It's official. Puget Sound boaters are full of it

Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
If you simply poop over the side, and don't use a bucket is it legal in a NDZ?
You aren't using a MSD then.

I seem to remember a previous discussion in that regard saying it was a loophole.
Easy to put some padded grips on the pulpit ;)
 
May 20, 2016
3,014
Catalina 36 MK1 94 Everett, WA
Yes or if your poop/pee while swimming it’s ok. Only illegal if it is contained in a container other than the sound is it illegal to dump overboard

Les
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Yes or if your poop/pee while swimming it’s ok. Only illegal if it is contained in a container other than the sound is it illegal to dump overboard Les
No, it is NOT okay. You can NOT discharge ANY sewage into the waters- even if it's straight from the asses butt. But does it HAPPEN??? Sure, it does, bbut it's still not legal..
 
Apr 26, 2018
137
Catalina Catalina 30 Bayview
I cannot comment after reading more about King County....it will degrade to political banter. Here is my response
4E93072C-CD8E-47FB-BC0E-3200076B8DAB.jpeg
 
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Gunni

.
Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Seattle/King County is under a consent order to clean up their wastewater discharge problems. And like all discharging municipalities they bust themselves by reporting their discharge violations. So if you want to be treated like Seattle, flag down the marine police next time you pee in the Sound and he’ll write you a ticket. In Maryland I believe it is a $1,000/violation.

Seattle like many older cities has a Combined sewer system. You can look that up to see the definition. They have been paying hefty fines for discharging over-chlorinated raw sewage from their Combined sewage storage - this is what treating marine sanitation devices do, they simply chlorinate your waste, kill bacteria and discharge it.

I have heard that Vancouver discharges raw waste into Puget Sound, you Canadians need to work on that because it is not cool and could endanger your national reputation for courtesy, and polite behavior!
 
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Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
Seattle like many older cities has a Combined sewer system. You can look that up to see the definition.
Read my post. We have a combined sewer in this city, with the same problems. Fully aware of the problems that creates and the costs of fixing it. (I owned a small water treatment company that worked with industrial customers to develop solutions)

Seattle/King County is under a consent order to clean up their wastewater discharge problems. And like all discharging municipalities they bust themselves by reporting their discharge violations.
As quoted above from the official docs, they plan on reducing current untreated discharge incidents to a standard of one discharge per each of the 38 outlets.. by 2030. 38 discharges per year, of UNDEFINED amounts.. 12 years from now.
Obviously they can't afford to lower than number..I don't doubt that 2030 target, of simply reducing the number of untreated outflows, (not the actual gallons of of outflow), will be extended, like all government projects.

The fines somewhat make me laugh. It's like taking money from one pocket and moving it to another when the government does inter department fines. $1,000 for a boater to pee vs $13,000 for 300,000 gallons released from a municipality. LOL. A bit of a joke IMHO.

I have heard that Vancouver discharges raw waste into Puget Sound, you Canadians need to work on that because it is not cool and could endanger your national reputation for courtesy, and polite behavior!
If you read my post it's lower Vancouver Island, not Vancouver. And according to PR releases they are working on a plan. Unless you mean Vancouver WA, which also has untreated sewage issues south of puget sound ?


After reading a bunch of stuff last night, it looks like the Puget Sound municipalities don't have the capacity to handle the waste they have, never mind the additional sewage from pump outs. (possible increased seasonal rainfall will make it even worse, unless they eliminate the combined sewer systems)

It's almost as goofy as putting pump-outs on Lower Vanc Island, when they don't treat sewage at all.

Sewage from lands, and from marine use, is definitely a problem. The science is there.
But, spending money on pump outs when you have much bigger problems, is like putting valve cover gaskets on a car that is spewing oil all over the road from it's drain plug. A rational approach is to fix the bigger problems with what money you have, then tackle the smaller ones.

Let's hope all the PNW regions get their crap together, but unfortunately it will take HUGE piles of money to convert all the combined systems. That takes money, yet people on both sides of the Strait of Juan de Fuca rant about taxes and want stuff for free. All while population increases put more load on the infrastructure.

Taxpayers in general are simply too cheap, or too poor, to pay the bill to actually fix problems. So they blame others as a misdirection/distraction, or attempt to "fix" a smaller problem to make themselves feel better.
 
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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Leeward, therein lies the dichotomy. You go to say, Van Isle in Sidney and get a pump out. That effluent flows through a series of pumps, burning electricity, to Victoria where it exits into the strait.
 
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Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
Leeward, therein lies the dichotomy. You go to say, Van Isle in Sidney and get a pump out. That effluent flows through a series of pumps, burning electricity, to Victoria where it exits into the strait.
Exactly. Feel good stupidity with a bit of business profit thrown in.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,994
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Yes but the thinking is that the Strait, which flushes to the ocean twice a day, will easily dilute all hazardous issues. :banghead::ass:
 
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Gunni

.
Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Doesn’t Puget Sound have a big oyster and clam fishery? Including the Ron Jeremy of clams, the Geoduck?
I mean, who wants to pull the TP out of their skookum oyster before sliding it down? :puke:
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,994
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
This issue always reminds me of a Pogo cartoon from the early 70's.
Pogo and trash.jpg
 
May 10, 2004
113
Hunter 340 Bremerton, WA up from Woodland
+1 on the stupidity of NDZ impacts in light of municipal discharges. Also, thank goodness Washington State has decided to postpone the Cu based bottom paint ban. More stupidity in light of brake dust metals and organics washing into the Sound from Seattle storm drains.
 

Bob S

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Sep 27, 2007
1,771
Beneteau 393 New Bedford, MA
I knew Massachusetts was a NDZ, this is why I never replaced a failed macerator pump. It's pretty easy to get a pump out. I've been able to put my name on a pump out list at both my marina and my previous mooring field boat yard and they send a pump out boat midweek to take care of it. Anywhere you anchor you can radio for a pump out too. Not sure how it's handled outside MA or RI. What I didn't realize is there is an area inside Nantucket Sound that is not an NDZ not that it will make a difference. Handling waste is not a problem.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,994
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Talk about bad ideas... Heard that Alaska Airlines is now considering a "Fly your Own - bargain air fares" promotion in the Puget Sound....
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
This of course ( not the airplane idea) has little to nothing to do with the low orca birth rates, and the incident from last week.
I am thankful that we have had the opportunity to witness these creatures 20’ off the back of the boat.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,994
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
They reported that trying to feed the ailing female off the coast of Vancouver Ils with live salmon did not go well.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
The baby has been abandoned after 6 days of attention.
Kinda sad actually.