A Course for Safe Boating

California Boating

A Course for Safe Boating

Chapter 2

Boating Law, Navigational Rules and Navigational Aids

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

State and federal laws are designed to keep waterways cleaner and pollution

free. These laws apply to all recreational boats, no matter what size.

Vessel Sewage (Human Waste)

Though it’s against the law to dump untreated sewage into any navigable

U.S. waters, some recreational boaters still discharge raw waste into coastal

and inland waters. You might think that one person discharging human

waste doesn’t cause a problem. But with almost one million boats registered

in California, and more than four million recreational boaters on the state’s

waterways, pollution from vessel sewage can be a huge problem.

Untreated sewage discharged from boats can spread disease, contaminate

shellfish beds, and lower oxygen levels in water. Exposure to sewage-polluted

water can result in gastroenteritis, hepatitis, dysentery and cholera. State law

also prohibits dumping any human waste (treated or untreated) in a marina,

yacht harbor, fresh water lake, or fresh water impoundment from any vessel

tied to any dock, slip or wharf that has toilet facilities available for the use of

people on the vessel.

A state or local peace officer who reasonably suspects that a vessel is dis-

charging sewage in a prohibited area may board that vessel, if the owner or

operator is aboard, to inspect the Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) for proper

operation and place a dye tablet in the holding tank.

One of DBW’s goals is to eliminate overboard discharge of sewage through

increased use of pumpout facilities and porta-potty dump stations. You can

help by:

Never dumping raw sewage into California waters

Using public toilets onshore before departing

Using a pumpout facility to dispose of holding tank wastes.

On small boats, using a porta-potty and dispose of wastes in an onshore

dump station or toilet.

Keeping the “Y” valve properly secured in the closed position when

navigating inland waters or less than three miles offshore to prevent

accidental discharge.

Reducing the use of chemical additives containing formaldehyde, quaternary

ammonia and chlorine.

Clean Vessel Act

PUMPOUT LOGO

WEBSITES

For more information on marine

sanitation devices and pumpout

locations, visit.

www.dbw.ca.gov/Pumpouts

For information on boating

clean and green, visit.

www.

BoatingCleanandGreen.com

Scan QR Code to

view pumpout

video and a list of

pumpout locations