Paul Schultz
The waters of Puget Sound are effectively maintained thanks to the efforts of the government, regional boaters and industry members such as marinas.
Words by Blair Englebrecht
Puget Sound is home to some of the most stunning and unique scenery in the region, making it a popular boating destination for residents and visitors alike. Part of what makes the Sound so beautiful is its unique long and narrow shape, carved out by glaciers millions of years ago, and its shape is what makes it so vulnerable to pollution.
In fact, the shape of the Sound reduces circulation in narrow bays and inlets, which can be home to sensitive resources such as shellfish beds, marine protected areas, aquatic reserves, and public beaches. There are approximately 220,908 recreational vessels registered in the state of Washington that commonly cruise over Puget Sound’s most sensitive areas.
These resources are negatively impacted by bacteria and dissolved oxygen in vessel sewage, leading to poor water quality and potential human health risks. Even small amounts of sewage discharging over or near shellfish beds can cause enough pollution to require harvest closures and even result in illnesses for locals and visitors who eat the shellfish that contain the bacteria.
Consequently, effective as of May 10, 2018, the Washington State Department of Ecology declared Puget Sound a No Discharge Zone (NDZ). The NDZ is a designated water body where boats may not release either treated or untreated sewage. Boaters who need to discharge sewage must now go three miles beyond the NDZ or find shoreside, recreational pumpouts.
The NDZ includes all Washington marine waters east of New Dungeness Light, at the east end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, plus Lake Washington, Lake Union, and the connecting waters to Puget Sound. Since the passing of NDZ, approximately 20 Puget Sound marinas are no longer classified as prohibited, and harvesting restrictions have been lifted from nearly 700 acres of commercial shellfish beds. This is good news and clearly demonstrates that boaters are getting on board and doing their part to keep the waters of Puget Sound sewage free.
With the rule in effect, understanding how best to comply with the NDZ for recreational boaters can still be somewhat murky.
A map of the maintained region of Puget Sound.
“Ecology’s approach is first and foremost outreach and education,” says Justine Asohmbom, the Department of Ecology’s Shoreline and Stormwater Education Manager. “We are working with partners like Clean Marina Washington, Washington Sea Grant, the Department of Health, Envirostars, the Clean Vessel Act Program, and other agencies to spread the word about the new rule. Our message is simple. ‘Pump, Don’t Dump.’”
The good news is that 95 percent of registered vessels in Washington already operate with a Type III Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) or no toilet at all, and don’t discharge into Puget Sound. Vessels with a Type I or II MSD must convert to a Type III MSD or secure it in a manner that prevents discharge. This can include:
- Closing the seacock and removing the handle
- Padlocking the seacock in a closed position
- Using a non-releasable wire to secure the seacock in a closed position
- Locking the head closed with a padlock or door handle key lock
A vast majority of boaters already practice good stewardship of state waters. What makes things even easier is the average cost of a recreational pumpout is $5, and some locations provide the service at no charge. That’s all thanks to the Clean Vessel Act Program working to distribute grant funds to help cover the costs for installation and maintenance of new and existing recreational pumpout stations, making it more convenient and cost friendly for recreational boaters to use a pumpout.
The Clean Vessel Act program also partners with Clean Marina Washington to help educate marinas and boaters about safe pumpout practices and pumpout locations around the Sound, including distributing free pumpout adapters for recreational boaters. To learn more about pumpout locations and practices visit, https://pumpoutwashington.org/.
If you’re interested in having your marina participate in the Clean Marina Washington program or for more information visit www.cleanmarinawashington.org. To learn more about the NDZ visit https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Puget-Sound/No-discharge-zone.
Terri Stewart