Page 40: of Marine News Magazine (January 2020)

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WATER USAGE to a long-term reduction in water consumption. a water audit in a building would apply to a small vessel. For

If all goes well and the audit does uncover areas where instance, leaks can be a big problem. This is because the high water consumption can be reduced, this can prove to be a humidity can cause metal ? ttings to rust and weaken, result- signi? cant cost saving for the facility. Further, we should ing in leakage. This is also true in tanks where water is stored. add there can be energy savings as well because it takes A “plumbing map” will also prove helpful in a small ves- electricity to deliver water to and from a facility. sel water audit. Once again, knowing where all pipes, ? x- tures, water-delivering, and water removal outlets are locat- ed helps ensure the examination is conducted thoroughly.

How About at Sea?

When it comes to leakage, some of the items that

Realizing these possibilities, the question should be asked should speci? cally be checked on a small vessel include if maritime operators can also bene? t by conducting a wa- ter audit on their vessels. And if they could, how? To answer the following: • All water carrying piping materials, ? ttings, this question, let’s ? rst look at why smaller maritime vessels such as ferries or small cruise ship would want to conduct joints, and connections • Drinking water ? xtures a water audit. Among the reasons would be the following: • Water pumps • Water is heavy. One gallon of water weighs just • Air conditioning units over eight pounds. If a small vessel carries 500 gallons of water, that water would weigh more

Beyond leakage, we must look to see if the water is being than 4,000 pounds. This added weight means used in any areas of the vessel where it can be reduced or more fuel must be consumed by the boat for it is no longer necessary. We referenced this earlier and it is to operate. If a water audit ? nds ways to reduce surprisingly common to ? nd this happening in industrial this amount, less fuel will be necessary.* facilities. It may also be true on larger, older vessels. • Fuel cost savings. Less fuel means expenditures

We should also note that evaporation can also play a for fuel will be reduced.

role in water waste. While this can vary due to the age of • Water cost savings. There is no “average” cost the vessel, humidity, air velocity, temperature, and other for water in the U.S. and most parts of the world. factors, it can and does happen. Taking steps to minimize On top of water charges, many localities will tack or eliminate evaporation helps ensure water is used for its on taxes and fees. Needless to say, if the vessel intended purposes and not lost to vapor. does not need to purchase as much water, cost savings will materialize.

• Blackwater Pumping Costs. Blackwater usually

Water E? ciency refers to the collection of solid waste, which is We mentioned water ef? ciency earlier and indicated that pumped and collected into blackwater tanks. this refers to long-term water reduction. Some of the steps Less water used means less pumping when in that buildings take to ensure water ef? ciency can prove harbor, the cost of which have steadily risen valuable to small vessels as well. For instance, HVAC sys- over the years. tems are invariably checked. Most older systems allow too • Sustainability. The entire cruise ship and shipping much water to evaporate in the cooling process. The same industry are looking for ways to become a much can be true of HVAC systems on ferries and smaller vessels.

more sustainability focused. Reducing the Further, the kitchen and bathroom ? xtures should all amount of water necessary for operation, along be examined. If faucets or showers are older or appear to with the amount of fuel needed for operation, be using large amounts of water, they do not need to be addresses two key sustainability goals of the replaced. Very inexpensive aerators installed in faucets and entire industry. shower heads can reduce water consumption by as much • Storage. Space is invariably at a premium on as 50%. Further, this can also reduce energy costs signi? - most smaller vessels. If less water is necessary, cantly because less water is needed for heating.

space can be freed up for other purposes. Toilets and urinals should also be checked. Smaller ships typically have both vacuum and gravity systems, using either fresh- or salt- water to remove waste. Because the

Conducting an Onboard Water Audit

Many of the same steps mentioned earlier that are part of vacuum on a vacuum system does all the work at remov-

January 2020 40 MN