Potable Water on a Boat – How do you know if it’s safe to drink?

Do we have potable water on our boat?

Our Bayliner Ciera 3055 comes with a 35 gallon water tank. Every boater we have talked to uses the water in their holding tank for everything from washing hands to drinking.

I admit, I’m a bit of a water snob and I can only drink bottled or filtered water.  When we bought our boat, it had sat on the hard for over two years. This told me that the water in the tank had to have gotten stagnant. However, it never had an odor and was crystal clear. Perhaps it was bone dry?

When Scott and I took possession of the boat, our broker Eddie was cleaning it up and had filled up the water tank.

Friends of ours recommended that we add a tablespoon of bleach to the water tank each time we fill it up. In order to do that, we need to put bleach in a water bottle and then tip it down into the tank.  Since the side of the boat is at an angle, this is more difficult than you realize.

We fill up our water tank using a special micro-bacterial hose Teknor Apex Zero-G Hose . We also make sure that the opening of the hoses never touch the dock and when we are done, we connect to the two ends together to keep organisms out.  Be sure to drain your hose completely before storing.

When you are filling up your water tank at the fuel dock, those are typically just garden hoses.  With that said, if we fill the water tank using the dock’s garden hoses, then I never put the hose directly into the tank because they are just laying on the dock. I let the water run for about 15 seconds and I hold it about 1″ from the opening.

So back to the question – is the water potable?

We do use our water for:

• Washing dishes
• Brushing our teeth (yet I still use bottled water for that)
• Washing our hands and face
• Boiling water for pasta and veggies

But I don’t use the water for anything we would consume. What does that mean exactly? Well, for coffee I boil bottled water (it’s a mental thing).  When I rinse food like veggies and meat, again I only use bottled water.  I don’t mind using it for boiling pasta as all of the germs would be killed and we also aren’t drinking or eating that water.

Recently, we grilled up Salmon and Veggies and I rinsed them at home before we left.

So the answer is really up to you and your comfort level. Since we use our water regularly, the water in the tank stays fresh. Keep in mind, that some marinas (especially around the San Juan Islands) don’t have “good” water and many boaters will avoid filling their water tanks.  In addition, many boaters do not recommend using bleach as it can be very harsh.  We have only put in about 2 tbsp total all summer long.

Our recommendation is to see if your water is clear and odor free.  If it is, then you decide what you are comfortable with. If it is not, then see a boating specialist for recommendations.

Scott & Ally

 

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