A whole array of lapses in assessment, compounded by poor communication led to drinking water being contaminated aboard two American aircraft carriers last year, leaving more than ten sailors on one of the ships sick, US Navy investigators have revealed.
In separate reports released on Monday, the investigators mentioned bilge water as the source of jet fuel contamination aboard the USS Nimitz that was detected on September 16, 2022 and bacteria found aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on September 21 of last year.
In this Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019, photo made available by U.S. Navy, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, left, the air-defense destroyer HMS Defender and the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut transit the Strait of Hormuz with the guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf.
© AP Photo / Zachary Pearson/US Navy
Bilge water, which collects in the lower areas of a ship, may contain chemicals, oil, sewage leaks, seawater, and sludge.
As for the Abraham Lincoln, E. coli was found in three of the vessels’ potable water tanks, but no related illnesses were confirmed. Investigators revealed that the water tanks’ technical defects allowed bilge water to seep in.
The investigative reports indicated that personnel aboard both aircraft carriers “failed to effectively communicate concerns, ignored warning signs and didn’t follow procedures to ensure drinking water was safe.”