Boats/Marinas

INTRODUCTION

POLLUTANTS AND SOURCES

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

INTRODUCTION

Because marinas are located at the water's edge, there is often no buffering of these waters from released pollutants. This close association of marinas with the water resource requires BMP emphasis on preventive measures. Under Phase I of the NPDES stormwater permitting program, some marinas, essentially those with boat and other vehicle maintenance and repair facilities, are required to obtain permits for their stormwater point source discharges. Additionally, Phase II program requirements may apply to additional classes of marinas. The appropriate state environmental agency or USEPA should be contacted to obtain more specific information on applicability and permitting requirements. Information is available at the USEPA's Office of Water Marinas/Boating webpage. The BMPs below are useful regardless of a facility's permitting status.

POLLUTANTS AND SOURCES

Adverse environmental impacts may result from the following sources of pollution associated with marinas and recreational boating:

• poorly flushed waterways where dissolved oxygen deficiencies exist;
• pollutants discharged from boats;
• pollutants transported in stormwater runoff from parking lots, roofs, and other impervious surfaces;
• the physical alteration or destruction of wetlands and of shellfish and other benthic communities during the construction of marinas, ramps, and related facilities; and
• pollutants generated from boat maintenance activities on land and in the water (USEPA, 1993).

• BOD and SOD (sediment oxygen demand) caused by organics in sewage, fish cleanings, and food waste discharged from recreational boats;
• nutrients from sewage, fish cleanings, and food waste discharged from recreational boats;
• pathogens from sewage discharged from recreational boats;
• metals from several sources, including leaded fuel additives, lead in bilge from boat ballast; arsenic from paint pigment, pesticide, and wood preservatives; zinc from anodes used to deter metal corrosion; copper and tin from biocidal antifouling agents; and other metals from boat and marina construction. Copper is the most common metal found at toxic concentrations in marina waters. Both copper and tin (as butyltin) have been found at toxic concentrations in marina waters nationwide, deriving from boat hull bottom paints and scrapings;
• turbidity from sediments suspended by boat operation and dredging activities;
• petroleum hydrocarbons from refueling activities and bilge or fuel discharge from boats.

BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Intelligent marina siting, design, and construction can help to minimize initial water quality impacts, and guidance is available on these topics (USEPA, 1985; USEPA, 1993) (see also Urban Stormwater and Construction BMPs). However, the ongoing operation and maintenance of the facility and the boats within it are key to successful long-term protection of water quality. The following BMPs address these ongoing operation aspects of marinas.

Boat Operation

Boat operation can resuspend bottom sediment, reintroducing metals, nutrients, organic matter, and toxic substances into the water column. It can increase turbidity, affecting photosynthetic activity of algae and submerged aquatic vegetation, which provides important habitat and plays an important role in maintaining water quality by assimilating nutrients and stabilizing the substrate. Boat operation can also directly damage or destroy bottom habitat. To minimize such impacts from boat operation, motorized vessels should be excluded from areas that contain important shallow-water habitat, and no-wake zones should be established to decrease erosional energy and turbidity (USEPA, 1993). Conscientious boat operation is most valuable in minimizing water quality impacts when used as part of a system of BMPs which involves environmentally guided siting, design, and construction of marinas, and includes measures which minimize pollutant inputs to near-shore waters, such as providing boat sewage disposal facilities, solid and liquid waste disposal facilities, dry boat maintenance and repair facilities, fish-cleaning facilities, public information, and restricting in-the-water boat work at marinas.

Liquid Waste And Fuel Handling

Storage areas with adequate containment features, such as curbs, berms, walls, or dikes, should be established for liquid material (see INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER BMPs). Separate containers for the disposal of waste oil, gasoline, antifreeze, and diesel, kerosene, and mineral spirits should be available and clearly labeled. Patrons should be provided with proper disposal information. Containers should be stored on an impervious surface and properly covered against weather. A permitted handler should remove such wastes. Fueling equipment should be equipped with automatic shut-off nozzles to reduce spillage during fueling operations. Inboard engine-boaters should be encouraged to use oil-absorbing materials in bilge areas, and to dispose of and replace them appropriately (USEPA, 1993). Proper liquid waste and fuel handling minimizes loadings of oil and grease, hydrocarbons, and toxic chemicals into the water resource. Conscientious liquids handling is most valuable in minimizing water quality impacts when used as part of a system of BMPs which involves environmentally guided siting, design, and construction of marinas, and responsible boat handling to minimize reintroduction of deposited pollutants.

