The Royal Research Ship 'Discovery'. Part 21.

Waste Water Ancient and Modern

I left off in the last part about to tackle the waste water issue on board the ship and perhaps I had better give a broader description of it before we started improvements. To start with the system had no historical value whatsoever. The original included 'heads' (a water closet) situated near the stern and another in the forecastle, both crude arrangements that discharged the waste directly overboard. Equally the galley, officer's cabin wash basins, bilge water and bath waste were discharged directly into the sea. That as fine between 1924 and to about perhaps 1946, although I cannot provide an exact date when changes happened; I suspect it was deemed less important than other matters concerning the day to day survival of the Discovery after 1932. Anyway, what we inherited was what had been installed over the past years. The discharge pipe from every bilge pump location was led to the pump-room and thence to an intermediate holding tank (mentioned in the last part of this story). The galley, officers and bathroom discharges had all been blanked off, in fact the bath had been removed a long time before. In order to provide kitchen, wash up and storage facilities to support the various revenue generating functions held on board, cabins on the port side forward of the wardroom had been converted to serve that purpose. Wastes  emanating from there were discharged directly into the intermediate holding tank in the pump-room. This in turn, when the level of waste water reached a predetermined level, was automatically pumped into the main discharge tank located forward in the chain locker mentioned earlier. Toilets and wash facilities were situated on the port side of the upper forecastle deck, the latter discharged directly into the main holding tank in the chain locker compartment far below. This tank had a fairly large capacity with a back up overflow arrangement and the capability of discharging the waste into the shore-side sewers automatically when the level of liquid triggered the discharge pump within the tank itself.

A mess of pipes in the corner of the pump-room.

Bilge pump discharge pipes from the starboard side of the ship in the pump-room

Bilge pump discharge pipes from the port side of the ship in the pump-room

It was financially impossible to install a completely new system. What we had to do was modify the old one and this we did by designing a new intermediate holding tank for the pump-room. It had to be made of stainless steel; completely sealed from the surrounding space and have a sealed automatic pump situated outside in order to discharge the waste water accumulated into the main holding tank in the chain locker forward. Having the pump located outside of the tank made maintenance much easier.

The new stainless steel intermediate holding tank installed in the pump-room.

New discharge pump and filter unit installed in the pump-room.

Next, the main holding tank in the chain locker was opened up, thoroughly cleaned and given a suitable protective coating both inside and out. In order to discharge the waste to the shore system the pump remained fitted to the interior of the main tank but was overhauled. It had the ability to break down the waste into solid particles of mot more than 10mm in diameter. At some time in the past a stench pipe (a pipe that allows the tank to ventilate gasses created by fermentation to air) had been fitted from the tank up through the forecastle decks then up the foremast where the gasses were vented to air. While investigating this fitting it was found that the gasses were being vented into the upper forecastle work space since the pipe up the foremast had been disconnected and destroyed in times past. Little wonder the crew had complained on occasions of a nasty smell in their work place! That was fixed and again gasses were vented to outside air space. So that the reader may be comforted, the amount of gas (mainly Methane) ventilated was very small indeed and when mixed with air it would become virtually undetectable.

The newly renovated overflow tank in the chain locker.

The newly renovated main holding tank in the chain locker

What was accomplished at the end of the day was that Discovery had an efficient, working, waste water system in place, one that would last for a long time to come provided it was maintained regularly.

Next. Education and Involvement.