A Boaters Guide to

No  Discharge Areas

in New England

One of EPA New England's highest priorities is to protect public
health and the environment by eliminating bacterial contamination
of our surface waters. Designating "No Discharge Areas" where
sewage discharges from boats are prohibited is a key part of our
strategy to address this problem. New England is far ahead of any
other region in the country in terms of both number of individual
No Discharge Areas as well as total area afforded this extra level of
environmental protection. All coastal waters in Connecticut,  Rhode
Island, and New Hampshire, much of Massachusetts, Boothbay
Harbor and Casco Bay in Maine are no discharge, and we are
looking forward to the day when all of the New England coastline
is no discharge.


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 contaminate
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.
What is a NDA?
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 US waters.


MSD's- Marine Sanitation Devices (Boat Toilets)
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. 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
holdingtanks.


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 MDS must be secured when operat-
ing 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.
                      United States
                      Environmental Protection
                      Agency

www.epa.gov/region01/eco/nodiscrg
Clean Vessel Act: http://www.fws.gov/r5fedaid/
    Look for this
    CVA symbol
    to find pump-
    out facilities!
                                   EPA 901-F-09-023
 Ci Printed on tree free paper that is 100% recyclable.

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