Annex 4 MARPOL:

Regulation I I - Discharge of sewage

I Subject to the provisions of regulation 3 of this Annex, the discharge of sewage into the sea is
prohibited. except when:

.1 the ship is di~ hargi~g_ ~ 1.mi11u1e.d_and_disinfected sevt:age using a syst~ ap_Qroved by

th! Administration in accordance with regulation 9.1.2 of this Annex at a distance of
mq_re than 3 na.u.ticaLmiksJ'ro.mJhe 11earest land, or sewage whkh is not comminuted or
disinfected at a distance of more than 12 nautical mile~om the ne~.tJand. pro_Y.ided
thatJ.nJmy__case, the sewage that has been stored in holdingjfil!ks shall not be
discharged instantaneously but at a moderate rate when the ship is en route and
proceeding at not less than 4 knots; the rate_gf discharge shall be approved by the
Administration based upon stand~ds developed by the Organization; or
the ship has in operation an a roved sewage treatment plant which has been certified
by e Admm1stration to meet the operational requirements referred to in regulation
9.1.1 of this Annex, and
.2.1 the test results of the plant are laid down in the ship's International Sewage Pollution
Prevention Certificate; and ·
.2.2 additionally, the effiuent shall not produce visible floating solids nor cause discoloration
of the surrounding water.

2 The provisions of paragraph 1 shall not apply to ships operating in the waters under the
jurisdiction of a State and visiting ships from other States while they are in these waters and are
discharging sewage in accordance with such less stringent requirements as may be imposed by
such State.

3 When the sewage is mixed with wastes or waste water covered by other Annexes ofMARPOL
73/78, the requirements of those Annexes shall be complied with in addition to the requirements
of this Annex.

Shipboard Sewage Pollution Sources:

• drainage and other wastes from any form of toilets and urinals;

• drainage from medical premises (dispensary, sickbay, etc.) via wash basins, wash tubs and scuppers
located in such premises;

• drainage from spaces containing living animals;

• other waste waters when mixed with the drainages defined above. (Regulations not applicable to the
disposal of: drainage from dishwasher, shower, laundry, bath and washbasin drains - grey water).
 I Ships applf catf o n

~
~
I • ,ww ships of ?. '1(){) gros~ tons

• new ships< 400 gross tons ce rtified to carry over 15 perso ns (new s P ·
on/after 27 S~ptember 2003 or delivered on/after 27 September 2006)
hi s· building contract Of keel lald

• e,l(lsting ~hips of~ 4.C>O gross tons

• t' !l 1st ing ships < 400 gross tons ce rtifi; d to carry over 15 pe rsons (on or after 27 September ZOOS)

Equipment requirements
• discharge pipeline fitted with the standard discharge connection • and
• approved sewage treatment plant or
• comminuter/disinfection system with temporary means of storage or
• holding tank • applies to all new ships contracted for construction on or after January 1, 2007
Sewage Treatment Plant The sewage treatment plant shall be approved by the Government of the State
under whose authority the ship is operating. The approval has to be in compliance with the standards
and test methods developed by IMO. The international specifications for effluent standards,
construction and testing of sewage treatment systems is adopted by IMO by Resolution MEPC.2(VI) on 3
December 1976.

Sewage Comminuting and Disinfeding System The sewage com minuting and disinfecting system shall
be approved by the Government of the State under whose authority the ship is operating.

Holding Tank ~he holding tank shall be constructed to ~~ satisfaction of the Government of the S~te
under whose authority the ship is operating and shall have a means to indicate visually the amount of its
.
contents4 h~ ho/ding tank shall have a capacity that is satisfied for the retention of all sewage, having -
regard to the operation of the ship, the num_ber of persons on board and other relevant factors.

