Sewage Treatments

[Lee]

Peggie,I have read your "US Marine Sanitation Laws" article in the Library and I still have some questions about this subject. The discharge prohibition applies to "untreated" sewage only. What is the definition of "treated" sewage and is there anything that can be added to a Type III MSD (holding tank) that will "treat" the sewage to the degree required to qualify as "treated" and therefore exempt from the prohibition? Thanks, Lee

 

[Peggie Hall/Headmistress]

Treated sewage is ONLY the discharge

from a CG Certified Type I or Type II MSD (treatment device) ...i.e. a Lectra/San, PuraSan, SanX, or other certified treatment device. Type I and II MSDs are certified by the CG in prototype, and every unit made must be made exactly to the certified specs, and must have a certification placard affixed to it by the mfr. Productions units are randomly tested by the CG to make sure that the discharge from 'em meets those required by law. Boat owners cannot design and make their own treatment devices.  There is nothing that can be added to a holding tank to make it legal to dump the tank. In fact, because Type I and II MSDs are all certified discharge treated waste overboard directly from the device, it wouldn't even be legal to dump a tank if the waste had been through a treatment device before going into the tank.