We float on it so why don't we drink it?

[Gary Peacock]

And for the next silly idea what do you think of this:-

 

I spotted this idea on another forum, dismissed it then thought about it again!

 

In the sea going marine world it is not uncommon to have desalination units on relatively small boats.

But I have never come across anybody on the inland waterways using river or canal water for anything other than washing the boat.

A few years back in the Army I used to teach water supply and some of the kit we had would turn even the most disgusting stuff into potable water.

The sophistication required to filter the stuff we float on into water suitable for washing etc would not be too complex, while the technology to go all the way and produce drinking water does also exist all be at a price.

 

If the kit was available to do this would you use it?

 

 

Gary

[Richard Bustens]

Not to drink but maybe for washing in etc, but the main thing would be how long it took to replace when used and the amount of power to do that.

[Alastair]

I asked CAT about this. The reply was that inland waters (rivers, canals, etc) tend to carry a lot of fine silt and organisms. These block up water filter systems very quickly.

 

The sort of filters the army, backpackers use will only do a little water before needing a new filter. I use about 400l per week, even when being frugal. That's a lot of ceramic filters.

 

I've wondered about distillation watermakers. Think they'd use a lot of energy compared to motoring to a hosepipe once a week.

[Gary Peacock]

Well if we were at the least just going to use it for toilet flushing we could put a scoop pipe in behind the prop and that could fill a holding tank for free.

Reverse osmosis filtration used to supply potable water usually involves pressurisation but it might be possible to use a fairly standard boat water supply system for that, many other systems are gravity fed.

So the energy requirements would probably not be that great.

 

Gary

[gringogordo]

Someone described having a system like this demo'd to him so I think there is a system out there. Apparantly in the demo very unpleasant looking canal water was filtered into drinking water. Although as this is 'a mate of a mate saw...' type info I can't tell you what its called or who is selling it. Personally I would avoid it unless it was very cheep and largescale as free clean water is readily available ...

[Alastair]

Reverse osmosis uses filters - which would clog.

 

I use river water pumped directly for toilet. It is smelly - just the nature of the water (bit like pond water).

 

The water supply is critical on small yachts - they can often only carry a couple hundred ltrs, not much for a month's voyage.

[Gary Peacock]

The kit I used to use could do very large volumes and wasn't that huge, the systems contained pre filtering to catch silt and organics etc this extended the life of the more expensive and complex filters. When the pre filters began to clog and through put began to drop we simply back flushed the system from the holding tank to clean the system.

 

Gary

[Gary Peacock]

Yes I suppose considering the availability and costs of clean water, this is probably better filed under "seemed like a good idea at the time!"

 

Gary

[bottle]

Yes I suppose considering the availability and costs of clean water, this is probably better filed under "seemed like a good idea at the time!"

 

Gary

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gary

Don't be so down hearted I just popped off to Google put in "water filtration" u.k. search only and it found 28,800 pages. a very quick perusal showed that most were for filtering tap water but there were systems for "dirty" water. I suspect there is a unit out there but at what cost?

[dor]

Went on a nile cruise a few years ago and they used the river water for everything, including drinking water. The boat manager was very proud of his system Not sure what the filtration system was, but they did use UV for the finishing touch.

 

If you can make nile water drinkable, I would think our canals would be no challenge,,especially as our Cheshire water comes out of the Llangollen.

[John Orentas]

The members of this forum deserve some sort of recognition for creating problem and then setting about finding a solution.

 

I have a better idea, why don't we campaign to get BW to set up water points on the canal-side here and there, we can then connect a hose pipe to the tap and fill water storage tanks that can be built into our boats. I think the idea might catch on.

[Amicus]

Yesbutt where's the fun in that

[Big COL]

The members of this forum deserve some sort of recognition for creating problem and then setting about finding a solution.