• An approved sewage treatment plant shall be of a type approved by the Administration, following the
IMO standards and test methods * ( its tests results are noted an the ISPPC and the effluent does not
produce visible floating solids nor cause discoloration of the surrounding water)

• A sewage comminuting and disinfecting system approved by the Administration shall be fitted with
temporary storage of sewage when the ship is less than 3 nautical miles from the neares.t land

• Asewage ho/ding tank shall: - have appropriate capacity for the retention of all sewage, - be correctly
constructed with a means to indicate visually the amount of its contents, and - be equipped with the
ship's discharge line to port/ terminal reception facilities fitted with the standard discharge connection
' '

* 1)Sewage treatment plant should be approved in accordance with IMO Resolution MEPC 2(VI) -
 -r• 1' R'

/ r ~ ~~~.._,_,-~· .......-.w '➔

a....::.--.--,~ a

/
_December 1976 Standard 2)1M0 Resol .
installed on board on O ft ution l59(55) Adopted October 2006 is applicable for equipment
r a er 1 January 2010.
Control of discharge sewage
- ( based on the type of equipment on the ship)
The discharge of sewa . .
ge mto th e sea 1s prohibited , except when:
• the ship is dischargi . .. .
ng comm muted and d1smfected sewage using an approved system at a distance of
more than 3 nm from the nearest land: or

• th e ship is discharging sewage which is not comminuted and disinfected at a distance of more than 12
~m from the nearest land, provided that in any case, the sewage stored in holding tanks or sewage
originating from spaces containing living animals, shall not be discharged instantaneously but at a
moderate rate when ship is en route and proceeding at not less than 4 knots; or

• the ship is discharging sewage using an approved sewage treatment plant. Control of discharge
sewage (based on discharge distance)

• while operating within.3 nm from the nearest iand discharge prohibited unless properly treated in
approved sewage treatment plant

• discharge within 3-12 nm from nearest land must either: meet effluent requirements within 3 nm from
nearest land or the ship is discharging com minuted and disinfected sewage using an approved
comminuter/disinfection system

• discharge at a distance of more than 12 nm from nearest land must either: meet effluent
requirements within 3 nm or within 3-12 nm from the nearest land or the sewage that has been stored
in holding tanks shall not be discharged instantaneously but at a moderate rate when the ship is en
route and proceeding at not less than 4 knots.

~ t i o n s The discharge of sewage into the sea is allowed when:

I , • securing the safety of life or the ship; or

J. .• the discharge of sewage is as result from damage to a ship or its equipment if all reasonable
precautions have been taken before and after the occurrence of the damage, for the purpose of
preventing or minimizing the discharge

Revised sewage standards

New sewage discharge requirements for passenger vessels within the Baltic Sea and a new sewage
treatment plant performance test/standard for all ships came into force on 1 January, 2013, under
MARPOL Annex IV. These apply as follows. Passenger ship discharge requirements In _g eneral, the
discharge of sewage from existing passenger ships will be prohibited within the Baltic Sea special area
on or after 1 January, 2018. New passenger vessels will be prohibited from discharging sewage within
the Baltic Sea on or after 1 January, 2016.
 UU$$& J. a . *· f4

New vessels are those :

• tor which the building contract is placed on or after 1 January 2016;

• or in the absence of a building contract, the keel of which is laid on or after 1 January 2016;

• or regardless of the building contract signing date or keel laying date the delivery of which is on after 1
January, 2018. New performance test/standard for sewage treatment plants Passenger ships Passenger
ships operating in the Baltic Sea or any other designated special areas intending to discharge treated
sewage effluent must operate an approved sewage treatment plant which meets the stringent nitrogen
and phosphorus removal standard.

• Existing passenger ships must comply on o.r after·l January, 2018.

• New passenger ships must comply on or after 1 January, 2016

All ships The updated performance test/standard (excluding the nitrogen and phosphorus removal
standard) will also apply to sewage treatment plants installed on board all ships, other than passenger
vessels, on or after 1 January, 2016.
 MARPOL ANNEX 4

~cgulations on force:
SfBnd81'ds for Sewag l .
perfu r ,raiment plant (guidel ines on imp ferncntal fo n of effluent 1t,mdards .ind
. . nnance tests for sewage rre11tmc111 JJlimts)" .
0 mstafled prior to I J .., 0 ··
. ' an " 10: Rcsolutlon M Erc 2 (VJ)
o !nstalled on or aft-er I Jan 2010 : Rcsolullon M E;>c 1•9c•~)
o msta fled ft; · ;:, :,;,
. . on or 8 er I Jan 2016 - Resolution MEPC.227(64)
Gurdehne on how to I 1
ca cu air the modl'ratc rail' of discharge: Resolution MEPC. 157(55) - adopted
on 13 0 ctober 2006
Si:ecial Area provisions and the desigrrntion ofthc 1J11l1.ic, Resolution M EPC.200(62) January lO I J
Discharge of sewage
Prohi_bired except when the following requirements arc complied with :
°0 Commmuted and disinfected sew11gc: ar lcnst .3 nautical miles from the nearest land. or
Sewage not comminut·cd or dlslnfcrtro : at lcnsl 12 nautical miles form the nearest land. Sewage th.at
has been stored in holding tanks shall be discharged at amoderate rate when the ship is in route ll[Jd
proceeding at not less than 4 knots (the discharge rate shall be approved by the Adm in istration based
upon standards developed by the Organization).
o The ship has in operation an approved sewage treatment plant which ha'i been certified by the
Administration
These requirements shall not apply to ships operation in the waters under the jurisdiction of a State and
visiting ships from od1er States while they are in these waters and are discharging sewage rn accordance
with such less stringent requirements as may be imposed by such State

