Nantucket Harbour - Grey Water????

[Medic]

It seems to me that Nantucket Harbour does not allow the discharge of grey water. It must be pumped out.

If this is true I have a problem, since my grey water "tank" isn't even a tank, it's a sump, and approximately one gallon. It automatically pumps out as it fills.

Is the Nantucket Harbour thing accurate?

 

[slowgoesit]

Where are you getting the information that Nantucket Harbor doesn't allow discharge of grey water? Can you post a link to the source?

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

That would be hard to enforce....

 

[SoWhat]

Nothing against the idea but most boats don't have a grey water holding tank. I can't imagine how any harbormaster would enforce such a regulation.

 

[Cigatoo]

Waste no discharge.
https://edg.epa.gov/metadata/catalo...e?uuid={FDFE1102-F5AB-418D-A8ED-5D090607293F}

https://epa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0fb057d8a6584e6eaa8c9a6d52f0b326

 

[psneeld]

https://www.nantucket-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/631/32---Refuse-and-Gray-Water-PDF

32.01 DISPOSAL OF REFUSE.A. No person shall dispose of, or if in control of any vehicle, boat or other conveyance, allow to be disposed of, in or on any way to which the public has access, or in or on any stream, pond, creek, waterway, estuary, harbor, beach or foreshore in the Town of Nantucket, any garbage, refuse, bottles, cans, containers, gray water, treated or untreated sewage or other refuse material of any kind or nature.

 

[Cigatoo]

We have been going to Nantucket for years. Had many of pump outs. Never considered gray water as a problem. Never heard of anyone having a problem with putting gray water in the harbor. Maybe they don’t enforce? EPA doesn’t mention it as being prohibited. Odd?

 

[bligh]

https://www.nantucket-ma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/631/32---Refuse-and-Gray-Water-PDF

32.01 DISPOSAL OF REFUSE.A. No person shall dispose of, or if in control of any vehicle, boat or other conveyance, allow to be disposed of, in or on any way to which the public has access, or in or on any stream, pond, creek, waterway, estuary, harbor, beach or foreshore in the Town of Nantucket, any garbage, refuse, bottles, cans, containers, gray water, treated or untreated sewage or other refuse material of any kind or nature.

I am curious where the landlubber code ends and the boating code begins. I bet raritan treated sewer is allowed to be discharged off a boat in a 'waterway.'

 

[OldDan1943]

They tried that no gray water discharge in the Great Lakes. With all the commercial traffic and 2 countries, the regulations fell flat.

 

[psneeld]

We have been going to Nantucket for years. Had many of pump outs. Never considered gray water as a problem. Never heard of anyone having a problem with putting gray water in the harbor. Maybe they don’t enforce? EPA doesn’t mention it as being prohibited. Odd?

It is a no discharge zone for black water and the Feds I don't think care about the other prohibitions stated in the local law.

 

[psneeld]

I am curious where the landlubber code ends and the boating code begins. I bet raritan treated sewer is allowed to be discharged off a boat in a 'waterway.'

Nope...EPA allowed "no discharge" zone...ALL sewage (treated too) is prohibited.

 

[OldDan1943]

As far as black water discharge..... there are so many pump out stations available, some for a fee most no fee if you buy something else such as fuel or food from the marina store. Barring that, 3 miles out, pump, 3 miles back. Sure it takes a few hours but, it makes everyone happy. Now if we can get the municipalities to adhere to the same rules, life would be great.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

I discharge gray water into the Great Lakes. My home marina is on a river and I discharge the gray water there also.

Eventually, and it may not be in my lifetime, or even in the lifetime of any boats floating today. But eventually gray water discharge will be regulated.

Mark my words...

I have no real opinion about it but I see it coming eventually. Already, many marinas do not allow the discharge of pink antifreeze into the lakes and some have voluntarily built in catch basins to catch the nasty stuff which comes off boat bottoms during the annual power washing.

pete

 

[HopCar]

There once was a boater in Nantucket
Put gray water in a bucket
The bucket got filled
Then it got spilled
The boater in Nantucket said f**k it

 

[psneeld]

Recreational vessels WERE included in the Clean Water Act and prohibited from discharging gray water back years ago...but luckily a boating politician got rec boats a waiver and eventually were excluded permanently (at least from that legisation).


https://www.epa.gov/vessels-marinas...ges-statutes-regulations-and-related-laws-and



Pursuant to section 402 of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. 1342 (PDF)(8 pp, 164 K), the VGP, finalized by the EPA in 2008, regulates discharges incidental to the normal operation of vessels operating in a capacity as a means of transportation. Recreational vessels as defined in section 502(25) of the CWA are not subject to the VGP. In addition, with the exception of ballast water discharges, non-recreational vessels less than 79 feet (24.08 meters) in length, and all commercial fishing vessels regardless of length, are not subject to the VGP.


