Laws and Safety Equipment

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POLLUTION REGULATIONS AND ASSOCIATED PLACARDS

United States vessels of 26 feet or longer must display in a prominent location, a durable placard at least 5 by 8 inches, fixed in a conspicuous place in the machinery spaces, or at the bilge pump control station, notifying the crew and passengers of oil discharge restrictions.

Capacity to retain oily mixtures

• Regulations issued under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act require all vessels with propulsion machinery to have a capacity to retain oily mixtures on board and be equipped with a fixed or portable means to discharge these oily mixtures to a reception facility. A bucket and rags meet this requirement.
• On recreational vessels, a bucket, oil absorbent pads and heavy-duty plastic bag, bailer or portable pump are some suitable means that meet the requirement for retention on board until transferring the oily mixture to a reception facility.
• No person may intentionally drain oil or oily waste from any source into the bilge of any vessel.

DISCHARGE OF GARBAGE PROHIBITED

Waste Management

United States oceangoing vessels of 40 feet or longer, which are engaged in commerce or are equipped with a galley and berthing must have a written Waste Management Plan.

CALIFORNIA WATER QUALITY

The proper use of marine sanitation devices is critical to the protection of water quality throughout California, and use of marine sanitation devices is required to be in conformance with the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

For proper utilization of retention-type marine sanitation devices installed in conformance with the federal Water Pollution Control Act and for the protection of the quality of the waters of this state, adequate vessel pumpout facilities are essential.

Every vessel with a marine toilet shall comply with federal standards for marine sanitation devices.

Definitions

"Marine sanitation device" means any equipment on board a vessel which is designed to receive, retain, treat, or discharge sewage and any process to treat the sewage.

"Sewage" means human body wastes and the wastes from toilets and other receptacles intended to receive or retain body waste.

"State board" means the State Water Resources Control Board.

"Regional board" means a California regional water quality control board.

"Waters of this state" shall mean all waters of the state except waters beyond three nautical miles of any shore of the state.

"Department" means the Department of Boating and Waterways.

"No-discharge area" means a body of water designated as a no-discharge area under subsection (f) of Section 312 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. Sec. 1322 (f)).

"Discharge" means spilling, leaking, pumping, pouring, emitting, emptying, or dumping.

"Secured" means, for a marine sanitation device not approved for use in a no-discharge area, mechanically controlling valves or facilities in an identifiable manner to prevent any overboard discharge of sewage.

Every vessel pumpout facility shall have a notice posted on the facility identifying the city, county, local public health officer, or boating law enforcement officer responsible for enforcing the requirements, with the telephone number where a violation may be reported.

No person shall disconnect, bypass, or operate a marine sanitation device so as to discharge sewage into the waters of this state, unless the particular discharge is expressly authorized or permitted pursuant to state or federal law or regulations.

The following prohibitions apply in no-discharge areas:

• No person shall disconnect, bypass, or operate a marine sanitation device so as to potentially discharge sewage.
• No person shall occupy or operate a vessel in which a marine sanitation device is installed unless the marine sanitation device is properly secured.