New sewage discharge requirements for passenger vessels within the Baltic Sea and a new sewage treatment
plant performance test/standard for all ships came into force on I January, 2013, under MARPOL Annex rv.
The new requirements were adopted at the 62nd session of the International Maritime Organization's (1MO)
Marine Environmental Committee (MEPC 62) by resolutionMEPC.200(62). These apply as follows.

Passenger ship discharge requirements

In general, the discharge of sewage from existing passenger ships will be prohibited
within the Baltic Sea special area on or after 1 January, 2018.
New passenger vessels will be prohibited from discharging sewage within the Baltic Sea
on or after 1 January, 2016.
New vessels are those:

• for which the building contract is placed on or after 1 January 2016;

• or in the absence of a building contract, the keel of which is laid on or after 1 January 2016;

• or regardless of the building contract signing date or keel laying date the delivery of which is on
after 1 January, 2018.

New performance test/standard for sewage treatment plants

The performance test/standard for sewage treatment plants has been updated and is
detailed in section 4 of Resolution MEPC.227(64).
 operational purposes, must be disposed off ashore and recorded In Garba_ge
Record Book.

Dlspo.sable cargo

erewmembers should remember that cargo hold wash water from holds
containing Harmful to the Marine Environment (HME) cargoes can only be
discharged provided that the master determines that there are no adequate
receptfon facilities at the receiving terminal and the ship ls en route and.as far
as practicable from the nearest land, but.not less than 12 nautical miles.

Before washing, dry cargo residue should be removed (and bagged for discharge
ashore) as far as practicable and holds are swept and the volume of wash water
used should be kept to a minimum. Moreover, filters should be used In the bilge
wells In order to collect any remaining solid particles and minimise solid residue
discharge. Lastly, the discharge should be recorded In the Garbage Record.Book
and the Flag State is notified utilising the Revised Consolidated Format for
Reporting Alleged Inadequacies of Port Reception Facilities.
 Marpol Annex 111 -Harmful substances carried at sea In
packaged Form
Annex Ill Marpol 7 3/78 (Harmful Substances carried at Sea In Packaged Form :
This Annex came Into force Internationally on 1July 1992, It contains regulations
which Include requirements on packaging, marking, labelllng, documentation,
stowage and quantity llmltatlons.

It aims to prevent or minimise pollution of the marine environment by harmful

substances In packaged forms or In freight containers, portable tanks or road
and rail tank wagons, or other forms of containment specified In the schedule for
harmful substances in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code

There may be following sources of pollution (on contalnershlps):

A) Pollution from hold bilges (contaminated with cargo/ oil seepage)

b) Pollution from loss overboard of harmful packaged goods (Marine Pollutant as
In IMDG Code)

Handling cargo Hold Bilges on Container vessels

Hold bilges must be sounded at least once dally and also checked for content on
the·counding rod (this will Indicate if any off or' cargo effluent exists, mingled
with water). They must be p11mped out, wh.en well wlthil:r th'e bilge well depth•.

!f vessel ls In port, bilges shou.ld be transferred to the bllg·e holdlng tank (where
titted), but If reached tank top level (due rain), then pumping out must•only be
done after visual check Inside hold for uncontaminated of water.

