Drinking water on board QE2

[Twynkle]

No because in the dining rooms, the ice came from the same place as the drinking water. In the cabins it was mechanically chilled.

Greetings to you, Rod!
The waiters were always ready to top up the water glasses with heavily chilled water, you couldn't taste the water - or the ice!...To the extent that sometimes it was bordering on getting in the way of the taste of the food!
Did you get well iced drinking water in the Wardie / Mess?

[Rod]

Only if we asked for it! But we had other ways of staving off dehydration!

[cunardqueen]

Throwback Topic....
Did we ? or didnt we ? Drink QE2s water .

Was there this trend 10 years ago for bottled water ? or did we all just happily fill a glass from QE2s taps ?

[Rob Lightbody]

Throwback Topic....
Did we ? or didnt we ? Drink QE2s water .

Was there this trend 10 years ago for bottled water ? or did we all just happily fill a glass from QE2s taps ?

I just drank it

[Chris Thompson]

During my time working onboard we used to find that the water would often cause upset stomachs after New York port calls. One of the engineers explained to me that the water tanks would be topped off in NY, although the water there is of very good quality USPH would insist on the addition of Chlorine for hygiene purposes.
Never had this problem leaving Southampton.......

[Thomas Hypher]

Throwback Topic....
Did we ? or didnt we ? Drink QE2s water .

Was there this trend 10 years ago for bottled water ? or did we all just happily fill a glass from QE2s taps ?

The only time I ever really drank the cabin tap water was when brushing my teeth. It wasn't the nicest water to drink for understandable reasons (such as the added chlorine) so we used the bottled water (which was expensive) when really needed but mostly drank the water in the restaurants which tasted better and was iced (although maybe it came from the same source as the cabin water but the placebo effect took hold of us ).

[Rod]

Water on the ship whether from ashore or made on board varied from day to day.
Yes, chlorine was added but not to higher doses than you would find in any other municipality around the world.
Water was not taken on in every port that could provide it because there might have been doubts that it was of suitable quality. Even though the locals drank it.
Occasionally the chlorine dosing equipment might "throw a wobbler" and overdose. Once that became known steps would be taken to correct and dilute the water. However, sometimes the water did taste of bleach.
The problem had a knock on effect because this is the same water that fed the 38 ice machines on board, all of the soda machines the 250 gallon soup cauldrons and some would even say the draught beer in the bars! Kidding, or am I?
Constant monitoring of the chlorine in the drinking water was required by both US and UK health authorities and printed graphs were kept for 2 years, I believe, as required.
Water quality differs in every city and town in the world from distances as little as 30 miles apart as I am sure you have all seen in your travels. This will depend on the source, spring, river, lake, reservoir, well...etc, etc but also by the way it is sanitized. Bleach, called chloros at sea UV light etc, etc.

[Chris Thompson]

Regarding water quality on ships in general, I remember a discussion with one of the Engineers on the Cunard Countess, he told me that in the old days the water tasted and smelled better because there was a Charcoal filter in the last stage of water treatment. Apparently USPH had banned the use of these due to possible germ growth in the charcoal......any thoughts from those in the know??
BTW, when I lived in central Florida my house was on a well system, I had what looked like a chemical works in the garage involving Chlorination, softening and a Charcoal filter......worked great, water tasted and smelt fine, before we installed the system it DIDN'T!!!!

[cunardqueen]

 I never gave the water any thought and would just drink it from the tap, but in the restaurants when it was ice cold it tasted better.

[Rob Lightbody]

Water on the ship whether from ashore or made on board varied from day to day.
Yes, chlorine was added but not to higher doses than you would find in any other municipality around the world.
Water was not taken on in every port that could provide it because there might have been doubts that it was of suitable quality. Even though the locals drank it.
Occasionally the chlorine dosing equipment might "throw a wobbler" and overdose. Once that became known steps would be taken to correct and dilute the water. However, sometimes the water did taste of bleach.
The problem had a knock on effect because this is the same water that fed the 38 ice machines on board, all of the soda machines the 250 gallon soup cauldrons and some would even say the draught beer in the bars! Kidding, or am I?
Constant monitoring of the chlorine in the drinking water was required by both US and UK health authorities and printed graphs were kept for 2 years, I believe, as required.
Water quality differs in every city and town in the world from distances as little as 30 miles apart as I am sure you have all seen in your travels. This will depend on the source, spring, river, lake, reservoir, well...etc, etc but also by the way it is sanitized. Bleach, called chloros at sea UV light etc, etc.

Brilliant stuff Rod, thanks so much.  Your contributions "from the horses mouth" so to speak are very valuable.