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(b) Shipping-
Ships not able to obtain water from the shore supplies indicated above, or ships lying at
buoys in the river, can obtain supplies from water barges. Shipping at the Isle of Grain and Tower
Wharf obtain their supplies from The Medway Water Board, Sheerness from the Sheerness Harbour
Estate and the Havens from The Essex Water Company.
2. Reports of tests for contamination.
The bacteriological examination of fresh water samples is carried out by St. Andrew's Hospital,
while the Public Health Laboratory at Maidstone examines samples from the Medway area.
There were seven reports of contamination in samples drawn from hydrants durinq the year
which were discovered as a result of routine sampling. In each case the supply of water to shipping
was withheld until a potable standard was achieved. There were two reports of contamination
in samples derived from standpipes and forty-five reports of contamination in samples drawn from
the ends of delivery hoses used to supply ships. The cause of the contamination of standpipes and
supply hoses, which was also discovered during the course of routine sampling, was investigated
as a matter of normal procedure.
Included in the figures were twelve suspicious/unsatisfactory samples from the water supply
at a jetty which supplies foreign going ships. The supply of water to ships was prohibited and a
new supply line is being installed. When the work is complete and satisfactory samples are
obtained the fresh water supply to ships will be resumed.
No ship was supplied with 'unfit' water but ten samples from water barges were found to be
unsatisfactory or suspicious.
There were nineteen reports of contamination in the distribution supplies on board ships.
These samples were drawn mainly from fresh water taps over galley and messroom sinks. The
source of supply to these taps is derived from "domestic fresh water storage" contained in double
bottoms and peak tanks. One sample of fresh water drawn directly from a storage tank was found to
be unfit for drinking. The possible sources of contamination in the cases of the domestic supply
were investigated. The most likely causes were considered to be the possible introduction of
contaminated water or the incorrect use of engineroom pumps used in the filling or topping up of
the fresh water gravity feed tanks or the transfer of fresh water for the purpose of adjusting the
stability of the trim of the ship. In each case the standard practice of cleaning followed by
chlorination of the tanks and supply lines was adopted.
Due regard is paid to the co-operation this Authority has received from other United Kingdom
and Continental Ports through the interchange of adverse fresh water sampling reports in respect
of those ships where some degree of contamination in the fresh water on board was discovered
subsequent to departure for another United Kingdom or Continental Port. This interchange of
information enables follow-up visits to be made by the Port Health Authorities concerned and
enables remedial measures to be taken before the ship sails.
84% of the samples were "satisfactory", "good" or "excellent" as shown in Table 2. The
number of "unfit", "unsatisfactory" and "suspicious" samples, however, indicates the importance
of continual checks on the fresh water supplies to shipping.
3. Precautions taken against contamination of hydrants and hosepipes.
The supply of fresh water from shore to ships
CODE OF PRACTICE
"Equipment
All components should be kept clean and maintained exclusively for this purpose.
Equipment should be kept in a properly appointed store and transported to and from the
watering point in a suitable and covered truck.
No equipment other than that especially provided for this purpose should be used for supplying
fresh water.
All hoses should be lined with rubber internally.
Every precaution should be taken to preserve the clean condition of the hose during the
watering operation.
Those components taken to the watering point and not required should be left in the truck.
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