Potable water testing under MLC 2006

摘要

For too long, conditions onboard for crew have been secondary to anything else. Numerous vessel inspections have revealed poor sanitation, infected water and cases of legionella from poor drinking water quality. Many crew members have resorted to buying bottled water at considerable expense to ensure clean, safe drinking water. The onus is now on the shipowner to ensure the supply of safe potable water onboard. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 78 requires shipowners to "physically check quality of water at random using different outlets" and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued guidelines that state "source water is monitored at the port to ensure that water is safe. The ship's master is responsible for operational monitoring: quality of source water: disinfectant residuals and pH (e.g., daily); microbial quality of treated water, particularly after maintenance or repairs.