May 1, 2001 -- When passengers "set sail" on a three to 17-day seagoing voyage surrounded by oceans of water, the last thing on their minds is the ship's water supply. But down in the working quarters of Carnival Cruise Lines' latest class of ship, the Spirit, the laundry room takes the issue of water use, disposal and reuse very seriously.  "Cruise ships are basically floating cities, and the operations which support this environment generate a large amount of waste," explained Ed Kirejczyk III, vice president of sales and marketing for EDRO Corp. EDRO's washer / extractors were chosen for the new laundry due to their water reuse design.

In Spirit's laundry facility, the key to reducing water waste is the installation of a water reuse system that works in conjunction with the EDRO DynaWash washer/extractors consisting of one DW300ER-WRS (300-pound capacity, end-loading, flush-to-wall space-saving model), four DW300-WRS (300-pound capacity, end-loading model), and two NX60-P6-WRS (60-pound capacity, open pocket model). All seven units, which can produce 2,100 pound/hour (175,000 pounds/week) together, are hooked up to the laundry's central water reuse system.

"The importance of the washers' water reuse system is to reduce the grey water produced by the ship's main laundry for environmental discharge purposes," said Kirejczyk. The expectation is that the water reuse system will save approximately 20 percent of water usage, he adds.

Each washer's standard water inlet is connected to the ship's hot and cold water system, while the standard drains are connected to the ship's discharge system. Each of the end-loading units is set over a split drain trough, one side which is the standard drain, while the other side discharges used rinse water to storage tanks located beneath the laundry. All seven units are fitted with an extra set of water inlet and drain valves which utilize the filtered rinse water for incoming flushes and break steps during each wash cycle.

The system is also fitted with an auxiliary heating system in order to maintain water temperature for incoming fills, thus shortening cycle time, an important consideration for a laundry which already must run approximately 12 hours a day to keep 2,100 passengers and 900 crew members (when the Spirit is at full double-occupancy) supplied with fresh bed and table linen, as well as towels.

At the helm of Spirit's water reuse system are the washers' programmable computers. Through a series of strategically placed monitoring, sensing and signaling devices, the computers control storage tank levels, switch on hot and cold water fill valves, and open and close the sewer drain valves, all in order to maintain uninterrupted wash production.  With space at a premium onboard ship, the laundry room must also maximize the use of its allocated space. The wash area occupies about 1,200 square feet. The significance of installing end-loading washer/extractor units is that they are able to straddle a split drain trough while maintaining the same footprint as a standard model.

Rounding out the laundry's equipment list are six 150-pound tumbler dryers, one 32" two-roll flatwork ironer with folder, one form finisher, two flat presses and two ironing boards. The drying and finishing area take up approximately 2,500 square feet.

Whether the Spirit is cruising the Pacific Coast for three days or headed for Alaska or the Caribbean on an eight day journey, the laundry room's water reuse design plays an important role in maximizing water use and minimizing waste, key elements to smooth sailing.

EDRO Corporation, located in East Berlin, CT USA, is a manufacturer of a complete range of Industrial Strength washer-extractors from 60 to 400 lb. capacity and marketer of fast drying tumbler dryers from 80 to 190-pound capacity.

For More Information Contact:
Tel: (International + 860) 828-0311
FAX: (International + 860) 828-5984
Internet: sales@edrodynawash.com

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