Pumpout Facilities

[roverhi]

The truth is sewage from pleasure boats is not a problem in open salt water. Mandating holding tanks is just a political ploy to make the politicians look good. If they really cared, they'd have made sure WORKING pump out facilities were available. Hope you are enjoying your State and Federally mandated floating outhouse.

A happy LectraSan equipped boater for more than 40 years.

Originally Posted by CaptTom

My understanding is that, in order to be listed as a "no discharge zone", the state or region must first prove that there are sufficient pump-out facilities such that this won't cause a hardship to boaters.

I've also heard that, before the NDZ is established, money is frequently available to install new pump-out stations to meet this requirement.

However, once the NDZ is in place, nobody seems to check that those facilities are still available to the boating public, and there's no money available to maintain or staff them.

Most marinas accept the free equipment. But it's not their core business, and many avoid putting it in a prime location at their facility. Others see no value in maintaining it, or even having staff leave their other duties to help boaters pump out. Over time they break down or pieces get "lost" or forgotten. Even the working ones are sometimes only offered to paying fuel customers.

[John A]

In the third world countries of the Caribbean/Bahamas has anyone heard of an island with a sewage treatment plant? Or fishing villages with individual septic tanks?

[a64pilot]

Every time it rains good here in South Ga.
Nearly Eight Million Gallons Of Raw Sewage... Straight Into Area River

One or two boats worth.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Every time it rains good here in South Ga.
Nearly Eight Million Gallons Of Raw Sewage... Straight Into Area River

One or two boats worth.

Not to mention all the dolphins and fish that poop in the river.

[Kenomac]

In the USA, way too much time, worry and money is spent on matters which don't really make any difference. Everytime it rains in most major US cities, the sewage treatment plants cannot possibly treat all the water, so millions of gallons of sewage and runoff goes untreated... This happens everywhere. A pleasure boaters daily addition, makes no difference.

If you think you're saving the planet by hauling around sh&t and dumping it properly in specified locations... You're only fooling yourself.

[IdoraKeeper]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

In the USA, way too much time, worry and money is spent on matters which don't really make any difference. Everytime it rains in most major US cities, the sewage treatment plants cannot possibly treat all the water, so millions of gallons of sewage and runoff goes untreated... This happens everywhere. A pleasure boaters daily addition, makes no difference.

If you think you're saving the planet by hauling around sh&t and dumping it properly in specified locations... You're only fooling yourself.

Well, there's no direct pipeline to (Con)gress so I try to stay on the side of (Pro)gress. I consider a tank full, keeping my powder dry.

[Patman]

Pleanty of places around New Bern NC. Had mine pumped out Monday Morning.

[thinwater]

NDZ are actually quite rare, only a handful on the east coast and only 2 connected to the Chesapeake Bay (Herring Bay and Broad Creek area). There are plentiful pump-out facilities in both areas.

Just for those readers that may not understand, a NDZ is an area where not even the discharge of a type 1 or 2 MSD is permitted (Electroscan, for example). On the other hand, discharge of holding tank waste is prohibited in ALL waters within 3 miles, regardless of any practicality test or availability of pump-out.

[Blue Crab]

It's good to hear guys. I'd have given it little sway but the guy seemed pretty squared away. He didn't say he'd tried everywhere. I think he lost it in Oriental, "Boat capital of NC", when he couldn't find a working unit, and by extension there wasn't one in one of the most heavily-traveled recreational boating corridors in the world.

He called on the radio wanting a pumpout and diesel. If I'd have answered the call I'd have told him no pumpout and he'd have gone on south, wanting to trade the good will of buying diesel with the "bad" of the pumpout. We wasted his time. And I suspect most CFers know that marina management had been well and truly informed. Months ago. Geez.

The obvious point is the law is what it is. We all know it can and likely will get worse. My real quest in the world or at least in the US is how "we" can get our country back from the professional pols?

[Huey2]

Michigan has the Sea Grant program where they pick up 75% of the costs for a pump out system. I think marinas who make their living from the water need to do their part to keep our water ways clean. My pump out system is free to everyone in the marina & $5.00 to all others.......and yes I had help from the Michigan Sea Grant program. Bad behavior by some shouldn't be an excuse for us to do the same thing. Have had 25+ successful years from my vacuum system which is self serve.