Distilling ship

They were typically stationed at forward bases during conflict where they supported on-the-ground troops and front line naval units.

[1] While steamships often used the heat in low-pressure steam exhausted from propulsion machinery to distill fresh water from seawater, that was relatively inefficient when the ship was not underway.

[2] These ships frequently operated in tropical harbors where seawater contained appreciable quantities of pollutants.

Some of these pollutants would be carried through the compressor as mist from the boiling seawater, and the temperature of the distillation process was inadequate to sterilize the fresh water.

The United States Navy crew would include a naval surgeon to test and maintain water quality.