 

I have a better idea, why don't we campaign to get BW to set up water points on the canal-side here and there, we can then connect a hose pipe to the tap and fill water storage tanks that can be built into our boats.  I think the idea might catch on.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

John

 

I think you will approve of this system of water purification, only it will drive C/E wild with duty evasion. Our ancestors taught us how to purify water even the most stagnant pond water could be purified by this method. Fermentation, turn stagnant water into wine and beer, the fermentation process kills all the nasty bacteria, leaving you with gallons of beer and wine to drink. Just think all those little floating breweries on the canal, the C/E would go ape, but there would be a lot of very happy, carefree boaters.

I think that this system has distinct possibilities, definitely preferable to reverse osmosis, I am sure a lot of boaters on this forum will approve.

Edited February 10, 2005 by Big COL

[John Orentas]

Colin.

 

Sounds like a good scheme to me, if it was good enough for the peasants in the middle ages it should be good enough for us.

 

I don't think we should take this reverting back thing to far however, I for one would not want to lose twentieth century anaesthetics and antibiotics

[James York]

A reverse osmosis system is a possibilty. It would indeed clog but most have a pre filter to remove large particles which can be cleaned out. We have an RO unit under the kitchen sink and you would be surprised at the amount of muck comes out of tap water.

[Big COL]

Colin.

 

Sounds like a good scheme to me, if it was good enough for the peasants in the middle ages it should be good enough for us.

 

I don't think we should take this reverting back thing to far however, I for one would not want to lose twentieth century anaesthetics and antibiotics

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

John

 

Topped up with all that wine and ale, what need is there for anaesthetics and antibiotics. Would you care.

[tobytimothy]

Interesting...... Could this mean a moving narrowboat with its own micro-brewery on board???

[DHutch]

I think there is mileage in a filter system, not to go as far as drinking, becuase, like people have sayed the cost and avalbility of drinking water is perventative.

 

- but like Gary said it would be relaively easy to clean the water up well enought for washing, which uses a LOT more water than drinking (ie about 90%)

 

- at our forest in devon we have no running water, and get water from the (tiny) little stream the runs down the hill near where we camp. it is a simple 40L settlement/buffer tank from which we have a hose to the "campsite" we would never drink the water, but its very usefull to have an "unlimited" supply of washing water. Makes a massive diffrence!

 

daniel

[Martin]

There was a stand at Crick - must have been five years ago - on which there was a demonsteration (homage to Fred D there!) of a simple filtration system.

They were extracting water from the GU and offering it filtered to drink.

Where are these guys now?

Are they still alive?

[onionbargee]

Gary has some hot ideas,

 

Now, if you were on a mooring and didn't like trips to the tap, a filtering system would keep your tank topped up automatically, after all the water company get their raw water from the cut, once its filtered, and de-bacteria'd it's clean, end of story. ( no puritabs gary, please)

 

If you are on the move , and passing 2/3 taps a day, it would be a waste of time,

[Gary Peacock]

Gary has some hot ideas,

 

Now, if you were on a mooring and didn't like trips to the tap, a filtering system would keep your tank topped up automatically, after all the water company get their raw water from the cut, once its filtered, and de-bacteria'd it's clean, end of story. ( no puritabs gary, please)

 

If you are on the move , and passing 2/3 taps a day, it would be a waste of time,

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Puritabs what memories! Your own personal supply of public swimming pool water in your water bottle. Mixed with orange screech it refreshed parts other drinks definitely didn't reach.

[AJLintern]

I'd have thought using the waste heat from the engine (while cruising) to produce steam, which could then be condensed to form pure water would be by far the easiest method...

[DHutch]

Its a deffnate possibility, as you say, you could use the waste heat of the exhast to get a large amount of the required heat into the water.

- And then the canal to condence it back again. (like we do on our boat)

 

 

Daniel

[fender.]

Here's a better suggestion - recycle your bodily waste - purifed into water just like they do in space. At least you'd know where it'd come from! heh heh

[AJLintern]

At least you'd know where it'd come from! heh heh 

30522[/snapback]

Yes, that's the problem!