Seawater Contamination of Potable Water Shoreside during Freight Ferry Bunkering at an International Port

Abstract

In January 2019, complaints of an intermittent salty taste in drinking water were received from locations in close proximity to an international seaport. Preliminary testing indicated the presence of seawater within the potable water system. A multi-disciplinary incident management team was immediately convened and a “Do Not Consume notice” was issued. Subsequent investigations revealed contamination was likely due to a mis-connection to the seawater firefighting system during freight ferry bunkering of potable water at the port. Following this incident, new procedures were introduced at the port to prevent reoccurrence of this issue. No associated cases of illness were reported.

Keywords

• bunkering
• environmental health
• freight ferry
• potable water
• population health
• port health