Pressure Washing

[Jimboats]

My boss, at the boatyard I work at, went to a seminar yesterday put on by the Dept. of Enviromental Protection. He was told that boatyards are no longer allowed to pressure wash boats without some sort of catchment system for the runoff. This isn't new, but they are now cracking down on the practice. Also, many commercial (lobster and dragger) boats are getting busted for bleaching their bottoms at low tide. Over time this pollution does add up. My question is: how do boatyards around the country deal with this? It's not just a Maine problem and will eventually effect most boat owners.

[maxingout]

Every boatyard I have seen in Florida has a catchment system in place.

[David M]

Same here in the SF Bay. All the crud that comes off the bottom is caught, dried with a special machine and hauled off as toxic waste.

I know it may seem ridiculous since much of the bottom paint we use is ablative, but I guess every little bit helps.

Have you ever noticed how grass does not grow up through the cracks in the cement at boatyards. I wonder why?

[witzgall]

Nothing like this has caught on in North Carolina, but I imagine it is only a matter of time.

[Canibul]

Originally Posted by David M

Have you ever noticed how grass does not grow up through the cracks in the cement at boatyards. I wonder why?

and here I thought it was because it got soaked in sea water all the time.

[thinwater]

11111

[Highlander40]

Now if they can just catch all that seagull, goose, duck, etc poop!

While were at it let's send the bunker schools to college and they might learn not to crowd harbors and die.

[cal40john]

Up til now in Seattle the catchment system was only at the place in the yard where they pressure washed. Now they have to have a system in place for the whole yard which is going to cost them alot of money. Even worse an advocacy group is suing 5 yards for not filing some sort of form that the State Ecology department told them not to file because the standards hadn't been worked out yet. The advocacy group apparently will let them off the hook if they install systems that they don't know will meet regulations since as above they haven't been entirely nailed down yet. Another article I read stated that boatyards were responsible for 3% of the copper burden in the fresh water in the lakes and canals leading to Puget Sound in Seattle where these boatyards are being sued. So it is of vital importance to put enough financial burden on these yards to put them out of business rather than do something about the brake linings on cars that represent the major percentage. (Those articles are found on links from an SA thread on boatyards getting sued.)

Story on page 38
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[bobfnbw]

Here in Corpus Christi, Texas there is no cachment system in use. It just washes off into the bay. But try and empty your head and watch out !!
It would be nice if neither was put into the water. But then all the crap from the streets is just sluiced into the bay when it rains.... so not sure if would make any difference.

[sailorboy1]

What are we talking about as far as a catchment? Something that catches all the water, which would have to be pulled to a treatment system if it was going to make any difference, or just something to catch trash etc?

[cal40john]

In Seattle there was an area where they pressure washed that they collected all the water for treatment. The yard I was at also had a diverter valve for directing just rainwater out into the lake when they weren't washing boats.

Now they are expected to catch all rainwater that falls on the entire yard and treat that. One yard estimates that it will cost $250,000 for their 2 acre yard.

This is also affecting DIY. Since they are worried that you won't follow all the rules to make sure they don't pollute, most yards are talking about not allowing you to do your own work.

John

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

What are we talking about as far as a catchment? Something that catches all the water, which would have to be pulled to a treatment system if it was going to make any difference, or just something to catch trash etc?

They are zero-discharge.

[Highlander40]

Our marina got fined for water runnoff with too much calcium.
The seagulls need to be trained to break shells in other areas.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by David M

I know it may seem ridiculous since much of the bottom paint we use is ablative, but I guess every little bit helps.

No, what is ridiculous is that the source of all these pollution issues, copper, hasn't been banned from use in anti fouling paint.

On related note, in a surprising step towards sanity, the state of California has decided to table its proposed Coastal Marina Permit program. This is a State-run program that would require individual marina operators to monitor the quality of the water in their marinas, do frequent sampling, have those samples tested at accredited laboratories and then report the findings to the State. All on the marina’s dime, of course. Marinas found to be in violation of federally-mandated water quality standards could be subject to heavy fines as well. The scary part for dive services (and by association, boaters) is that marinas might find it attractive to ban in-water hull cleaning in an attempt to come into compliance. In any event, wiser heads have prevailed, for now.

BTW- I'm sure you meant otherwise, but the term "ablative" does not describe how all anti fouling paints deliver copper to the environment. The process by which that happens with almost all copper-loaded paints is "leaching", ablative paints included.