% legal holding tank dumping?

[WantTo]

From Tampa Bay Times August 2019:
“St. Petersburg has sent more than 21 million gallons of improperly treated sewage into the aquifer since 2018.”
How many holding tanks is that? There have been more “spills” since then.

[motion30]

In key west, the city operates pump out boats. The pump out boats service both The mooring field and the boats anchored out near Fleming key. There is no charge but of course a tip is recommended

[capn_billl]

Cruising the Gulf coast, I've never been asked to pay for a pumpout.

If you pumpout at a fuel dock it's expected you at least buy some fuel, but generally not an issue.

The issue is to get to the fuel dock, you need to have a working boat.

[Beagle]

Excellent observation, I have composting heads so no more looking for pump out facilities, off shore dumps. The composted remains are bagged and binned ashore or spread on the flower beds at home.

[motion30]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

Cruising the Gulf coast, I've never been asked to pay for a pumpout.

If you pumpout at a fuel dock it's expected you at least buy some fuel, but generally not an issue.

The issue is to get to the fuel dock, you need to have a working boat.

If you do not have a working boat I believe that automatically make your boat a derelict in Florida, how much larger problem

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by Belezar

I have chartered in the Caribbean quite a bit, and with none of the companies (the big ones at least) do the boats even have a way to hold waste in, and if they do, it’s wired open...

Interesting. Completely different from my experience. In all cases, we were told in no uncertain terms that we must use holding tanks within 3 nm and venture out to sea to discharge.

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by WantTo

From Tampa Bay Times August 2019:
“St. Petersburg has sent more than 21 million gallons of improperly treated sewage into the aquifer since 2018.”
How many holding tanks is that? There have been more “spills” since then.

exactly. 20 million gallons would be about a million boats .. give or take? and that's what we KNOW about. bottom line: the boaters are easy targets. the big cities are untouchable.

[SV Magnolia]

Here in Washington State;
The waters of the Puget Sound are very well protected legally speaking.
There is zero tolerance, other than "Grey Water" But many marina's here are even forbidding the discharge of Galley related Grey. There are so many pump out stations around the sound, that in most areas they are difficult Not to find. None of these are pay. They are all free, and well maintained. There are plenty of Mobile services as well. One very nice program the State of Washington is starting very soon, (this year) is to both install even more pump out stations at all puget Sound state parks, which are plentiful in Puget Sound. Another part of this program entails the State to offer Mobile Pumping services at all State Parks on the Sound. These are all to be at no charge. So really they are allowing people no excuse whatsoever to illegally discharge blackwater into Puget Sound. If the rest of the States with waterways could offer such things, that would be nice .

[lestersails]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I can guarantee that if we took the millions spent on pump out facilities and put that money into municipal treatment plant upgrades, far more effluent would be kept out of our waterways. Not only that but since the municipal overflows are of a sufficient volume and concentration to do real harm, they would actually have a real benefit to the environment.

Valhalla - that is awesome! As soon as you get that accomplished, let us know, so we can then discharge near shore.
Until then, maybe we shouldn't.

These 'somebody else's problem' fallacies are so tiring...

[DancingDays]

Originally Posted by Belezar

I have chartered in the Caribbean quite a bit, and with none of the companies (the big ones at least) do the boats even have a way to hold waste in, and if they do, it’s wired open. My own boat I wait until underway and out 3, but I feel 25% might be a low number for coastal waters - I bet 50+. Personally, I would never ask anyone not to use the head to save a buck, and tanks need a certain amount of liquid to operate.

In my unscientific opinion, in open coastal waters the effluent from private boats is insignificant. I’ll still follow the rules, though.

That surprises me--I've charted all over the Caribbean and the Abacos with the Moorings, TMM, SailCaribe, and DYC. I haven't seen a boat with no useable holding tank since 2005. Most were setup for "gravity" dumping rather than a pump, but they still had holding tanks. The Moorings BVI have been very clear that we not enter US waters with the tanks open.

[kapnkarl]

RANT ALERT!!

