Direct discharge head - illegal?

Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
It's all just politicians "doing the right thing for the environment"...and unfortunately there are a whole bunch more environmental zealot voters than there are owners of boats big enough to have toilets. I've always considered it the ultimate irony that the very DAY Rhode Island's statewide NDZ law went into effect a major sewage treatment plant spill in Providence closed all the beaches and shellfish beds in that half of Narragansett Bay for a week!
Funny you should mention RI. There are thousands of boats on Narragansett Bay. Some years back the University of RI environmental folks did a scientific study of the impact that all those boats could have on the water quality in the bay with people aboard discharging overboard. The results showed the affect to be not measurable. On the other hand large sewerage plants in Providence, East Providence, Bristol, and others, directly impact the water quality in a measurable way. I know this is an old discussion but the truth remains. Government can bully little guys like us but big guys are exempt from persecution and harassment. Almost like the old saying that "..if I borrow $10,000 the bank is my creditor....if I borrow $10,000,000 the bank is my partner.."
 
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Oct 1, 2007
1,856
Boston Whaler Super Sport Pt. Judith
There are way too many people with money enough for a boat who are very low class. Sure lets just act like soulless animals and spread our feces everywhere. The difference between upper class people and the lower classes is not money, or even intelligence, it is understanding respect and grace.
What the hell does "low class" and "upper class" mean?
 
Nov 6, 2006
9,884
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
Welcome, JohnB.. I had some dealings with this stuff over the years.. Interesting that we had to quit using Mississippi River water industrially because the EPA reg for water return was cleaner than the water coming in directly from the river.. Another not-well-thought-out reg from those guys that resulted in folks switching to well water which now is causing subsidence and salt intrusion into the aquifers..
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
What the hell does "low class" and "upper class" mean?
Roger Long once pondered, "I like power boats, but I bought a sailboat so I could hang out with a better class of people".
 
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SFS

.
Aug 18, 2015
2,065
Currently Boatless Okinawa
And Groucho Marks famously stated " I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member."
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
It only becomes illegal if goes into anything--even a bucket--first.
Sooo... Can I make a seat on the bow, like the old days and shit directly into the sea ?

Discharge of sewage overboard is just dumb.
The whole lower end of Vancouver Island dump their sewage, into the sea, untreated, and yet they get pissy about boats. Pumpouts that you pay for, end up in the same place. hehe.

What is dumb, is regulations that have little impact, vs the HUGE amount of untreated sewage from over capacity treatment plants, municipal untreated water, not to mention run off from agriculture.

It's the easy pickings they go after. It makes people feel that they (each individual) are actually doing something.

The real environmental solution is birth control.
If we cut our complete environmental impact in half... in 8 years, after the world population doubled, we'd be almost back to where we are.
But that's another discussion.
 
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Jan 25, 2011
2,391
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
Ya the whole area of Victoria and surrounding areas dump raw sewage into the strait. Go to a pumpout in BC and chances are it won't work. That is if you can even get to it. And chances are it's a day away from any float plan..The Canucks don't care..The minute I clear, my valves are changed...That said, There are areas where a NDZ is declared and makes sense.
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
The Canucks don't care
The thing is, Victorianites do care. But Victoria is actually a bunch of little municipalities with a bunch of mayors.
"A sewage plant ! Not In My Back Yard ! Look how much it would cost to unify the sewage system or build multiple plants !!!"

So, it won't change.

Personally I don't see the advantage to the large plant idea. "Let's unify the sewage and concentrate in one place" ? Almost every plant has overflows, and they don't address fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Impact is all about the concentration level

That said, There are areas where a NDZ is declared and makes sense.
Fully Agreed
 
Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
Sooo... Can I make a seat on the bow, like the old days and shit directly into the sea ?
Weelll...I don't think there's any law against it. Something like this bumper dumper but without the bucket. Might be easier to install and remove if you mounted it on the transom instead of the bow, though.

If you decide to go with it, be sure to get a lot of photos!
 
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Oct 22, 2014
20,989
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
So I get this correct, Standing up on the transom and discharging borrowed beer is bad. Whales returning borrowed water to the sea is ok.
 
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Dec 2, 1997
8,708
- - LIttle Rock
The bow would work well since it would function like a bidet under the right conditions :)
That's how the original ones worked 'cuz there was no TP in the those days. Not a lot of fun in cold seas.

So I get this correct, Standing up on the transom and discharging borrowed beer is bad. Whales returning borrowed water to the sea is ok.
As long as you don't try to show off your outlet for the borrowed beer and there's nothing between it and the water, you and the whales have equal legal rights.