Handling Bilges from other spaces {but, non E/R)

Bilges need to be occasionally pumped from other spaces like Bow thruster
room, Bosun store, Void spaces, Cofferdams, Steering flat, Under Deck
Passages, etc. In all such cases, they must be only pumped out at sea· after
confirmiiltion of contents,

Handling of Harmful Packaged goods

If any Marine Pollutant (as per IMDG) leaks from a container into the hold bilges
or on deck, it must be collected taking due precautions, as per EMS and
disposed off ashore. Accidental loss overboard of containers must be notified to
shore authorities, also mentioning the nature of contents esp. If they are a
Marine Pollutant. Handling Chemicals and Hazardous waste)

Note : Residues of chemicals, paint and other Items used on board for
r MARPOL ANNEX 4

Passenger ships

Passenger ships operating in the Baltic Sea or any other designated special areas
~
.,,
intending to discharge treated sewage effluent must operate an approved sewage
treatment plant which meets the stringent nitrogen and phosphorus removal standard
described within section 4.2 of MEPC.227(64). Existing passenger ships must comply on
or after 1 January, 2018. New passenger ships must comply on or after 1 January, 2016.
A review will be conducted at MEPC 67 in 2014 to determine the availability of adequate
and cost-effective treatment plants able to comply with this standard.
All ships

The updated performance test/standard (excluding the nitrogen and phosphorus

removal standard in section 4.2) will also apply to sewage treatment plants installed on
board all ships, other than passenger vessels, on or after 1 January, 2016.

AMENDMENTS : RESOLUTION MEPC.274(69)

(Adopted on 22 April 2016)

AMENDMENTS TO MARPOL ANNEX IV

REGULATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF POLLUTION BY SEWAGE FROM SHIPS

Chapter 1 General

Regulation 1 Definitions

1 Paragraph 10 is replaced by the following:

"10 A passenger ship means a ship which carries ~~re than twelve p~ssengers. For the
application of regulation 11.3 a new passenger ship 1s a passenger ship:

c hich the building contract is placed, or in the absence of a building contract, the keel
ofior
.1 w
which . ft J
is laid, or which is in similar stage of construction, on or a er 1 une 2
019· r
,o

.2 the delivery of which is on or after 1 June 2021.

An existing passenger ship is a passenger ship which is not a new passenger ship."

Chapter 3 Equipment and control of discharge

 MARPOL ANN EX 4

Reg-ulation 11 Discl1•
• · (~"'ro·
•e,e o (' ~cwagC'
2 Pa ragraph 3 ·
. ts rep1aced by th e fo ll owit111, :
"B Discharge of s &--
. ewage uum passe nger shipNwithin n special nroa
3 Subject to the provis' f . .
asse _. . . )O~l S O. regu 1atl on 3 of thi s Annex, lhe d h;chorgc of sewage from u
P nger slnp w1thm a special area• shall be prohibited:
1
· for ne,~ passenger sh!ps, on a date determined by the Orga niza tion pursuant to regulation
13.2 of this Annex, but m no event prior to 1 June 2019; and

.2 for ~ i sting passenger ships, on a date determined by the Organization pursuant to

regul_a ~on 13.2 of this Annex, but in no event prior to 1 June 2021, except when the fol1owing
cond1bons are satisfied: the ship has in operation an approved sewage treatment plant which
has been certified by the Administration to meet the operational requirements referred to in
regulation 9.2. 1 of this Annex, and the effluent shall not produce visible floating solids nor
cause discoloration of the surrounding water."

Refer to the Establishment of the date on which regulation 11.3 of MARPOL Annex IV in
respect of the Baltic Sea Special Area shall take effect, adopted by resolution MEPC 275(69).

Appendix

Form of International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate

International Sewage Pollution Prevention Ce1tificate

3 The final paragraph under section 1.1 is replaced by the following:

"'The sewage treatment plant is certified by the Administration to meet the effluent standards
as provided for in the Guidelines on implementation of .
effluent standards and performance test for sewage treatment plants, Adopted by resolution
MEPC.227(64), as amended, including/excluding the ·
standards of section 4.2 there
 Regulatlona for the re
p ventlon of pollutlon by aewage from ■hip•
,.
Discharge regul ti
a one according to Annex IV, MARPOL 73/78

A) Application according to Regulation 2:

ships o/.-&QQiGTtBAd above

hi •
s ps of 18 §.§ tbao4Q_9..§I. which are certified to carry.more toan 15 pe[sons.,

B) Mandatory equipment according to Regulations 9 and 10:

