It costs the Navy $400K per flush to unclog its prized carrier’s oft-congested plumbing – By J.D. Simkins (Military Times) / March 25 2020
The Navy’s prized new super carrier was meant to be a symbol of American military might over the world’s oceans, but it is the ship’s toilets and plumbing system that are proving to be obstacles the service has yet to master.
According to a Government Accountability Office watchdog report published Tuesday, the sewage system pipes onboard the super carrier Gerald R. Ford are too narrow to accommodate the amount of daily waste being flushed by crew of more than 4,000.
“Frequent clogging of the system,” which is similar to those used on a commercial airliner, has necessitated unique fixes that include flushing the entire “sewage system on a regular basis” with an acidic substance capable of unclogging the obstructed monstrosity, the report found.
The cost per flush? A mere $400,000. What’s worse, the carrier George H. W. Bush, commissioned in 2009, features the same sewage system and is experiencing similar issues.
High demand of sailors using heads throughout the mammoth ships, coupled with soaring costs and extensive hours devoted to unexpected maintenance, has raised doubts about whether the oft-congested plumbing is even sustainable.
Continue to article: https://www.navytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2020/03/25/it-costs-the-navy-400k-to-flush-its-prized-carriers-frequent-clogging-plumbing/
