Narrative:

Air carrier has a new policy regarding carrying less than full water on all flts. There is no true statistical data to show how much water is used on any particular flight. The calculated supply for our flight on that day was about 55% of capacity. The purser advised me that they had left ZZZ1 with less than full tanks and had run out of water on descent into ZZZ2. I discussed this with operations and was told that based on our load of 30 in first class and 160 in coach we would need only 55% or less. I discussed this with the purser and we agreed to try it and see if that was enough. Note: the operations person was most willing to get me more water if I required it; I made the decision to go as is. We ran out of all potable water just 3 hours into the flight. This is a huge sanitary issue. Food service was not complete and there was an inadequate supply of hand wipes on the plane. If the flight attendants had not used their personal supplies of hand sanitizing liquids we could well have caused a serious health violation as well as had potential for illness. This issue is big now in view of the tainted tomatoes and many of our passenger were justifiably outraged. I agree that carrying water costs money. However; lavatory and water service is so important on overwater flight that we cannot leave the station without confirmation of both. We need to stop this nonsense on overwater flts until we have documented proof of exact quantities of water use on specific flts. For now; I will refuse to depart on any overwater flight without full water tanks.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 CREW REPORTS THE ACR'S POLICY OF CARRYING LESS WATER TO DECREASE ACFT WT RESULTED IN NO WATER ON THE ACFT 3 HRS INTO A LONG FLT.

Narrative: ACR HAS A NEW POLICY REGARDING CARRYING LESS THAN FULL WATER ON ALL FLTS. THERE IS NO TRUE STATISTICAL DATA TO SHOW HOW MUCH WATER IS USED ON ANY PARTICULAR FLT. THE CALCULATED SUPPLY FOR OUR FLT ON THAT DAY WAS ABOUT 55% OF CAPACITY. THE PURSER ADVISED ME THAT THEY HAD LEFT ZZZ1 WITH LESS THAN FULL TANKS AND HAD RUN OUT OF WATER ON DSCNT INTO ZZZ2. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH OPS AND WAS TOLD THAT BASED ON OUR LOAD OF 30 IN FIRST CLASS AND 160 IN COACH WE WOULD NEED ONLY 55% OR LESS. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE PURSER AND WE AGREED TO TRY IT AND SEE IF THAT WAS ENOUGH. NOTE: THE OPS PERSON WAS MOST WILLING TO GET ME MORE WATER IF I REQUIRED IT; I MADE THE DECISION TO GO AS IS. WE RAN OUT OF ALL POTABLE WATER JUST 3 HRS INTO THE FLT. THIS IS A HUGE SANITARY ISSUE. FOOD SVC WAS NOT COMPLETE AND THERE WAS AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF HAND WIPES ON THE PLANE. IF THE FLT ATTENDANTS HAD NOT USED THEIR PERSONAL SUPPLIES OF HAND SANITIZING LIQUIDS WE COULD WELL HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS HEALTH VIOLATION AS WELL AS HAD POTENTIAL FOR ILLNESS. THIS ISSUE IS BIG NOW IN VIEW OF THE TAINTED TOMATOES AND MANY OF OUR PAX WERE JUSTIFIABLY OUTRAGED. I AGREE THAT CARRYING WATER COSTS MONEY. HOWEVER; LAVATORY AND WATER SVC IS SO IMPORTANT ON OVERWATER FLT THAT WE CANNOT LEAVE THE STATION WITHOUT CONFIRMATION OF BOTH. WE NEED TO STOP THIS NONSENSE ON OVERWATER FLTS UNTIL WE HAVE DOCUMENTED PROOF OF EXACT QUANTITIES OF WATER USE ON SPECIFIC FLTS. FOR NOW; I WILL REFUSE TO DEPART ON ANY OVERWATER FLT WITHOUT FULL WATER TANKS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.