Responsible management of black water waste from leisure vessels protects the marine environment and adds to the fun of boating. Installing a holding tank in your boat could be a promising start.
Why do I need to fit a holding tank?
Quite simply, holding tanks help reduce the discharge of black water. Untreated sewage released in areas close to the coast harms the marine environment – particularly in sensitive areas where there are shellfish beds and coral reefs.
Discharging black water into marinas is out of the question. After all, who wants to swim in an area where boaters may have discharged untreated sewage?
How do I discharge a holding tank?
The holding tank features two discharge outlets – one for connection to the pump-out hose, one for discharge via seacock and through-hull fitting. A standard 80–100 litre holding tank will take about five to eight minutes to empty. Depending on local legislation, you have three discharge options:
- Permanent dockside pumps in the marina
- Mobile pump-out boats that come alongside vessels (increasingly common in No-Discharge Zones)
- Overboard discharge at sea – only in unrestricted waters (best practice: at least five kilometres offshore in coastal waters).
Download: Dometic Clean Water pdf guide
Read more: Important steps on a national level