• .~ wage treatment olant of a type aoproved hy the Administration in compliance with IMO
Crllt:ma- --.. _, __,- ~ ..r
\
- Com"!.l!!~tlflg,.!~.f12..£ll§!Q.f~ID9~ i;'~ IJ1 approved by the Administration fJ.!1£..d"'with facilities for
the'te.m,eorar,y~Qa!9§ of §ewa~e when the ship is .l2§s,J!J...~ he nearest land, '
or -.-- ,d ·

- hglgi,ag Jqnk_..Qk,9- cap~itY....t9.,,.Wit~~..e.J.i§~ on of th,e adfJJl11.i~.&3tion, having regard to the

operation of the ship, the number on persons on board, and provided with a means to indicate
visually the amount of its contents

The_tlT\g~ - £1l§c/J.e[g,S? connec~ ns must h~ ~) @,..dim,e.osioos.~Q..ecifj__egJ"!. Rf:gulation 10,

Annex V, .MARPOL 73178.
,,,,.-,-...-,,,,_,,... . . . .-..~.._..,-.. .,.,,. "'" ., t!I~.....-

C) Discharge requirements according to Regulation 11:

Under the provisions of Regulation 11, para. 1, Annex IV MARPOL 73/78, the discharge of
sewage into the sea f2.prohjbited.- ~ ~pj.when the following requirements are met:

I Discharge of

I
sewage from treatment plants comminuted and disinfected untreated sewage
Regulation 11 , para. 1, no. 2 sewage
Regulation 11, para. 1, no. 1 Regulation 11, para. 1, no. 1

- test results of the treatment - at a...9.!~~QS~..J}j.,Jl1J2lflJJJ.~

plant are laid down in the 3 nm from the nearest land
ship's International
l;.gllJJtio?J . . Prevention
Sew;: -
Certificate

- effluent does ,11ot prpduce

v.Jwb~ flogt!Qg.-c:§.2fjpS nor
caJ!J,e,_gl_scoJpr~ of the
surrounding water 1
II.

onventlon --b ,. -. ,
Scpeclal regulations for the Ba1tlc Sea ar__
ea under the provisions of the Helsinki
\
A) Application
(Verordnung Oberand di ~c h arge regulations under Art.1d, para 1, MARPOL-ZuwV
2
MARPOL 73/7 ) B~;~erha nd 'ungen gegen MARPOL 73/78 (ordinance on contraventions of
8
environmental regulatio · : p, h~ 47., last amended by Art. 1 of the second ordinance to amend
ns m s ipping , 9 April 2008, BGBI, I, p. 698)
IIJ.!Qe
MA RPOL !3~ 1tic,..
Sea.area
73/78 also' athe lvtc_,arge
dis h .
reql.liremE:_nts.21<:_g~ ding to Regulation 11, para. 1, Annex IV
point tl.B): O
- BP.. Y ,G_~-~IT)~.n P\~asl,m~ CJ ~ equipe~P ~ith .to~e.L!lci~?.iQ~tank: (see

Und~r the provisions of the above R . . .

be d1~c~a~ged at a distance of less th:gu~aiion, s~ ~~ ~ 19f~ Q,bold1QgJ anlssJ s,JJE! allowed to
,-- " "'~•,. . =-.. - -..-
"' ~ n,. ,nm_.kQ.rn..tri.e.,Jl.e~test l.9.Q_d. ·
When using~ bemicaU
~ _ en:,.,jronmept oilets~ esre should be taken to us~ chemicals which dQ.B~t- pollute the
Discha;
l'v, MARPOL 73/78, accordi~g tif~~~ sewa~_e are subJect to Reg~lation 11, para. 1, Annex
exceP..!..»'J:len it has been w ted ... inwaA.a ai ov~ hargEt.s...se.'t{.g9~. ID\.Q....\b~ sea is._.gr.objbited,
ffisinfected using an approved system .Thpp f · sewa_ge tceatment plant, or comminuted and
on board pleasure craft is prohibited· ~uchere ore, a~y discharge of sewage ~ram c~emical toilets
it c~ _Qlscharged to a reqie..t~~D f~cility . sewaa~ as to be keQt on board m hold1Qg_t~r)_ks ~ntil
--
B) ~an~atory ~quip.ment under_ Art. 6b, para. 1, Schiffssicherheitsverordnun :
(Sch1ffss1cherhe1tsveror?nung (Ship Safety Ordinance), BGBI 1, p. 3013, 3023, last ~mended b
Art. 2 of the second ordinance to amend environmental regulations in shipping 9 April 2008 Y
BGBI. I p. 701) ,

