Five licensed engineering officers have reportedly resigned and walked off the Training Ship Empire State VII, according to multiple sources and public posts on Reddit, after seawater contaminated the ship's drinking water and cadets were told it was safe before bacteria testing could be completed. More than 500 cadets are aboard as the ship participates in Sail4th 250 in New York Harbor. MLAA has put questions to SUNY Maritime, MARAD, and the Coast Guard.
The Empire State VII is a federally owned training ship operated by SUNY Maritime.
What the Accounts Describe
According to multiple sources, on or about July 2, while the Empire State VII was taking on fresh water at its Fort Schuyler pier, an operational error, described as an incorrect lineup combined with a lack of back-flow prevention on the pier connection, allowed water from the East River to be pumped into the ship's freshwater system as its potable water tanks were being filled.
As one source put it: "the East River water found its way into all of our tanks."
For an extended period afterward, cadets and crew drank the contaminated water. The problem was first noticed by cadets aboard the ship, who found that the water in the mess deck tasted salty.
That evening, according to the accounts, engineers tested the water for chloride content and started a 24-hour bacteria incubation test, which one source described as the only bacteria testing available aboard. Freshwater tanks were switched in hopes of better quality, and chloride readings at the faucets improved somewhat overnight. However, some tanks were heavily contaminated with salt and considered unusable.
By around 2:00 a.m. on July 3, the crew on watch had worked out how the contamination occurred and called a senior ship's officer whose response was reportedly that it was 2 AM, and what did the callers expect the officer to do at that hour. Within minutes, according to the same source, the senior officer called back with instructions and then came down to the engine room to direct a response. The response that followed included attempts to dilute the contamination by overflowing the tanks and, the next morning, jugs of bleach were purchased and dumped into the tanks.
"Safe to Drink"
According to multiple sources, the only communication the college provided to cadets was an announcement at the 8:00 a.m. formation on July 3 that the water was safe to drink, which was before the 24-hour bacteria test could have been completed. Sources say there was no explanation provided as to why the water might have been unsafe to drink.
One source with direct knowledge of the testing procedures has alleged that around the time the announcement that the ship's water was safe to drink was made at formation, the incubating sample, then barely past the halfway point of its incubation period, was already showing a positive preliminary indication for bacteria.
Public Reddit posts reviewed by MLAA contain similar allegations. In one public Reddit thread on r/SunyMaritime, one commenter wrote that "the reg told everyone at formation the water was safe to drink," and that drinking and bathing water was later secured before the water was described as decontaminated. Another commenter alleged that "all of the drinking water tests to see if they are safe haven't even been completed yet."
MLAA notes that a partially incubated shipboard test is a preliminary indication, not a confirmed result. But if the accounts are accurate, more than 500 cadets were told the water was safe while the only bacteria test aboard was signaling positive, and hours before that test could have been finished.
The accounts state that cadets, with limited alternatives, continued drinking the water, and that some fell ill with symptoms including fever, stomach cramping, and diarrhea.
Bottled Water and Access Questions
Multiple sources have told MLAA that bottled water was later brought aboard. Source accounts differ, however, in describing how much bottled water was available and who had access to it.
One account submitted to MLAA alleged that approximately 2,800 bottles were brought aboard for a vessel carrying more than 500 cadets plus crew. Public Reddit comments reviewed by MLAA also discuss bottled water, with some commenters saying cadets had bottled water and others alleging that access was limited or prioritized for guests and licensed crew.
Five Licensed Engineers Reportedly Walked Off
The episode culminated in an extraordinary event: licensed, watch-standing engineering officers resigned and walked off the ship.
One public Reddit commenter alleged that "5 licensed engineers" who were supposed to remain aboard until Albany "quit and walked off the ship," saying they did not want to put their licenses at risk. Other Reddit comments similarly allege that engineers refused to sail or left the vessel because they believed water-safety concerns were not being taken seriously. MLAA sources also described the walk-off as a protest, which came after ship and college leadership, against the professional advice of the licensed engineers on watch, declined to inform cadets and staff about the potential contamination.
The ship's chief engineer remains aboard, according to the accounts.
A Ship Full of Students, In the Middle of a National Celebration
The events occurred while the Empire State VII takes her place in Sail4th 250, an international fleet assembled in New York Harbor for the nation's 250th birthday, including tall ships and naval vessels from more than 20 countries parading past the Statue of Liberty. Aboard her: more than 500 cadets who, according to the accounts, spent the days before the celebration drinking from a water system contaminated by the East River and dosed with jugs of bleach.
It is the second time in three days that serious reports from aboard the ship have reached MLAA. On July 3, MLAA reported that a SUNY Maritime cadet had been arraigned on six charges, including attempted first-degree rape, following a July 1 incident reported aboard the ship at the same pier.
As of publication, MLAA has found no public statement from SUNY Maritime College about the alleged water-system incident, and none about the July 1 alleged sexual assault and attempted rape incident either.
If You Know Something
If you are aboard the Empire State VII, if you are one of the licensed officers who departed the vessel, or if you are a SUNY Maritime cadet, parent, employee, or crew member with firsthand knowledge of the ship's water system, testing results, illness aboard, bottled-water distribution, or the college's response, MLAA wants to hear from you. You can reach us through MLAA's anonymous tip line.
Maritime Legal Aid & Advocacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the safety and legal rights of American seafarers. This article is journalism and public-interest reporting; it is not legal advice.
