Water
Sampling
Shore Side Hydrants
It is a requirement of the International Health Regulations 2005 that every port is provided with a supply of pure drinking water. To ensure that the water supplied from shore side hydrants on the Manchester Ship Canal is pure, the Manchester Port Health Authority samples these facilities for analysis on a 6 monthly basis.
Ships
The Association of Port Health Authorities and The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health recommend that water be sampled a minimum of twice yearly from potable water tanks. Manchester Port Health Authority offers a sampling service for water quality on board vessels. To arrange water sampling please contact us.
Water samples taken as part of an organised inspection
Microbiological
| First Sample |
116.47 |
|
Additional Samples |
22.42 |
|
|
Samples taken out of hours: £201.59
Legionella Samples
|
First Sample |
150.84 |
|
Additional Samples |
56.79 |
|
|
|
Samples taken out of hours: £270.33
Super- Chlorination
Disinfection: Information on the super chlorination of potable water tanks can be found here.
Water quality on board vessels
Water quality standards specifically relating to potable water quality on board vessels are given in the Health Protection Agency guidance ‘Guidelines for Water Quality On Board Merchant Ships Including Passenger Vessels’. These standards are outlined below:
| PERAMETER | ACCEPTABLE LEVEL | ACTION LEVEL |
| E. coli | 0 | >1 per 100 ml |
| Enterococci | 0 | >1 per 100 ml |
| Coliforms | 0 | >1 per 100 ml |
| Aerobic Colony Count | <100 | > 1000 per ml |
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
Most humans, animals and birds have E.coli bacteria in their faeces. Presence of E. coli is a specific indicator that there has been faecal contamination, as this form of bacteria is unable to grow in the environment.
Enterococci
Enterococci are a form of faecal streptococci. The presence of enterococci in water indicates that the water has been contaminated by the faecal matter of humans or animals.
Coliform bacteria
Coliforms are an indication of faecal contamination or poor hygiene. Presence of this bacteria indicates that treatment has failed to remove this contamination.
Aerobic Colony Count
The Aerobic Colony Count (ACC) is a test that indicates whether the disinfection regime is effective in controlling contamination under operational circumstances. The aerobic colony count can become increased where there is reduced chlorine residual or where there are defects in water treatment.