Ballast Water Treatment

What you Need to know

 Ballast water pollution is one of the most detrimental ill effects of shipping as not only does it cause extensive harm to the environment, but it also affects several other industries such as healthcare, tourism, water supply and so on

 When ballast water that has been collected from a certain area is discharged into a different region without being treated, a number of obnoxious elements such as bacteria, viruses, non native marine animals and plants enter a completely new ecosystem and often cause considerable damage to it. Even seemingly innocuous species of flora and fauna such as algae, clams, kelp etc. can have a cataclysmic impact on aquatic and even human life.

 There have been several incidences where unscrupulous practices with regard to ballast water treatment have been responsible for the death of human beings. A type of cholera known as Vibrio cholerae was released via ballast water in Peru in 1991 the bacteria killed more than 10,000 people in the next three years. Thus, it is not much of a surprise that the International Maritime Organization has put Vibrio Cholerae on the number one spot in the list of the most undesirable organisms in ballast water.

 Each year, the US government spends billions of dollars in order to control and repair the damages caused due to ballast water. Just the cost of protecting indigenous aquatic life from pest mollusks such as Asian clam and zebra mussels is estimated to be around a whopping 6 billion dollars per annum. The zebra mussel is native to the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea however, it was transported to Lake St. Clair in 1988 through the ballast water of a transatlantic vessel and spread to all of the Great Lakes within the next decade. According to reports by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the introduction of zebra mussels to local waters cost the government around 5 billion dollars.

 In order to prevent such financial and ecological mishaps, the Government has made it mandatory for all vessels to utilize ballast water treatment systems that have been approved by the United States Coast Guard. The new policies are applicable to all ships that sail in U.S waters and will take effect from 1st December 2013 for all new vessels. Older ships will be given a bit more time to implement the new systems but by 2016, each and every vessel in US coastal territories will be bound by law to adhere to the new rules. Failure to abide by the updated regulations will attract colossal penalties which may be as high as $35,000 per day.

So what can shipping companies do?

Echo Energy Groups ballast water treatment system has been approved by the USCG and has been highly acclaimed for its efficiency, affordability and versatility. The system is literally the last word in water purification and it can handle all types of contaminated water including slurry waste, industrial waste, saline water and a lot more. The inner membrane of the treatment container is made up of ceramic and this prevents clogging since particles do not tend to cling to the material. The system has also been equipped with an automatic flushing mechanism this does away with the need for frequent maintenance operations and improves efficiency. If the vessel is large enough, then the treatment container can even be mounted on board. The entire system is modular in nature and has been designed to withstand extreme weather and even medium earthquakes. Echo Energy Group are renowned for making the fastest delivery to any corner of the world and this coupled with their excellent customer service ensures that they have the most advanced and the most cost efficient ballast water treatment system available today. Contact them HERE for more information or a free introductory phone call