EPA-901-F-11-012
No Discharge Areas in New England
What Is a No Discharge Area?
A No Discharge Area (NDA) is a designated body of water where
the discharge of treated and untreated boat sewage is prohibited
(does not include grey water). Under the federal Clean Water Act
it is illegal to discharge untreated (raw) sewage from a vessel in
U.S. waters.
MSDs - Marine Sanitation Devices (Boat Toilets)
Recreational boats are not required to be equipped with a toilet,
but if they are, the Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs) must be
Coast Guard approved. The approved design requires the MSDs
to hold sewage for shore-based disposal or treat the sewage
prior to discharge. There are three types of MSDs:
TYPE I: MSDs discharge treated effluent having a fecal coliform
bacterial count not greater than 1,000 per 100 milliliters of
water and no visible floating solids.
TYPE II: MSDs discharge treated effluent having a fecal coliform
bacterial count 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 pump-out facility or discharged outside the territorial sea
boundary of three miles from shore. These are also known as
holding tanks.
Boat Waste In a No Discharge Area
When operating in a No Discharge Area, Type I, Type II, and Type
III Marine Sanitation Devices cannot be discharged. In No
Discharge Areas, the US Coast Guard regulations state MSDs
Type I, Type II and Type III must be secured to prevent discharge.
A Type I, Type II and Type III MSDs must be secured when
operating in a No Discharge Area. This can be done by closing the
seacock and padlocking it, using a non-releasable wire tie, or
removing the seacock handle (with the seacock closed). Type I
and Type II can also be secured by locking the toilet door handle.
Health Protection
Sewage wastes discharged from boats degrade water quality
by introducing disease-causing microorganisms, nutrients,
and chemicals into the marine environment.
Microorganisms, which include viruses and bacteria, may
introduce diseases like hepatitis and gastroenteritis to people
in contact with the water. Microorganisms may also contami-
nate shellfish beds and cause beach closures.
Nutrients are necessary for the growth of both microscopic
and larger plants (seaweeds and eelgrass). However, when
nutrients become too abundant they stimulate algae blooms
which may lead to the loss of eelgrass and depletion of oxygen
in water (called hypoxia.) 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.
Look for this CVA
symbol to find pump-
out facilities!
&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Clean Vessel Act: http://www.fws.gov/r5fedaid/
www.epa.gov/region01/eco/nodiscrg
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