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Gig Harbor is just one of the locations where mobile pumpout services will serve recreational boaters.
Words by Steve Fennell
Washington Sea Grant’s Pumpout Washington and Small Oil Spill Pollution Prevention programs continue to provide positive results, but 2023 brings some exciting news to further preserve the environment in this popular boating region.
Every year, WSG, in partnership with the Washington State Parks Department, the Clean Vessel Act Program (CVA), and the Washington Department of Ecology, educates recreational boaters and the marine industry about sewage treatment, environmental best practices and respecting marine life in Puget Sound.
To date, the efforts of the WSG are effective. A recent boating survey, completed in partnership with the NMTA, indicated nearly 50 percent of boaters recognized an improvement in the water quality of the area in recent years.
Clean Marina Washington Program
As of January, the WSG received ownership of Clean Marina Washington, previously managed by The Puget Sound Keeper Alliance. The program collaborates with marinas to maintain waste management, reduce pollution from oil and marine fuels, introduce boater outreach projects and more.
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Washington Sea Grant continues with its water sampling research projects that now include areas in Lake Washington.
Approximately 80 marinas are in the program, which accounts for more than half in Washington State. While COVID-19 caused a pause of Clean Marina Washington, WSG is currently approaching marinas to become recertified.
Pumpout Awareness
It’s not difficult to find a pumpout facility in Puget Sound. Yet for rural areas and added convenience, the NW Pumpout and Marine Environmental Services will be operating a number of mobile pumpout vessels to once again serve boaters in the region.
Through a partnership with the CVA and Pierce County, NW Pumpout and Marine Environmental Services will offer mobile pumpouts in Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Liberty Bay, Quartermaster Harbor and Poulsbo. They will also be available through a CVA program for the Port of Lopez and Port of Friday Harbor. All on-water discharges are at no cost and a private operator, Poe's Pumpouts, will serve Shilshole Bay.
The WSG also announced a new online Pumpout Tracker to provide locations of the pumpout boats in real-time through the use of GPS trackers. The site includes a map of Puget Sound displaying updated locations of the vessels, coordinates, and their last known positions, to name a few features.
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A boating survey revealed that nearly 50 percent of boaters recognized an improvement in the water quality due to WSG’s and its partner’s efforts.
“What’s practical about the Pumpout Tracker is that boaters can get directed to the boats more efficiently,” says Bridget Trosin, Coastal Policy Specialist with WSG. “It's in the early phase but it’s a novelty for this type of service.”
Another popular tool is the Pumpout Nav App, which shares locations of approximately 200 discharging facilities in the state. For more details about the mobile pumpout services visit www.nwmobilepumpout.com and to view the Pumpout Tracker go to https://washingtonseagrant.maprogress.com/.
New Research on Small-Scale Treatment Plants
Washington Sea Grant recently completed a research report entitled The Effects of Boat Sewage on Small Scale Sewage Treatment Plants in the San Juan Islands. It was initiated after boaters and marinas reported that rural sewage treatment plants were unable to accept waste from select marinas in the San Juan Islands.
“Small-scale treatment plants don’t have the capacities like those in larger cities,” explained Trosin. “The sewage from boats is highly concentrated and with such a high density, the facilities had difficulty managing and treating it.”
As a result, WSG and a research team at the University of Washington took sewage samples and consulted with plant operators, ports, and marinas. After implementing a dosing tank and valve, which precisely monitors the sewage flow during off-peak hours, the issue was resolved, and operators were able to accept the sewage for proper disposal.
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The waterways in Puget Sound are better preserved and protected for continued use in many years to come.
Reaching Out/Further Initiatives
The WSG will once again host its outreach programs at festivals speaking with boaters. Although its schedule was being finalized at press time, WSG will be at select locations from June to September in the South Puget Sound and Mid-Sound areas including The Port of Friday Harbor.
The program is devised to educate boaters about the importance of using pumpouts and environmental best practices. A variety of complementary tools will be available including its Catch-All Fuel Bib, Pumpout Adapter, and Orca Rangefinder.
Washington Sea Grant will also continue its ongoing water sampling research project, which began in 2021 on Sucia Island. The project involves the testing of water samples before and after a pumpout was installed to determine the impact of the facilities.
It’s now halfway to completion and by taking water samples near docks where boaters settle and at anchorages around Sucia Island, they were able to identify where illegal discharging takes place.
“There’s not a lot of this activity, but the discharge is apparent through our testing,” says Trosin. “It also provides data to indicate a pumpout facility is needed and we’re currently working with Sucia Island State Park to get facilities in place.”
With additional water sampling projects scheduled through 2023 in areas like Lake Washington, the efforts of WSG are positive. As boaters and marinas are utilizing many of its resources, the waterways are better preserved for continued use in many years to come.
For more information about Washington Sea Grant and to do your part, visit https://wsg.washington.edu/