On Sun, 03 Aug 2003 13:05:44 -0400, Glenn Ashmore
wrote:

Most boats can't afford 100 amp hours a day just to make 12 gallons of
water.

What I can't figure out is why someone hasn't created a dry exhaust
stack distiller! All the heat you'd ever need is just dumped up the
stack on many nice boats that COULD be making clean water whenever the
engine was running....


Sea water membranes will not pass bacteria but certain viruses and any
chemical with a lower osmotic pressure will get through so post
treatment (charcoal, UV etc) is recommended. Also, water being the
universal solvent, RO water is acetic. So post treatment with lime can
be useful to raise the PH back to normal.

They're not passing the large bacteria. What they're passing is the
released toxins when the bacteria on the pressure side of the membrane
break down. The toxins are SMALLER than the membrane's threshold, so
pass right on through. Most interesting.

I know someone who got sick drinking a very-well-maintained reverse
osmosis system from seawater. He's a stickler for correctness. I
gave him this information and he said it sounded like what he had.

Your mileage may vary, but this is not rocket science.

It's not the Holy Grail, though.


Larry W4CSC

"No, NO, Mr Spock! I said beam me down a WRENCH,
not a WENCH! KIRK OUT!"