OMAO Policy 1005-01, NOAA Ship Health Plan, Section 3 provides current guidelines for the management of potable water aboard OMAO ships. The CO or Master is responsible for ensuring the ship complies with potable water management guidelines. The Chief Marine Engineer (CME) is responsible for the production, receipt, treatment, storage, and distribution of potable water. The CME or a designee must record the halogen residual level daily on the NOAA Form 57-06-03, Potable Water Log. The Potable Water Log should be retained for 2 years aboard the ship and available for review by the US Navy Preventative Medicine Technicians, foreign port authorities, fleet inspectors, and MMB upon request.
The MMB is responsible for potable water surveillance for coliform bacteria and halogen residual at points where potable water is consumed or used. Potable water surveillance is performed during the weekly sanitation inspections by the USPHS Medical Officer, Medical Person in Charge (MPIC). or CO's designee and documented on NOAA Form 57-10-21 Weekly Health and Sanitation Inspection. Guidance for conducting potable water surveillance is provided in section 3.1 of OMAO Policy 1005-01. Potable water surveillance is not required when the ship's potable water system is secured and the ship is considered uninhabitable. Ultraviolet radiation may not be used as the primary or sole method for treating potable water since UV radiation does not have a residual effect that retards bacterial growth.