But that's federal, I know of no Federal opposition from local areas from banning gray water discharge.

 

[Cigatoo]

Recreational vessels WERE included in the Clean Water Act and prohibited from discharging gray water back years ago...but luckily a boating politician got rec boats a waiver and eventually were excluded permanently (at least from that legisation).


https://www.epa.gov/vessels-marinas...ges-statutes-regulations-and-related-laws-and



Pursuant to section 402 of the CWA, 33 U.S.C. 1342 (PDF)(8 pp, 164 K), the VGP, finalized by the EPA in 2008, regulates discharges incidental to the normal operation of vessels operating in a capacity as a means of transportation. Recreational vessels as defined in section 502(25) of the CWA are not subject to the VGP. In addition, with the exception of ballast water discharges, non-recreational vessels less than 79 feet (24.08 meters) in length, and all commercial fishing vessels regardless of length, are not subject to the VGP.


But that's federal, I know of no Federal opposition from local areas from banning gray water discharge.

Thanks for doing the homework.

 

[psneeld]

Thanks for doing the homework.

Easy to Google when you know the subject matter from remembering the tidbits learned along the way in my totally consuming boating life.


Good thing Google remembers the details better than me.

 

[Shrew]

We have been going to Nantucket for years. Had many of pump outs. Never considered gray water as a problem. Never heard of anyone having a problem with putting gray water in the harbor. Maybe they don’t enforce? EPA doesn’t mention it as being prohibited. Odd?

Same. Not even a warning from the Nantucket Moorings when you check in. Nobody has a greywater tank. Enforcing this rule would exclude EVERYONE from going to Nantucket by private vessel.

 

[psneeld]

Same. Not even a warning from the Nantucket Moorings when you check in. Nobody has a greywater tank. Enforcing this rule would exclude EVERYONE from going to Nantucket by private vessel.

There is the same restriction about grey water in certain areas of the FL Keys Sanctuary.


https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/regs/


With certain exceptions, the following activities are prohibited in the Ecological Reserves (ERs) and Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs):

• Discharging any matter except cooling water or engine exhaust.
• Fishing by any means; removing, harvesting, or possessing any marine life. Catch and release fishing by trolling is allowed in Conch Reef, Alligator Reef, Sombrero Reef, and Sand Key SPAs only.
• Touching or standing on living or dead coral.
• Anchoring on living or dead coral or any attached organism.
• Anchoring when a mooring buoy is available.
• Bait fishing is allowed in SPAs by Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary permit.

 

[Medic]

Thanks

Thanks all. I'm just not going to worry about it.

 

[Eagle Pursuit]

I think the limerick should be the last entry in this thread...

 

[Wayfarer]

I think the limerick should be the last entry in this thread...

I agree! Fine work Mr. M. Your trophy is on it's way.

There once was a boater in Nantucket
Put gray water in a bucket
The bucket got filled
Then it got spilled
The boater in Nantucket said f**k it

 

[Mako]

If it is a concern then how about installing a below water discharge?

 

[CarlF]

The Nantucket grey water regulation has been in place for at least a decade and isn't enforced for small recreational boats - everyone knows small boats don't have gray water tanks. Unlike some Florida locations, they don't even have a water cop checking holding tank valves. The harbor master is surprisingly laid back and friendly given the nutty summer crowds ashore.

This regulation IS enforced for commercial boats like the ferries that come in every 30 minutes with a few hundred people on board. It's also enforced for all the houses and businesses that ring the harbor. When I was a boy in the 1960's and visited Nantucket, all these buildings just had drain pipes emptying into the harbor.

Hopefully, most boaters make an extra effort in Nantucket Harbor as the large basin is almost entirely landlocked and still has commercial shellfish beds. It's also safe to swim in the harbor with several beaches. When I visit I don't do laundry on the boat and I use only biodegradable soaps for anything else. I also don't wash down the boat with any chemicals. As a visitor to this beautiful island, this seems like a reasonable courtesy.

 

[backinblue]

It seems to me that Nantucket Harbour does not allow the discharge of grey water. It must be pumped out.

If this is true I have a problem, since my grey water "tank" isn't even a tank, it's a sump, and approximately one gallon. It automatically pumps out as it fills.

Is the Nantucket Harbour thing accurate?

I found a similar rule about Lake Champlain, but nobody who boats there knows of it or follows it. I'm not 100% sure it's still a valid regulation or just something still on the books somewhere but it doesn't seem enforceable either way.