THE CONTINUING EXPLORATION OF SPACE WILL REQUIRE ROBUST SYSTEMS FOR THE RECYCLING OF WATER. THE TECHNOLOGIES USED INCLUDE FILTRATION DISTILLATION STERILIZATION USING HEAT AND CHEMICALS FLUID FLOW AND STORAGE. EVEN THE MOST CAREFULLY STERILIZED WATER WILL NOT REMAIN STERILE DURING TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OVER MONTHS OR YEARS OF A SPACE MISSION. TWO OF THE MORE TROUBLESOME ASPECTS OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION ARE ITS RAPID GROWTH AND THE FORMATION OF BIOFILM WHICH RESISTS CHEMICAL DISINFECTION AND PRODUCES SOLIDS WHICH CLOG VALVES AND TUBING BIOFILM GROWTH HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR US AND RUSSIAN WATER SYSTEMS ON THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND IS A CRITICAL ISSUE FOR EXPLORATION MISSIONS IN WHICH WATER SYSTEMS MUST BE DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE DORMANT PERIODS OF UP TO ONE YEAR. ON THE ISS RUSSIAN CONDENSATE PLUMBING HAS PREVIOUSLY CLOGGED WITH BIOMASS REQUIRING CONDENSATE PLUMBING TO NOW BE REGULARLY REPLACED. IN THE US SEGMENT THE RELEASE OF BIOFILM FROM THE WATER PROCESSOR WASTE TANK HAS CLOGGED A SOLENOID VALVE DOWNSTREAM OF THE TANK RESULTING IN THE COSTLY REPLACEMENT OF THE INLET SEPARATOR AND PROCESS PUMP.