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Estuary Newsletter

MSDs and Pumpout Stations

The San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary offers boaters unparalleled recreational opportunities. Whether in a yacht, skiff, sailboat, powerboat, dingy or canoe, you can enjoy mile after mile of the Estuary's coves, channels and open water. But our boating and water recreation experiences can be spoiled by the pollutants that enter the Estuary from many sources. Unfortunately, recreational boaters can add to the pollution problem.

Human sewage from boats can pose environmental problems, especially in shallow or poorly flushed inlets or marinas. Even though it's illegal to discharge untreated vessel sewage in all navigable U.S. waters, some recreational boaters still discharge untreated waste into the Estuary.

Boat sewage introduces disease-carrying bacteria and viruses into the water. You could get sick if you swim in polluted waters or eat shellfish (raw or partially cooked) taken from polluted waters. Boat sewage lowers oxygen levels in water, making it more difficult for fish and other aquatic life to survive. And boat sewage creates an aesthetic problem as well.

It may seem that an individual boater's contribution to the overall pollution problem is small. But when you consider there are 841,000 registered boats in California, it's easy to see that those individual contributions can add up to a significant total. As a boater, you can help keep the Estuary clean by treating and disposing of vessel waste responsibly through the proper use of Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs) and pumpout stations.

What's the law?

It's illegal to discharge untreated sewage anywhere within the three-mile territorial limit -- a region that includes the entire Bay-Delta Estuary. Contrary to what you may have heard, it is not legal to dump just outside the Golden Gate. Untreated sewage may only be discharged outside the three-mile limit.
The U.S. Coast Guard can issue fines of up to $2,000 for the illegal discharge of sewage.
Richardson Bay in Marin County has been designated a "No-Discharge Area," which means it's illegal to discharge sewage of any kind, treated or untreated, within Richardson Bay.
You are not required to have an installed marine toilet on your boat, but if there is one, it must be connected to a Coast Guard-approved Marine Sanitation Device (MSD). Boats 65 feet and under may use a Type I, II or III MSD. Boats over 65 feet must have either a Type II or Type III MSD. If your boat doesn't have an installed marine toilet, consider using a port-a-potty. You can empty your port-a-potty at a marina dump station.

Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs)

An MSD is designed to prevent pollution from the discharge of untreated sewage. There are three kinds of MSDs.

Type I MSD breaks up the sewage, disinfects it with chemicals, then discharges the treated sewage overboard. It is legal in most instances to discharge wastes from a Type I MSD directly overboard. You must add the appropriate chemicals for treatment. Without chemicals, the discharge from a Type I system is considered raw sewage -- an illegal discharge.
Type II MSD is similar to a Type I MSD, but treats the sewage to a higher degree through maceration, biological decomposition and chemical additives. Type II MSDs are typically found on larger boats. It is legal in most instances to discharge waste from a Type II MSD directly overboard.

The disinfectants used in Types I and II can include chlorine, quaternary ammonia and formaldehyde, which are harmful to aquatic life. Many environmentally friendly products are now available that do not contain these ingredients, so read labels carefully. Always use the recommended amount of chemicals. Better yet, use shore-side toilets, a port-a-potty or a pumpout station. Never discharge near sensitive shellfish beds, in shallow coves or near swimming beaches or other areas where water-contact recreation takes place.

Type III MSD is essentially a holding tank where untreated sewage is stored until it can be properly disposed of at a pumpout station. Adding chemical deodorizers does not constitute treatment and does not allow you to dump wastes overboard. Some Type III MSDs have a "Y" valve installed so that you can dump directly overboard when you are operating outside the three-mile limit. Within the limit, you must secure the valve in the closed position with a padlock or non-releasable wire tie or remove the handle entirely to prevent the possibility of a discharge overboard.

Ins and Outs of Pumping Out

The instructions below apply to the "Pump-A-Head" model by Keco, the pumpout commonly found in Bay-Delta marinas. Instructions for other models may vary; check with your marina to be sure.

Close nozzle valve on pumpout hose.
Remove deck waste fitting cover from boat (attach nozzle guard to deck waste fitting if available) and insert nozzle.
Turn on pump.
Open nozzle valve. (Valves can be difficult to turn - be persistent!)
Look at sight glass to observe flow.*
When tank is empty, remove nozzle from fitting.
Place nozzle in the water for one minute to rinse the hose.
Close the nozzle valve.
Turn off pump and return hose.

*If flow doesn't occur within one minute, place nozzle in water for 10 seconds to find out whether the problem is on board or with the pump unit. If the pump draws water, close the nozzle and reinsert it in the deck fitting. Otherwise, check for an air leak in the line or plug in the holding tank air vent.

Pumpout Pointers

Use public toilets on shore whenever possible.
Keep your MSD in good operating condition. Make sure all fittings, hoses and other pump mechanisms stay clean and lubricated. Keep a complete repair kit for your particular type of head on board. To help prevent clogs, look for rapid-dissolving marine toilet tissue specifically designed for MSDs.
Find a pumpout station. It only takes a few minutes to pump the wastes out of a 15-gallon holding tank. For a free map of Bay-Delta pumpout stations, call the San Francisco Estuary Project at (510) 622-2304.
Follow pumpout instructions. If instructions aren't posted or aren't clear, ask your marina operator for help.
Rinse water through the system for one minute once you've finished to prevent expensive system breakdowns.
Pump out only your holding tank. Pumpouts are not designed to handle bilge water or solid objects.
Turn off the pump when you're finished so it will work for the next boater.
Consider using a mobile pumpout service if you don't want to pump out the holding tank yourself.

This fact sheet was produced by the San Francisco Estuary Project in cooperation with the California Department of Boating and Waterways under a grant from the Clean Vessel Act. The San Francisco Estuary Project is a cooperative federal/state program whose primary goal is to restore and protect water quality and natural resources while promoting effective management of the Bay and Delta. The Estuary Project has developed and published a variety of publications, including boater education materials, pumpout maps, technical reports, information sheets, pollution prevention guides and other materials that are available free or for a nominal charge by calling (510)622-2465.

San Francisco Estuary Project
c/o San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
1515 Clay Street, Suite 1400
Oakland, CA 94612