Potable water on board requires more than sufficient storage capacity: its microbiological quality must also be maintained. Micro-organisms can develop in tanks and pipework, while longer voyages or emergency situations may create an additional need to produce drinking water from seawater. This category therefore includes both chemical drinking-water disinfectants and manually operated seawater desalination units for emergency and survival equipment.
TOPLICHT supplies liquid water disinfectants based on sodium hypochlorite. They are added when filling a freshwater tank or used to treat water already in storage and are intended to control micro-organisms. Dosage, contact time and national approval vary between products, so the relevant instructions for use and safety information must be observed. Larger containers are also available for commercial applications.
Manual seawater desalination units work by a different process: reverse osmosis. Seawater is forced through a membrane under high pressure, separating dissolved salts and other constituents from the resulting fresh water. These compact units require no electrical supply and are intended particularly for lifeboats, liferafts and individual emergency equipment. Selected versions carry MED approval.
