subject: Bilge Water Handling - Remove The Threat From The Marine Environment! [print this page] The negative impact that dirty bilge water has on the marine environment is dreadful. With the help of efficient bilge management techniques, we can prevent oily bilge water from entering into the sea and contaminating the water, which in turn prevent the harm caused to the marine life.
Dumping oily bilge water into the sea is against the law, since it poses threat to the marine life. Recently the chief engineer of a cargo ship had been fined up to 250,000 million dollars for having dumped oil contaminated waste in area waters.
To minimize the destructive effect of oily bilge water, bilge water handling becomes mandatory. Discharge of bilge water from the marinas is a common practice. It is illegal unless the marinas hold a NPDES Individual Permit for Industrial Discharges.
As a part of legal bilge water handling practices, it is the responsibility of every citizen to ensure that boat owners at their marinas are provided with proper bilge water discharge options, such as oil absorbent pads which absorb oil from the bilge water. Oil absorbent pads require to be replaced quite often and also need to safely disposed.
In case of larger boats, oil spill booms will come in handy. Use of a vacuum system pump can help in efficient removal of bilge water by pumping it into drums for later disposal. These drums should be carefully stored, until they are picked up for off-site treatment.
With bilge oil filters, bilge water can be cleaned even before it is being discharged. Treating bilge water onsite with a portable oil/water separator is advisable. Another effective method of proper bilge water handling is using Oil Gone Easy Marine S-200. This bilge cleaner removes oil from bilge water through bioremediation. MEPC defines bio-remediation as the environmentally friendly response to an oil spill. The simple and effective way of bilge water handling is to pour this bilge cleaner into the access points of your bilge to prevent oil contamination in water.
