There was often a “discussion” about water at the morning Shipboard Management Team meeting.
It was usually the Mate, invariably backed up by the Old Man, asking whether it was OK for the deck crew to use freshwater in their ongoing battle against corrosion above decks.
At the time, water was simply another consumable that had to be managed. Drinking, cooking, accommodation and sanitary systems quite rightly took priority. Deck washing came further down the list.
What reverse osmosis changes
Modern Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology means seawater can be converted into high-quality water onboard, economically and with relatively low energy consumption.
Ships consume water for accommodation, cooking and drinking, but also for cleaning, machinery maintenance, deck washing and a whole range of technical applications.
Why water quality matters
This is where the quality of RO-produced water becomes particularly interesting.
A properly designed RO system removes the vast majority of dissolved salts, producing water with extremely low chloride levels.