Regardless of what city does this and what boat does that, each and everyone one of us must be responsible for our own waste... and must do it in a sanitary and legal manner. One boat dumping, two boats dumping... it all adds up. That's how we (yes we) polluted the heck out of our waters to begin with... one chem plant, two chem plants... etc. Sorry to single someone out but peeing over the side while using a composting toilet for solids is not what we should be doing. There are MILLIONS of us out on the water in boats... MILLIONS!!

We're certainly not perfect, but our marina in NJ has pumpout equipment funded through a stream of funds from federal/state/county and even local municipality grants. Yes, the marina owner still has to reach in his pocket, but we all need to do our part. Even with that, our subsidized pumpout boats come into our marina and make the rounds... for free! Yes, a small gratuity (e.g. $5) is welcome, but never asked for. That helps with the dock-queens that never move out of their slip, not even to go to the fuel dock to pump out. We can reach our pumpout boats on VHF channel 9 as well as by cell phones whose numbers are published on county websites and printed on handout cards available at local marine & other shore-side establishments.

People need to make an honest effort to make this work. Do we want to stay healthy and swim in clean water, catch fish in clean water, boat in clean water? Don't look the other way when you see someone knowingly dump. I'm not saying you need to report him/her, but at least talk to them. Make them aware. Make the effort!!

END RANT

[lestersails]

For those who think it is fine to discharge 'one poop at a time', I would to invite you to come for a swim in Coral Bay's inner harbor in St. John.
No, on the other hand, maybe not, I could be an accessory to murder for inducing you to do so as you would have a good chance of dying from dysentery.
That bay is absolutely filthy from the numerous boats permanently anchored there.

[DShant]

Just for fun I called a pump out company in Fort Lauderdale to see what the rates were. $75 to hook up and $.85 per gallon for black water. Hmm about $200 a week for the average boat I would think. Not much chance anyone will use that.



I think everyone would agree that if there was no discharge from boats into the rivers stream and bays of our country it would be a good thing. Also if pump outs were available without moving your boat ie mobile for a reasonable cost most would use them. It stands to reason that the government should be providing this service. They do it on land for the same reasons. I assume boaters pay taxes just like everyone else so they should be doing it on the water or facilitating private enterprise.



I see from posters here that some areas of the US have cheap and easy pump out systems. Until that is the case everywhere overboard discharges will continue. Why Florida doesn't do it with the massive amount of boats on their waterways is beyond me.

[merrydolphin]

Holding tanks are a bunch of crap. More ways that one. Yes, the OP said how many pump there, holding tanks. Hopefully very few. Now how many pump their heads is a better question.
I hate that many lazy and cheap manufacturers are selling boats that MUST go through the holding tank. They are the ones the might or probable be tempted to dump the tank. Very bad for the environment. Those that pump just the head as normally used really not a problem with reasonable tidal flow.
When I was in Trinidad the government rightfully was concerned about the many hundreds of boats anchored in the inner bay and all pumping heads. They conducted serious research on pollution of the area. And indeed they did find that the e-coli count went very high!…………BUT, only when it rained! Yes, water run off from the land. The boats were not causing any problem. With normal tidal flow nature can handle it.
The vast majority of water pollution is coming from shore. Not boats! We just make an easy target for municipalities to pollute and blame us! They pump thousands of cubic feet per minute into the water, supposedly fully treated. No way. They try but rarely get there. Sometimes barely treated is more like it. In a perfect world it would be, but it’s not. And we really do make such an easy target to blame.
The one or two turds a day the we pump in per day (and when it come out it is macerated or broken up), and easily handled by extreme dilution.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by lestersails

Valhalla - that is awesome! As soon as you get that accomplished, let us know, so we can then discharge near shore.
Until then, maybe we shouldn't.

These 'somebody else's problem' fallacies are so tiring...

Yeah, that "guarantee" was invalidated a few pages ago.

There is a valid point to be made that just cruisers are not going to discharge enough to cause harm... but what people conveniently ignore is that actual cruisers are a small minority of boaters. The regulations are more for the higher numbers of daytrippers and weekenders, and for the practicalities of enforcement, given that you can't simply wait to catch actual discharges.

And of course the larger point that most of the complainers are normally pretty much indifferent to the big discharges that they mention as an excuse. They don't seem to be supporting or electing the people who pledge to clean up the big messes.