Raw Sewage Dumping

30 million gallons of raw sewage dumped into Puget Sound and counting.

I wonder how many years it will take for recreational boats, not dumping their treated waste into Puget Sound, to catch up to King County's little mistake?

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/seattle-plant-failure-dumps-millions-135608582.html

And, that gets duplicated, all over the US, on a regular basis.

It is not just Seattle. At least once per month a similar UNtreated event occurs somewhere on Puget Sound. Little attention is paid by the news media, but the info is out there. But those damned recreational boaters;....we need new laws, plus expensive enforcement, now, to stop them dumping their massive treated wastewater.

Global sewage, global warming. This concern on sewage while a damning thing and not good,and yes just as you boys have stated, the contribution by boaters is nil in comparison to the volume these incidents cause. But we boaters are singular and singular boat incidents are easy pickings for the authorities.
Now I don't mean to move this conversation of point, but a similar issue is air quality. One day of a volcano spews 50 years of human air pollution. Like a drop of vermouth in a super tanker capacity.

Don't see much changing. the big boys and volcanos get away and we little boys dance to the fiddle.
Common sense in many cases, has left the arena.

Al-Ketchikan

Millions of gallons of raw sewage went into the Back River from Hampton, VA over at least a few months recently without them knowing due to a pipe broke. Very little mention was made in the press and seems now completely forgotten.

The local water police have come to my previous marina part of that same Back River system and put dye into the head to see if your boat puts sewage into the water. And some people got in trouble. They made a big deal of that.

My boat has a LectraSan, so it will treat it then into the water it goes. It was the liveaboards they were after.

We get sewage dumps in our area from time to time. Usually, it's the military base. Who is going to fine the military? Would the military pay the fine?

Our local boat ramps do not have restrooms, even portable ones. Where do they expect people to pee and pool after a long day on the water drinking beer? The answer is ,of course, they pee and poop directly into the river.

So the military can dump sewage into the river, the trailer boat people can pee and poop directly into the river, but if I dump my (macerated) holding tank into the river, I am liable for a big fine.

Doesn't seem right to me.

Al said:

Now I don't mean to move this conversation of point, but a similar issue is air quality. One day of a volcano spews 50 years of human air pollution. Like a drop of vermouth in a super tanker capacity.

Click to expand...

http://www.snopes.com/volcano-carbon-emissions/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earthtalks-volcanoes-or-humans

"According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the world’s volcanoes, both on land and undersea, generate about 200 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, while our automotive and industrial activities cause some 24 billion tons of CO2 emissions every year worldwide"

Victoria BC dumps more than that into the Strait every day!

Every day.

And all the warships of the world dump raw sewage into the water. Think how many small boats it would take to equal the outflow of a carrier with 5,000 crew on board.

It doesn't matter how much a city dumps into the channel or anything else, I still don't want to be in a marina or anchorage where every other boat is dumping untreated raw sewage.

tozz said:

Does a Single Volcanic Eruption Release as Much CO2 As All of Humanity Has to Date?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/earthtalks-volcanoes-or-humans

"According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the world’s volcanoes, both on land and undersea, generate about 200 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, while our automotive and industrial activities cause some 24 billion tons of CO2 emissions every year worldwide"

Click to expand...

An essential part of the world's atmosphere balance is photosynthesis. CO2 is needed. The scientific journals have been printing articles for years to the effect of "stop burning down the jungles". Indonesia and Brazil of course say it is their right to do so. Some even suggest.massive birth control efforts to stem the effects of air and water pollution with ultimate balancing out of photosynthesis.

Me, I personally expell about a pound a day of CO2 just breathing and pooping. Lets see now, how many billion people are there -----??

sunchaser said:

An essential part of the world's atmosphere balance is photosynthesis. CO2 is needed. The scientific journals have been printing articles for years to the effect of "stop burning down the jungles". Indonesia and Brazil of course say it is their right to do so. Some even suggest.massive birth control efforts to stem the effects of air and water pollution with ultimate balancing out of photosynthesis.