Sewage Disposal

The discharge of sanitary waste from vessels is under control of the Coast Guard, which was charged under the Clean Water Act of 1972, Section 312, with the adoption of regulations setting standards for design and use of Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs) and with the enforcement of those standards. State and local governments are prohibited from promulgating their own regulations concerning MSDs (Gordon, 1989). However, the following are some means available to state and local managers for minimizing adverse water quality impacts of boat waste. These measures can significantly reduce inputs of oxygen consuming organic matter, pathogens, and nutrients into the water resource. Proper sewage disposal is most valuable in minimizing water quality impacts when used as part of a system of BMPs which involves environmentally guided siting, design, and construction of marinas, and responsible boat handling to minimize reintroduction of deposited pollutants.

No-Discharge Zone: USEPA may allow a State to prohibit all discharges from MSDs, thus declaring an area a "no-discharge zone". Any State may apply to the EPA Administrator for designation of a "no-discharge zone" in some or all of the waters of the State; however, EPA must ensure that these waters meet certain tests before granting the application (USEPA, 1993).

Public Education: Two of the most important factors in successfully preventing sewage discharge are providing adequate and available pumpout facilities and conducting a comprehensive boater education program. Interpretive and instructional signage about location and use of pumpout facilities installed at marinas and boat-launching facilities is a key method of disseminating information to the boating public. Pamphlets or flyers available at marinas, supply stores, tackle shops, and boat shows; talks and newsletters to boating groups; and inserts in billings and boat registration forms are all methods of conveying information on the environmental impacts of improper sewage disposal, on sound boat operation and maintenance, and on the specifics of where and how to properly dispose of sewage waste (USEPA, 1993).

Pumpout Facilities - Fixed-Point Systems: One or more centrally located sewage pumpout stations, generally situated at the end of a pier and often on a fueling pier for convenience. Pumps or a vacuum system with flexible hose attachment draws wastewater from a docked boat's pumpout fitting and moves it to an onshore holding tank, a pubic sewer system, a private treatment facility, or another approved disposal facility. For boats with small, removable toilets, a similarly connected dump station should be provided (USEPA, 1993).

Pumpout Facilities - Portable Systems: Two types of portable systems have been identified. The more common one functions the same as the fixed-point system with the advantage of mobility for servicing different docks. Wastes are drawn from a docked boat's pumpout fitting via vacuum or pump setup and hose attachment into a storage tank. The full tank is discharged into the marina's disposal facilities. These are thought by many to be the most economical and logistically feasible means of ensuring proper disposal of boat sewage (Natchez, 1991). An emerging portable technology is the radio-dispatched pumpout boat, which goes to vessels in response to radioed requests, eliminating the inconvenience of lines, docking, and maneuvering vessels in high-traffic areas (USEPA, 1993).

Pumpout Facilities - Dedicated Slipside Systems: Where live-aboard vessels are situated, continuous wastewater collection at the slip should be provided. This would involve fixed force main piping, pumping, and sewage disposal means on the part of the marina. Language should be included in slip leasing agreements mandating the use of pumpout facilities and specifying penalties for failure to comply (USEPA, 1993).

Solid Waste Generation And Disposal

Marinas should ensure that solid waste from boat operation, maintenance, and repair is properly disposed of. Sufficient area should be designated, above the high water line, for boat repair and maintenance, and such work should not be allowed outside of designated areas. These areas should be cleaned regularly. In-the-water hull scraping or any process for removing paint from the boat hull that occurs underwater should be prohibited. Where feasible, boats should be removed from the water to perform cleaning. Boats cleaned in the water should be washed by hand. Detergents and cleaning compounds used should be phosphate-free and biodegradable. Use of detergents containing ammonia, sodium hypochlorite, chlorinated solvents, petroleum distillates, or lye should be discouraged. Abrasive blasting should be allowed only in booths or under tarp enclosures. Proper waste disposal facilities should be provided, including recycling facilities where possible. Designated fish-cleaning areas should be established, along with waste receptacles, explicit rules and educational information, and regular waste disposal. Fish-cleaning should be prohibited if marinas are not equipped to handle fish waste (USEPA, 1993). Proper solid waste generation and disposal minimizes loadings of metals, biocides, other toxic chemicals, petroleum hydrocarbons, organic matter, and nutrients into the water resource. Conscientious solid waste handling is most valuable in minimizing water quality impacts when used as part of a system of BMPs which involves environmentally guided siting, design, and construction of marinas, and responsible boat handling to minimize reintroduction of deposited pollutants.

REFERENCES

Gordon, D.G., 1989. Managing Nonpoint Pollution: An Action Plan Handbook for Puget Sound Watersheds. Puget Sound Water Quality Authority, Seattle, WA.

Natchez, D.S., 1991. Are Marinas Really Polluting? International Marina Institute, Wickford, RI.

USEPA, 1985. Coastal Marinas Assessment Handbook. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Atlanta, GA. 300pp.

USEPA, 1993. Guidance Specifying Management Measures for Sources of Nonpoint Pollution In Coastal Waters. EPA-840-B-92-002, January 1993. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Washington, DC.

NCSU Water Quality Group

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