RO watermaker in Port Davey?

[Bruce K]

Port Davey SW Tasmania has a brackish brown tannin stained water layer over a clear salty layer deeper, has anyone used a RO watermaker there?
Will the plant tannin damage the RO membrane? Will the RO remove the tannin stain? Anyone with first hand knowledge?

[a64pilot]

I don’t know about there, but I run mine in the US ICW, which often is brackish and tannin stained to look like coffee.
Just if it’s brackish, watch your output, you don’t want it to exceed rated output or you can damage your membranes, just turn your pressure down to rated output if needed.
Water makers filter down to molecular levels, so it takes the tannin out and only pure clean water comes out.

[Ambler]

I recently used my ceramic 0.2 micron filter to clean some creek water that was tannin stained near the west coast of Tasmania and it blocked up requiring a few cleans before I got enough to drink. So I think your RO filter would suffer as the prefilters may not be fine enough.
I would not hesitate to take the slightly tannin stained water from the waterfall that you can tie alongside of and fill your tanks directly.
I have also used the hose on the wharf that has water from the tank at Claytons.

[Bruce K]

Originally Posted by Ambler

I recently used my ceramic 0.2 micron filter to clean some creek water that was tannin stained near the west coast of Tasmania and it blocked up requiring a few cleans before I got enough to drink. So I think your RO filter would suffer as the prefilters may not be fine enough.
I would not hesitate to take the slightly tannin stained water from the waterfall that you can tie alongside of and fill your tanks directly.
I have also used the hose on the wharf that has water from the tank at Claytons.

Thanks Wayne, I have used the waterfall water before,and found it totally acceptable, also plenty of rain in the SW to collect.

[xbillaroo]

We collected rain water in Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour. At sea we filled our tanks with Ro water. I was more nervous about the amount of fresh water on the surface in Port Davey and up the Gordon river than the Tannin . Take an emergency supply of beer incase you get into trouble.