Overboard Discharge

Houseboats, commercial and recreational vessels, and fish camps can be sources of sewage that deliver microbes such as E. coli and fecal coliforms to the water. The Clean Water Act regulates sewage release from vessels. It is illegal to discharge untreated waste to rivers or streams and within 3 miles of shore. Boaters must have an onboard treatment device or holding tank and pump out wastewater at an approved location on shore. States also may designate ‘No Discharge Zones’ that further restrict where and how boat sewage may be released.

Did you know: A recent survey in a recreational area in Bermuda found that as many as 60 percent of boat owners typically dump untreated waste overboard and nearly 40 percent were unaware that overboard sewage dumping is an environmental concern. According to another study by the California State Water Resources Control Board, discharge from one boat during one weekend contributes the same amount of bacteria to the water as treated sewage from 10,000 people.

For more information:

• https://www.epa.gov/vessels-marinas-and-ports/vessel-sewage-discharges
• https://www.boatus.org/clean-boating/sewage/
• http://www.boatus.org/study-guide/environment/waste/