Plumbing being major issue on TRIUMPH

 

"Pipes are busting, I know the sewer is backing up, and water is in the cabins, and it's just a nightmare," passenger Jamie Baker told NBC's TODAY show, in a phone interview from the ship. Mirroring other reports from the ship, Baker said that while food has been available, there have been long lines. She also reported that people have used trash cans as toilets.
"Like Katrina in the Dome, except it's afloat," Baker tells TODAY




        Adequate plumbing is the most under appreciated modern convenience.  No one thinks of how much we are dependent  on the fresh supply of safe drinking water and quick disposal of waste.  Of all the issues on board the recent cruise ship Triumph, which was disabled by an on board fire. The Triumph's passengers had adapted to the lack of power and air conditioning that had left interior cabins dark, stuffy and hot. But the lack of available water and toilets left the decks blanketed with horrible odors and an overwhelming feeling of stench an filth.  If the vessel's plumbing is not working properly, there is an increased chance that passengers might get sick from the lack of adequate and proper sanitary conditions, including Norovirus, a gastrointestinal disease infamous for its recurrence on board vessels. So, as it is very unpleasant on board, it could also be unsafe.

     "The conditions on board are pretty nice. I mean, we're still on a nice cruise ship. We have some power, some lights on board, especially in the common areas. They've been able to get some entertainment up for us, some musicians as well as comedians... It's been pretty pleasant, considering the situation. However, the real tough part is just having to be on the boat this whole time, and just keep waiting."
"The other hard part has been the toilet situation, which is probably the most uncomfortable. They've been able to get some toilets working, and some of them go out and then stop working. And different parts of the ship have been working at certain times. So, it's kind of difficult to find a working bathroom... that's kind of been the hardest situation on board," says Ben Vogelzang, a passenger on the ship. He spoke with NPR's Newscast


"Those poor people haven't showered in five days," Maura Garino, vice president of the Holiday Inn Downtown, tells The Houston Chronicle

Although a majority of people across the world use toilets on a daily basis, few are willing to discuss such private matters and how waste resources play a role in terms of global sanitation. However, according to a recent article from The New York Daily News, an exhibition created by The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) strives to shine a light on efforts “to help fight diseases causing diarrhea, which kill more children than malaria, HIV/AIDS and measles combined.” 

When looking at disease prevention and control, washing one’s hands is the first step. As a plumbing company, Performance Plumbing Inc. strives to make sure that our customers have adequate fixtures, functional water heaters, working toilets and properly maintained sewer lines. All these plumbing elements play a major role in the overall sanitation of the world and should be respected by communities across the world. Talking about these subjects only helps people have a greater understand of the importance of proper plumbing and sanitation.

Plumbers work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to resolve plumbing emergencies that may include septic tank, toilet and sewer line issues—all factors that play into the greater practice of proper hygiene and public sanitation. And only when we are faced with such events, like the one on Triumph, do we stop to consider the importance and necessity of  professional plumbers.