The vacuum system was adopted in part from the cruise ship industry. It uses less water,
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Hey, this water is for the toilets. Maybe salt water would work.
Now, just where could that US Carrier find some?????
The Ford’s plumbing experiment does not end with vacuum pipes. It is also the first US carrier to sail with entirely gender neutral bathrooms, which means there are no urinals anywhere on the ship.
The root of the problem is not only what sailors flush. The system uses seawater for each flush, which then mixes with urine. In marine plumbing, that combination is notorious. It causes calcium compounds to precipitate and slowly coat the inside of pipes, shrinking their diameter and eventually choking the flow. To keep the pipes open, the Navy determined that it would have to perform full system acid flushes throughout the ships’ service lives. Each of those treatments costs about $400,000 and is classified as unplanned maintenance.
Navy emails cited by public radio reporters indicate that the Ford has already undergone at least ten of these acid cleanings since 2023. The process uses strong chemicals to dissolve calcium deposits and, according to officials quoted by regional public media, it can only be carried out in port for safety and environmental reasons. - https://featured.inquisitr.com/news/not-even-the-most-expensive-aircraft-carrier-is-spared-the-gerald-ford-has-such-a-basic-problem-that-it-seems-like-a-joke-but-its-a-real-headache/