It’s the Law

A&B Marina Pumpout Boat

Federal law and Florida Statute 327.53 prohibits discharging raw sewage in all fresh water or within coastal water limits; nine nautical miles in the Gulf of Mexico and three nautical miles in the Atlantic Ocean.

Sewage in Waterways is a Health Hazard

Sewage from boats contains disease-causing microorganisms that when discharged into waterways can impact the environment as well as human health. Untreated discharge from one weekend boater puts the same amount of bacterial pollution into the water as the treated sewage of 10,000 people. Typhoid, hepatitis, cholera, gastroenteritis and other waterborne diseases can be transmitted through contaminated waters and infected shellfish.

To Protect the Environment

Sewage reduces oxygen levels in the water that fish and other aquatic species need to survive. Since the microorganisms within the sewage need oxygen, any discharge into waterways reduces the amount of oxygen available to fish and other aquatic life. Heavy nutrient loads in sewage also promote excessive algae growth preventing life-giving sunlight from reaching subsurface vegetation.