California Boating
A Course for Safe Boating
33
Chapter 2
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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/PumpoutsFor information on boating
clean and green, visit.
www.
BoatingCleanandGreen.com
Scan QR Code to
view pumpout
video and a list of
pumpout locations