Norway has introduced new guidelines for drinking water treatment offshore, which include input from water specialist ECT Offshore Service.
The guidelines have been issued by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health under the title “Sufficient, good, and safe drinking water.” They bring timely clarity to the issue of drinking water treatment on offshore installations and vessels, following the recent outbreak of legionnaire’s disease in Norway. This has focused attention within the industry on the need for vigilance against water-borne diseases.
ECT’s offshore manager Yvonne Putzig welcomed the opportunity to contribute to the new guidelines, especially in view of the expertise the company has built up over the years. “Our input was appreciated by the authorities,” she says. In her view the new guidelines are more realistic than the previous ones.
The authorities also accepted ECT and Norwegian research institute Sintef’s recommendation for a special section devoted to diving vessels - in spring this was out to consultation. Saturation divers face particular problems if they pick up diseases from drinking water such as legionnaire’s disease or an ear disease caused by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, a bacterium that can be very aggressive.
Antibiotics used to treat such diseases have not been tested for use with divers under pressure. Divers often remain under pressure for up to three weeks, and can then take a week or more to depressurize. This gives the diseases ample time to develop. Special care must therefore be taken to disinfect drinking water systems on diving vessels, and must often be done during the short time they are in port between jobs, which may be only 48 hours.
Chlorine dioxide is probably the most effective chemical for the shock treatment of drinking water systems, and in Norway is only allowed to be used for this purpose. Its advantage is that the bacteria will not develop any resistance and the treatment time can be minimized, Putzig says.
In collaboration with Cathrine Ahlén, a Sintef researcher, ECT is developing a course on water treatment systems for diving vessels. The first will be held this autumn. The co-operation also gives the company access to Stolt Offshore and Subsea 7, two of the major diving companies in the North Sea, with which Sintef is currently working.•
For more information, contact Yvonne Putzig, ECT Offshore Systems. Tel +46 3153 0040, fax +46 3153 0045, [email protected], www.ectoffshore.se.