- German shi includ· leasure craft

- ~ - ~,ru Bait~ ~ ~ .~ta~e~
w~ich nav_igate the ~erman Baltic_ Sea waters (territorial sea and EEZ) have to be equipped with
toilet holding t~nks 1f they have toilets on board (ships not referred to in Regulation 2, Annex IV ,
MARPOL = ships of less than 400 gross tonnage which are not certified to carry more than 15
persons).
The required shipboard facilities are subject to HELCOM's Guidelines for Installation of Toilet
Retention Systems and Standard Connections for Sewage on Board Existing Fishing Vessels,
Working Vessels and Pleasure Craft, HELCOM Recommendation 22/1 of 21 March 2001
(Verkehrsblatt, p. 122, issue 5 - 2008, notification no. 33).

As an alternative to fixed retention systems on board, portab\e to\\ets or portable retention

systems may be used provided that they are emptied into shoreside reception faci\ities.

Exemptions from the carriage requirement under Art. 6b, para. 3,

Schiffssicherheitsverordnung (Ship Safety Ordinance):

- . ships built prior to 1 Jan. 1980

- ships built between 1 Jan. 1980 and 1 Jan. 2003

 ,yz-------------=============~~ . ,

I
a) whose hull length and beam . I
b) . IS ess than 11 .50 m and 3.80 m, respectively, or
~hich have been issued b
certificate of exemption fro thy Bu~desamt tor Seeschlfffahrt und Hydrographie with a
m e carnage requirement.
Ill.
Special regulations a I •
PP ymg to navigable maritime waterways*
A) Application and d · h
isc arge regulations under Art. 1d, para 3, MARPOL-ZuwV
- all water craft includ· 1 •
ing P easure craft which have a toilet equipped with a retention system

Ji~~h~ischarge of sewage on navigable maritime waterways* is prohibited. Exceptions are

MARP'J~~;~~~ sewage treatment plants according to Regulation 11, para. 1, no. 2, Annex IV,

*) Navi~able maritime waterways according to Art. 1, para. 1, p. 3, German Traffic Regulations

for Navigable Maritime Waterways of 22 Oct. 1998 (BGBI. I, p. 3209, 1999 I p. 193), last
amended by Art. 1 of the Ordinance dated 28 June 2006 (BGBI. I, p. 1417).

Prosecution of offences:

Any violation of the provisions in Regulation 11, para. 1, Annex IV, MARPOL 73/78 concerning
sewage discharges constitutes an administrative offence under Art. 5, MARPOL-ZuwV, which is
punishable by a fine of up to €50,000.

Any violation of the provisions in Art. 1d, para. 1, MARPOL-ZuwV by German pleasure craft in
the Baltic Sea area constitutes an administrative offence under Art. 15, para. 1, no. 2,
Seeaufgabengesetz (SeeAufG, Federal Maritime Responsibilities Act) and Art. 8, no. 2,
MARPOL-ZuwV.

Any discharge of sewage from water craft in contravention of the provisions in Art. 1d, para. 3,
MARPOL-ZuwV constitutes an administrative offence under Art. 15, para. 1, no. 2d, SeeAufG
and Art. 8, no. 4b) MARPOL-ZuwV.

Administrative offences under Art. 15, para. 1, no. 2, SeeAufG, and Art. 8, nos. 2 and 4b,
MARPOL-ZuwV are punishable by fines of up to €50,000
 SIIP WONDERS

Discharge pos, tbfe

only when the ship
01scharge possible commtnuted
Is discharging
and
only If using an disinfected sewage
approved sewage using an approved Untreated Se111age
treatment plant system discharge po$Slble

12NM

• •Sewage1' Sewage" means; drainage and other wastes from any form of toilets and
urinals; drainage tram medical premises (dlspens~, sick bay, etc.) via wash basins,
wash tubs and scuppers located in such premises; drainage from spaces containing
Jiving animals; or other waste- waters.
• Annex iv deals with discharge of sewage into the sea, ships equipment and systems
for the control of sewage discharge, the provision of facilities at ports terminals for
the reception of sewage, and requirements tor survey and certification
• It is estimated that large ships that carry 500,000 passengers can discharge about
100,000 litres of sewage per day.
• The environmental problems associated with sewage from ships include the
introduction of nutrients causing algal blooms and reduced oxygen levels which can
pose a serious health risk to people who come into contact with polluted water
during recreational activities.
 Sewage treatment on board- biological and chemical sewa.g e
treatment plant working prf nclples

The distharge of untreated sewage in controlled or territorial waters

is usually banned by legislation. Intemational legislation is in force
to cover any sewage discharges within specified distances from
land. As a result, and in order to meet certain standards all new
ships have sewage treatment plants installed.

