Algae, aluminum, ammonium, ameobic-cysts, arsenic, asbestos, bacteria, barium, benzene, bicarbonate, boron, bisphenol-a (BPA), cadmium, chloramines, chloride, chlorine, chloroform, chromate, chromium, coal sludge, coliform bacteria, copper, cryptosporidium, cyanide, E.coli, fecal bacteria, fluoride, formaldehyde, fungi, giardia, heavy metals, hepatitus virus, herbicides, hydrochloric acid, influenza virus, inorganic minerals, iron, lead, lindane, manganese, mercury, methane, microbes, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), mold spores, nickel, nitrate, parasites, polio virus, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB), Tetrachloroethylene (PERC), perflurorchemicals (PFCs), pesticides, phosphate, pharmaceutical drugs, protozoa, radioactivity, radium, rust, salmonella typhi, salmonella typhosa sediment, selenium, shigella, silver, simazine, sludge, sodium, sodium cyanide, strontium, sulfate, sulphur, total dissolved solids (TDS), toxaphene, trihalomethanes (THM), turbidity, vibrio cholerae, viruses, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), yeasts,

..and many more which can be found in the hose water from the dock.

OK I'm buying one right now.

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by Albro359

I make my own beer on the boat using water from my watermaker..which is TDS 300-700 usually....

So am I going to die from drinking beer made from RO water ?....I don't think so...

The paranoia I see associated with all this "will it do me harm" is unbelievebable....geeze just use common sense, be sensible, have a varied diet, have a beer or 3, lighten up and enjoy it..

And as for the TV doctor's advice.....I would get another opinion...maybe several....but from people that KNOW about water...an don't bother with mineral and vitamin supplements, they are a waste of money.

How do you feed the yeast?

It is my understanding that while grain malts contain many of the nutrients yeast requires, brewing from refined malt will get better results from a "yeast nutrient additive", that contains yeast husks, and minerals.

When brewing from distilled water, suppliments will shorten brewing time, and improve flavor.