Many boaters would like to believe they ‘leave nothing behind’ when out on the water. Yet unless fitted with filters, every time the bilge pump operates tiny particles of oil, paint, microplastics and fibres get pumped overboard, and boaters also risk consuming particles of sediment or even harmful bacteria from drinking water coming from onboard tanks.
“The only way to ensure that absolutely no pollution is put overboard, or consumed, is by fitting filters, and then checking and changing them when necessary,” says Paul Gullett of UK-based filter manufacturer Wave International. “We can actually see the microscopic particles of sediment caught in our Wave Flostream drinking filters, as our multi-media cartridge filters remove all impurities down to below 10 microns. Now consider that a human hair is 50 microns in diameter, and anything below 40 microns is invisible to the human eye, and you can imagine what, without a filter, is being digested or pumped overboard.”
Wave International has developed a range of easy to install filters suitable for all craft from inland vessels, RIBs, workboats and bluewater ocean going craft. The Wavestream bilge filter, which is manufactured to Lloyds Register Approved standards, removes all traces of dirt or pollution from the bilges. The Wavebrite performs the same task for grey water, ensuring that all harmful pollutants are removed before clean wastewater is pumped overboard.
In the galley, the Flostream will filter water from onboard holding tanks, cleansing and improving the quality and taste of water. The combination of filters within the Flostream ensure that all chlorine taste and bad odour is removed, as well as heavy metals and other impurities such as limescale. In addition, with its built-in bacteriostatic control, and prevents any risk of micro-bacterial growth when the water filter is not in use. “Boat owners say that the taste of the filtered water from the Flostream is so good that many now fit these systems into their homes and campervans,” says Wave’s MD Paul Gullett.
The Prostream filters is designed to protect watermakers, with the Prostream replacing the watermaker’s standard sediment-only filter with a dual sediment and oily water filter. The Prostream enables boaters to run their watermakers in a marina or close to shore, something normally avoided for fear of getting contamination into the watermaker unit.
Now manufactured in a way that improves Wave International’s own impact on the environment by using reliably recycled plastic for the end caps for all its filters, Wave’s multi-media cartridge filters are designed to last for several years, depending on use, and can be easily replaced. Most boaters carry spare filters with them and used filters can be disposed of safely at marinas and boat yards.
Wavestream filters cost from around £150 and replacement filters cost from around £50 and are available through Wavestream distributors worldwide.
You can find out more about Wavestream filters in The Green Blue Business Directory.