Untreated sewage as a suspended solid is unsightly. In order to

break down naturally, raw sewage must absorb oxygen. In
excessive amounts it could reduce the oxygen content of the water
~ to the point where fish and plant life would die.
\"4
/ / Pungent smells are also associated with sewage as a result of
bacteria which produce hydrogen sulphide gas. Particular bacteria
present in the human intestine known as E, coli are also to be found
in sewage. The E. coli count in a measured sample of water
indicates the amount of sewage present.

Two particular types of sewage treatment plant are in use,

employing either chemical or biological -methods. The chemical
method is basically a storage tank which collects solid material for ·
disposal in permitted areas or to a shore collection facility. The
biological method treats the sewage so that it is acceptable for
discharge inshore.

Chemical sewage treatment

This system minimises the collected sewage, treats it and retains it

until it can be discharged in a decontrolled area, usually well out to
 \
sea. Snore receiving facllltles may be available In some ports to
take this retained sewage.

Thfs system must therefore collect and store sewage produced while
the ship Is fn a controlled area. The llquld content of the system ls
reduced, where legislation permits, by discharging wash baslns,
bath and shower drains straight overboard. Any liquid from water
closets is treated and used as flushing water for toilets. The liquid
must be treated such that it is acceptable in terms of smell and
appearance.

Various chemicals c3re· .Qdded at different points .for odour and colour
remova(and also to assist breakdown a·nd sterilisation. A
comm"inutor is used to pt)ysically break up the sewage and assist
the chemical breakdown process.

Solid:material settles out in the tank ~JJd is stored prior to discharge

into the sullage tank: the ·liquid· is recytl~d for flushing use. Tests
must be,. performed daily to check the chemical dosage rates. This is
to prevent:-oclours .developing and a~so to qVoid corrosion as a resu\t
of high levels of alkalinity. ·
 _/
( , j
~

IY

,,
A. l

l I
I
•
....
,
1

tctL
IWllT
P.
==
C't MO
UJUlcAU

CUCMMI,..... CHl01flNI: AeAAr,o•l SETTLING AERAflON

~Nf:AC't
 lI )
,
\

- ~ ~ • -.....__.,1~}
, t•rtt f1....... ,,

'to ~
__ "f - ,~ ... 111•• .,"
tA,.

o.t .t)
b.~d _ ....._ __,

e.usttc trea tment caustic

addition t4nk5 addlHo:,

j filter
•
"'~---Y (r- ... l;n:j}
it~tlu'n

grinder pump

sufta\)O rel ttnt)()n

Of hoking I~

OVerboald dischwg(#

Courtesy "Marine Auxlll1rv Machine ry"' bv H.D. McG.,orae

 ,I

Fig: Biological sewage treatment plant

Biological sewage treatment

The biological system utilises bacteria to completely break down the

sewage into an acceptable subst?tnce for discharge into any ~aters.
The extended aeration process provides a climate in which oxygen-
loving bacteria multiply and digest the sewage, converting it into a
sludge. These oxygen-loving bacteria are known as aerobic.

The treatment plant uses a tank which is divided into three

watertight compartments: an aeration compartment, settling
compartment and a chlorine contact compartment .

The sewage enters the aeration compartment where it is digested

I

by aerobic. bacteria and micro-org.anisms, whose existence is aided

by atmospheric oxygen which is pumped ·in. Th.e se-w age then flows
into th·e settling compartment where the ~~ivated sludge is settled
out. The clear liquid flows ·to the chlorinat.o.r an~ after treatm·e _n t to
kill any remaining bacteria it is discharged.

Tablets are placed in the chlorinator -and require re:pl-a_

c erne_nt a_s
they are used up. The activat~d sludge in the settling _tc3nk Js
continuously recycled anq_q!,Jilds up, so that every two -t o three
months it must b~ partially removed. This sludge mu·s t,:b e
rfic:-rh~r-narf nnh, in ~ rfarnnrr-nllarf ~r-a'.:l