The Dutch water company Hatenboer-Water has developed the Plastic Free @Sea concept, which allows shipowners to reduce the tens of thousands of plastic water bottles onboard to virtually zero. This was announced in a press release.

As a bonus, the new solution helps to save cost and handling time, Hatenboer-Water said.

“(We) are in contact with some cruise operators/owners as our Plastic Free @Sea onboard clean drinking water system is certainly suitable for cruise and passenger ships … especially because of the triple filtration system taking away fears for taste and contamination. On cruise ships, the water taps could even be installed for passenger use,” the company’s spokesperson told Cruise Industry News.

According to the press release, the Plastic Free @Sea concept comprises of a contact free water bottle filling station, a filtration unit to guarantee quality drinking water and reusable bottles. Each water fountain features hands-free sensor activation, providing users with a sanitary, touchless bottle filling experience.

The key components have an antimicrobial protection that inhibits the growth of mould and mildew. In addition, as crew members are often reluctant to drink tap water from the water tanks due to their past experience, Hatenboer-Water provides on- and offline training and information to get all crew acquainted with the ins and outs of the system.

“By design, the units are easy to maintain and the dispenser clearly indicates when filters need to be changed. Tests with first clients have shown that crew members quickly grow confident and even fond of drinking water from the tap,” Hatenboer-Water said.

To this day, Hatenboer-Water has successfully installed bottle filling station on 40 non-cruise vessels.

“When COVID came in, we switched gear to adapt and introduce contact-free tap points fast … It all comes together: office staff likes the potential savings and the short return on investment, the fleet is happy with clean, good-tasting water,” Hatenboer-Water’s Sales Manager for Water Quality, Mark Knoester, noted.

The company’s other water treatment systems – such as reverse osmosis and hot and/or cold water treatment packages – have been installed onboard vessels sailing for Saga Cruises, Star Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. River cruise brands like A-ROSA and Lüftner River Cruises also use Hatenboer-Water systems onboard.

“On river cruises water treatment is especially challenging due to the ever changing quality source water. But as our factory is situated next to the river Nieuwe Maas in the Netherlands, we have test facilities at hand,” explained the spokesperson.