A Boaters Guide to No Discharge Areas and Pump Outs in New Hampshire &EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency New England NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF Environmental ------- Health Protection Sewage wastes discharged from boats may degrade water quality by introducing microorganisms, nutrients, and chemical products into the marine environment. •Microorganisms, which include pathogens like viruses, bacteria and protozoans may introduce diseases like hepatitis and gastroentritis to people in contact with the water and can contaminate shellfish beds and cause beach closures. •Nutrients are necessary for the growth of microscopic plants and larger plants (seaweeds and eelgrass). However, when nutrients become too abundant they stimulate algae blooms which may lead to loss of eelgrass and depletion of oxygen in the water. Depletion of oxygen in water (called hypoxia) can stress and even kill fish and other aquatic animals. •Chemical products can be toxic to marine and estuarine life and could pose a problem in areas where boats congregate and where there is little tidal flushing. Complying \vith vessel sewage discharge laws and regulations, and using pumpout facilities, is a necessary step in protecting public health, water quality, and the marine environment. ------- Marine Sanitation Devices (Boat Toilets) Recreational boats are not required to be equipped with a toilet, but it" they are, the Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) must be Coast Guard approved. The approved design holds sewage for shore-based disposal or treats the sewage prior to discharge. The three types of MSDs are: Type I MSDs discharge treated effluent having a fecal coliform bacterial count not greater the 1000 per 100 milliliters of water and no visible floating solids. Type II MSDs discharge treated effluent having a fecal coliform bacterial count of less than 200 per 100 milliliters and suspended solids not greater than 150 milligrams per liter. Type III MSDs are devices designed to store sewage (usually with disinfectants and deodorants added) until it can be pumped out at a pumpout facility or dis- charged outside the territorial seas boundary <>t three miles from shore. These are commonly known as holding tanks. • Vessels 65 ft and under may install a Type I, Type II, or Type III MSD. Vessels over 65 ft in length must install a Type II or Type III. • Portable toilets or "porta-potties" are not considered installed toilets and are not subject to the MSD regulations. They are however, subject to die disposal regulations, which prohibit the disposal of raw sewage within the 3 mile limit or territorial waters of the United States, the Great Lakes or navigable rivers. ------- • Shellfish beds are closed when fecal counts exceed 14 per 100 milliliters (this is the number of colony-forming units of fecal coliform per 100 milliliters—or about one teacup of water). Historically, swimming was not advised when fecal coliform counts exceeded 200 per 100 milliliters. Coastal recreational \vater standards are now based on enterococci bacteria, instead of fecal coliform. Swimming is not advised when enterococci densities exceed an average of 35 organisms per 100 ml (based on at least five samples over a 30 day period), or 104 organisms per 100 ml for a single sample. • Type III MSB's and "porta-potties" are the only sanitary equipment that can be used in a No Discharge Area. Managing Boat Waste in a No Discharge Area When operating in a No Discharge Area Type I, Type II and Type III Marine Sanitation Device can not be discharged. In No Discharge Areas, the US Coast Guard regulations state that MSDs Type I and Type II must be secured to prevent discharge. Sufficient examples given by the US Coast Guard to secure Type I and Type II MSDs include closing the seacock and padlocking it, using a non-releasable wire tie, using a door handle lock, or removing the seacock handle (with the seacock closed). Recreational boats are not required to be equipped with a toilet, but if they are, the Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) must be Coast Guard approved. I ------- Current New Hampshire No Discharge Areas: In 1975. New Hampshire designated all of its inland waters as a No Discharge Area. The inland ( waterbodies of concern include: Lake Winnipesaukee, Lake Winnisquam, Squam Lakes, Newfound Lake and Lake Sunapee. New Hampshire has also proposed designation for its coastal waters as a No Discharge Area. All tidal waters from inland harbors to the three mile state limit are included, as well as tributaries up to the tidal dams. A No Discharge Area is a designated body of water in which the discharge of treated and untreated boat sewage is prohibited (this does not include greywater or sink water). Under the federal Clean Water Act it is illegal to discharge untreated (raw) sewage from a vessel within the territorial waters (generally 3 miles from shore) of the United States, the Great Lakes and navigable rivers. Communities in NH have taken steps to ensure better water quality in marine waters by designating their waterbodies, harbors and coves as No Discharge Areas. For more information, please refer to the following websites: Connecticut: www.dep.state.ct.us/olisp/cva.HTM Maine: www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docgrant/pumpout.htm Massachusetts: www.mass.gov/czm/potoc.htm New Hampshire: www.des.state.nh.us/wmb/cva/dir_map.htm For all of New England: www.epa.gov/ne/eco/nodiscrg/index.html or www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/vessel_sewage/vsdarticle.html ------- INLAND/FRESHWATER Waterbody Lake Winnipesaukee Lake Winnisquam LakeSunapee Squam Lake COASTAL STATIONS Waterbody Cocheco River Little Bay Little Harbor Hampton Harbor/River STATIONS Marina Name Robert's Cove Marina West Alton Marina Fay's Boat Yard Mountainview Yacht Club Silver Sands Marina Lakeport Landing Paugus Bay Marina Irwin Marine Channel Marine Anchor Marine Meredith Marina Meredith Town Docks Shep Brown's Boat Basin Wolfeboro Corinthian Yacht Club Goodhue & Hawkins Navy Yard Winnisquam Marine Sunapee Harbor - Dump Station Only Riveredge Marina - Dump Station Only Marina Name George's Marina Great Bay Marine Little Bay Boating Club Wentworth by the Sea Marina Hampton River Marina Town Alton Alton Gilford Gilford Gilford Lakeport Laconia Laconia Weirs Beach Weirs Beach Meredith Meredith Meredith Wolfeboro Wolfeboro Winnisquam Sunapee Ashland Town Dover Newington Dover New Castle Hampton Phone Number (603) 569-1800 (603) 875-7788 (603) 293-8000 (603) 293-0059 (603) 293-7200 (603) 524-3755 (603) 524-1233 (603) 524-6661 (603) 366-4801 (603) 366-4311 (603) 279-7921 (603) 279-4538 (603) 527-1882 (603) 569-1234 (603) 569-2371 (603) 532-8380 (603) 968-4411 Phone Number (603) 742-9089 (603) 436-5299 (603) 749-9282 (603) 433-5050 (603) 929-1422 i printed on fully recyclable paper EPA-901-F-05-005 ------- |