Test kit chosen to ensure safety of onboard drinking water on FSO vessel

Belgium-headquartered EXMAR Ship Management has selected LuminUltra’s Quench-Gone Aqueous (QGA) test kit to monitor the quality of the drinking water produced onboard the LPG FSO (Floating Storage and Offloading) NKOSSA II.

The decision follows the success of the QGA solution in analysing the quality of the water produced by reverse osmosis aboard accommodation barges operating offshore West Africa.

Paul-Philippe Halleux, who is a Technical Superintendent from EXMAR Ship Management’s Offshore Services division, commented: “We cannot emphasise enough the importance of testing the quality of our drinking water on a regular basis. We produce drinking water through reverse osmosis and with some of our accommodation barges operating offshore Africa we do not have the time to wait for onshore laboratories to test the samples.

“As a shipmanager, we are responsible for health and safety of all the people onboard our vessels. Even though regulations require bacterial testing only twice a year, we prefer to carry out water quality tests every week. For us the best way of assessing whether water is safe is to use LuminUltra’s portable test kit onboard. The results are available within minutes, so we know immediately if the water is fit for human consumption.”

The QGA test kit has been in constant use over the past four years aboard EXMAR Offshore Services’ 450 POB barge Nunce and the 300 POB Wariboko. The LPG FSO NKOSSA II will be equipped with the kit later this month and the company is considering its use aboard LNG and LPG vessels.

Pat Whalen, LuminUltra Technologies’ President & CEO, said: “We are delighted that EXMAR Offshore Services has selected the LuminUltra QGA water test kit for additional use in its fleet. Regular potable water testing is vital to prevent any risk of infection from water-borne pathogens, thereby ensuring the well-being of seafarers, offshore workers and guests onboard.”

Using a single analysis based on the measurement of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), Quench-Gone Aqueous (QGA) provides a rapid and interference-free determination of total microbiological concentration in any filterable water sample with a wide detection range.

Designed for low-solids, low-biomass concentration applications, the speed and portability of the QGA kit enables tests from many points in a water generation system to detect elevated microbial growth levels in real-time. Results are available in under five minutes.

Anna Whittaker, LuminUltra Technologies Regional Sales Manager – Europe, said: “Drinking water standards are heavily regulated by the World Health Organisation, and in 2006, the Maritime Labour Convention introduced guidelines [Standard A3.2] aimed at maintaining the quality of drinking water onboard ships. In the case of accommodation barges, SOLAS recommends that drinking water is tested for bacteria just twice a year, although other tests are more frequent.”

Ms Whittaker added: “Shoreside, water samples are routinely analysed to determine the type and concentration of microbes present. Rapid bacteriological water analysis gives us access to critical data, making it possible to identify trends and proactively address concerns. In the past years, LuminUltra have developed three monitoring kits for the marine industry. LuminUltra has already developed three monitoring kits for the marine industry. Now, using the same equipment, operators are able to check ballast water, drinking water and fuel quality in minutes.”