Coast Guard Auxiliary Discusses How to Be A
"Good Mate:"
Fast Facts about Sewage Pollution
(Part Two of a Series)

By: Ed Sweeney
National Press Corps (Pacific Region)
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Well summer is here and the weather is hot in many parts of the country. This is the "prime time" for most boaters to enjoy waterskiing, snorkeling, or just plain cruising and taking an occasional dip to cool off.

Sounds perfect, right? But there is one sure thing that can spoil this idyllic scenario - a close encounter with human sewage! This article continues the series on how to be a "Good Mate" and help make sure that boating as a sport remains good clean fun.

THE SCOOP ON POOP - "IT AIN'T PRETTY"

First off, let's distinguish what is meant by the word "sewage." Sewage is human body waste, and the wastes from toilets or receptacles intended to receive or retain human body waste. It is sometimes referred to as "black water."

Untreated sewage from a 20 gallon holding tank has the same environmental impact as discharging several thousand gallons of treated sewage into our waterways. Moreover, a single discharge of human waste into a shallow enclosed area, such as a bay or a marina, can be detected in an area for up to one square mile.

The discharges of untreated sewage often results in dirty, murky water, along with strong odors, and the unsightly related floating debris. Sewage contaminated water poses a health risk by elevating biological contaminants linked to infectious hepatitis, and can produce symptoms such as diarrhea, dysentery, skin rashes, and can even lead to typhoid or cholera. People with weakened immune systems, such as children or the elderly, are often the most at risk.

Untreated sewage serves as a fertilizer in the marine environment, stimulating the rapid growth of algae. As the algae population escalates, the water becomes dark and murky, which causes the algae to die quickly. The decaying algae consume excessive oxygen amounts, which can suffocate fish and other marine life in the area.

The sewage holding tanks themselves often contain toxic additives that can contaminate bottom-dwelling organisms, which can ultimately impact the entire food chain.

Lastly, sewage contamination can lead to beach closures, as well as prohibitions on shell, sport, and commercial fishing, which can result in severe economic losses to communities, as well as discouraging tourism.

LAWS REGARDING SEWAGE DISCHARGE

The Federal Water-Pollution Prevention and Control Act (FWPCA) requires that any owner of a vessel with an onboard toilet (other than a porta-potty) install and use a USCG approved Marine Sanitation Device (MSD), and preferably use a type III device (with a holding tank that can be pumped out at a designated pump-out station).

The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of raw sewage from a vessel within 3 nautical miles of the U.S. coast and the waters of the Great Lakes. This includes large embayment areas, such as the Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound. Moreover, if an area is designated as a "no discharge zone," then no sewage-treated or untreated, may be discharged into the waters.

The federal government, as well as many states, imposes civil and criminal penalties for noncompliance with these regulations.

WHAT"S A SKIPPER TO DO?

Here are some steps that boaters can take to keep our waterways "clean and green" and sewage free:

• Use on-shore restroom facilities whenever possible.
• Never discharge raw human sewage into the waterway. Don't "go overboard."
• Use and properly maintain your Marine Sanitation Device.
• If your boat has a "porta-potty," make sure you dispose of the waste accumulated in it when back on shore at a designated facility or restroom.

MARINAS PLAY A ROLE, TOO

Marinas can play a huge role in keeping our local waterways clean and green. Here's what they can do to help:

• Install a pump-out facility (if you do not already have one in your marina), and encourage its use. Make sure your marina staff is properly trained in the use of the pump-out equipment.
• Have pump-out stations conveniently located, and have instructions readily available on their proper use. Have warnings posted on the improper disposal of sewage. Have waste dump facilities available for boaters with porta-potties.
• Work with neighboring marinas to create a map of local area pump-outs outside of your own marina.
• Make sure the holding tank at your pump-out station is pumped out regularly and trucked to a sewage treatment plant.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE

To locate pump-out facilities in your area, call 1-800-ASK-FISH, or your local U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office at 1-800-368-5647. Sewage spills and other pollution incidents should always be reported to the nearest Marine Safety Office, as well as your local authorities.

To learn more about protecting our marine environment, visit the U.S. Coast Guard web site at http://www.uscg.mil, or the Coast Guard Auxiliary's Marine Safety web site at www.auxonline.org/~msep/

By following these simple, yet often overlooked steps, we can all contribute to keeping our waterways "clean and green," and enjoyable for all its inhabitants - human or otherwise.

- USCG Auxiliary -