Me, I personally expell about a pound a day of CO2 just breathing and pooping. Lets see now, how many billion people are there -----??

Click to expand...

Okay-I concede, using volcanos making a point was an error:

Pros and Cons of Volcanoes
Pros
Create new islands and land.
Provide habitat to pioneer species.
Create economic mineral deposits.
Create beautiful landscapes.
Generate tourism.

Cons
Destroy old habitat and crops.
Destroy cities, towns, communities.
Displace populations.
Kill people and other animals.
Disrupt commerce.
Generate tsunamis.

Al-Ketchikan

Love the comments following this article on Seattle Sewer fail.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/seattle-plant-failure-dumps-millions-135608582.html

San Diego, being a cosmopolitan city, not only occasionally dumps sewerage into the blue waters of the Pacific, but also is blessed with imported sewerage from Mexico, the last time, 200 million gallons worth.

Group9 said:

And, that gets duplicated, all over the US, on a regular basis.

Click to expand...

Yup and the governments solution:

When Mrs. Kissell breaks wind . . . . . !

https://youtu.be/ikTrjQ3Cdbo

BandB said:

It doesn't matter how much a city dumps into the channel or anything else, I still don't want to be in a marina or anchorage where every other boat is dumping untreated raw sewage.

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That's your emotions. The e coli count is what matters. And, it doesn't matter how it got there. That's the point. Boaters should be good stewards of the marine environment. For sure. But, if not one single boater ever put one drop of sewage into the water again, the truth is, it probably would not change the e coli count where you boat by any measurable amount. Because, almost every city in the US has one plan, and one plan only, when more sewage flow comes in than their facilities can handle: they dump it into the water. And, that's where the real problem lies.

1 million gal sewage dump making its way to the St Johns up by Jax.

This is a small dump of untreated sewage but someone has to hold their nose if they live nearby.

1 million gallons of sewage flood Jacksonville waterway | Firstcoastnews.com

Group9 said:

That's your emotions. The e coli count is what matters. And, it doesn't matter how it got there. That's the point. Boaters should be good stewards of the marine environment. For sure. But, if not one single boater ever put one drop of sewage into the water again, the truth is, it probably would not change the e coli count where you boat by any measurable amount. Because, almost every city in the US has one plan, and one plan only, when more sewage flow comes in than their facilities can handle: they dump it into the water. And, that's where the real problem lies.

Click to expand...

No. While my emotions are involved, I've seen how just a single boat in a rather shallow and protected anchorage can create a problem. It stinks, it washes to the shore. It's unpleasant. Read again. E Coli isn't all that matters. I still don't want to be in a marina or anchorage where every other boat is dumping untreated raw sewage.

Even of those here who do dump, I haven't seen a single one who has advocated doing so in a marina or a tight anchorage. However, if there were no rules, I'm sure some people would and I'm sure some do today.

I will say this too with all the anchoring discussions in South Florida over the last couple of years, I, like most here, thought those opposing anchorage were often being unreasonable. Then I talked to one waterfront land owner most opposed to anchoring and he showed me some photos, then I went with him to his property. He was in a great area for anchoring, very little water movement. What little there was flowed primarily toward the shore and his property. He had to regularly have someone clean up small beach area. There was also an odor. He said five boats had been anchored there the night before but he had no idea how many dumped their sewage. It was disgusting.

So, I stand by my statement which wasn't about flowing channels or out to see, but about marinas and anchorages.

I was telling a friend that his Prius wasn't saving him any money. Just wasn't saving him any money. He and his wife both had one.

He said something like "somebody's got to show the way". I didn't tell him what I thought of that as I thought I'd been critical enough. Well I guess the cost of disposing of the batteries hasn't been as bad as I had thought. And the European countries are WAY ahead of us in the green stuff now and w our current administration we may be very isolated soon. In a bad way.

Had many thoughts about my criticism of my friends Prius. Guess I came across as a good old baugh humbug boy from way up the valley. Man's pollution is definitely moving us to a bad place. And when I hear stuff like volcanos polluting and yachtsmen just wanting to dump their crap anywhere I reflect on how I used to think. If I see my friend I'll need to apologize.

And Dave you're right. Not using the pumpout is just laziness. I'll mend my ways. I've never dumped in a harbor or anchorage but in major channels I have. And thinking the tides flush out the sewage does not fly. Everybody knows the waters near Desolation Sound are very warm in the summer. They have tides yes but the water just goes back and forth .. mostly. How many times does the sewage dumped in or near Seattle go back and forth before it rounds Cape Flattery into the Pacific Ocean? Canpbell River? Olympia?

BandB said:

...
Even of those here who do dump, I haven't seen a single one who has advocated doing so in a marina or a tight anchorage. However, if there were no rules, I'm sure some people would and I'm sure some do today.
...

Click to expand...

While temporarily berthed at the Stockton marina during the asparagus festival some years back, I smelled strong evidence of a boater who dumped their sewage. There is no natural flushing of water there: aerators are used to oxygenate the waterway!

BandB said:

No. While my emotions are involved, I've seen how just a single boat in a rather shallow and protected anchorage can create a problem. It stinks, it washes to the shore. It's unpleasant. Read again. E Coli isn't all that matters. I still don't want to be in a marina or anchorage where every other boat is dumping untreated raw sewage.

Even of those here who do dump, I haven't seen a single one who has advocated doing so in a marina or a tight anchorage. However, if there were no rules, I'm sure some people would and I'm sure some do today.

I will say this too with all the anchoring discussions in South Florida over the last couple of years, I, like most here, thought those opposing anchorage were often being unreasonable. Then I talked to one waterfront land owner most opposed to anchoring and he showed me some photos, then I went with him to his property. He was in a great area for anchoring, very little water movement. What little there was flowed primarily toward the shore and his property. He had to regularly have someone clean up small beach area. There was also an odor. He said five boats had been anchored there the night before but he had no idea how many dumped their sewage. It was disgusting.

So, I stand by my statement which wasn't about flowing channels or out to see, but about marinas and anchorages.

Click to expand...

He has photos of boat sewage? How would he know where it came from? I understand your revulsion, I'm just saying that statistically, it doesn't make any sense when you have cities dumping millions and millions of gallon of untreated sewage in the same areas that rude boaters are dumping hundreds of gallons of it. If you want to fight the fight that matters, fight that one.

You can start here. How many boats would it take to put this much sewage into Florida waters?

http://preps.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/st-petersburgs-black-cloud-of-sewage-woes-grows-by-58-million-gallons/2293625

St. Petersburg's 'black cloud' of sewage woes grows by 58 million gallons | Tampa Bay Times

markpierce said:

While temporarily berthed at the Stockton marina during the asparagus festival some years back, I smelled strong evidence of a boater who dumped their sewage. There is no natural flushing of water there: aerators are used to oxygenate the waterway!

Click to expand...

I've seen it at a marina too. At a marina that had a pump out station. It wasn't free though, was $5. They knew who did it as they'd made a scene over having to pay for a pump out.

Its important to distinguish between controllable and non controllable issues. Accidents are going to happen...but its still important to do what we can to limit the release of stuff into the environment. Sure..Exxon and Deepwater Horizon put a gazillion gallons of oil into the ocean...so should we just dump our used oil overboard too...its only a few quarts at at time ??

There's no doubt that the sewage output from boaters is far less than what comes from civic facilities during malfunctions or overloads.
And other things may produce more CO2 than us.
And that means what...?

It really doesn't matter that trawler owners are not the absolute biggest polluter; we should be doing everything we can to take care of this fabulous ocean, lake, river etc that we use as a playground. We can't blame the problem on the big business, or the government, or the greenies, or sailboaters when we are not doing all we can ourselves. If your city's sewage treatment is not up to par, put pressure on them to upgrade it. Be willing to pay extra taxes to make it happen. It is not somebody else's problem, it's ours.

Overall, we are a lucky segment of the population that has the financial freedom to enjoy ourselves in a nice boat on the water. The least we can can do is to show some respect for the environment we have.
Even birds know better than to sh*t in their own nest.

Just trying to keep some perspective.