ENGINE ROOM WASTE

MANAGEMENT
OILY WATER AND
SEPARATORS
ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT
OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

A VIDEOTEL PRODUCTION

AUTHOR
Pat Mitchell

84 NEWMAN STREET, LONDON W1T 3EU

TELEPHONE +44(0)20
7299 1800
FACSIMILE +44(0)20
7299 1818
mail@videotelmail.com
www.videotel.co.uk
 ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT
OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS

A VIDEOTEL PRODUCTION
in association with
THE STEAMSHIP MUTUAL UNDERWRITING ASSOCIATION (BERMUDA) LTD
The Producers would like to acknowledge the assistance of
THE MASTER, OFFICERS AND CREW OF ARKLOW WIND
THE STAFF OF THE NATIONAL MARITIME COLLEGE OF IRELAND
A&P Falmouth
Arklow Shipping Ltd
The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO)
BW Shipping Managers
Dobson Fleet Management
Dorchester Atlantic Marine Ltd
Essar Shipping Limited
Fafalios Ltd
Fairmont Shipping (UK) Ltd
Hamworthy plc
Hanseatic Shipping Company
Hong Kong Shipowners Association
International Maritime Organization (IMO)
ISM Solutions Inc
The Institute of Marine Engineering (IMarEST)
INTERTANKO
The Maersk Company Ltd
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)
OCIMF
OMI Corporation
Paris MOU
Shell International Trading & Shipping Co. Ltd
Tanker Pacific Management (Singapore) Pte Ltd
United States Coast Guard (USCG)
Vela International Marine Ltd
V Ships UK Ltd
Wallem Ship Management

CONSULTANTS: Sir William Codrington, Professor Jon Wonham, Bill Cooper

PRODUCER: Peter Wilde
WRITER: Pat Mitchell
DIRECTOR: Chris Setchell

WARNING
Any unauthorised copying, lending, exhibition, diffusion, sale, public performance or other exploitation of the accompanying video is
strictly prohibited and may result in prosecution.
© COPYRIGHT Videotel 2007
This video and accompanying workbook training package is intended to reflect the best available techniques and practices at the time of
production. It is intended purely as comment. No responsibility is accepted by Videotel, or by any firm, corporation or organisation who
or which has been in any way concerned with the production or authorised translation, supply or sale of this video for accuracy of any
information given hereon or for any omission herefrom.
ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 4

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME – PART 1 8

1 Introduction 8
2 The video 8
3 Points from the video 9
4 Sources – leaks etc 9
5 Sources – cleaning 10
6 Summary 10

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME – PART 2 11

1 Introduction 11
2 The video 11
3 How the separator and oil content monitor work 12
4 Operation of the separator 15
5 Maintenance 16
6 Security 16
7 The new generation of separators 17
8 Summary 18

HELPFUL QUESTIONS – PART 1 AND 2 19

APPENDIX 20

RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING 20

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INTRODUCTION
THE ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT SERIES
This training programme on Oily Water and Separators is one of a series of four covering different
aspects of engine room waste management. The other three cover, The Oil Record Book, Sewage and
Waste Water Treatment, and Sludge and the Incinerator respectively.
Each of the four programmes consists of a video and an accompanying guide.

TARGET AUDIENCE AND FORMAT

The programme is designed for all engine room personnel. It is in two parts, each of which is led by a
senior engineer officer. Each part begins with a brief introduction. The group then watch a video which
lasts about fifteen minutes. They then discuss the points raised in the video and relate these to the
particular circumstances of their own ship.

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INTRODUCTION
OBJECTIVES
Those taking part in the training programme will:

• Identify typical sources of oily water

• Know how to minimise the amount of oily water reaching the bilges and control its content so
that the oily water separator (OWS) and oil content monitor (OCM) are able to work properly
• Understand the working principles of the OWS and the OCM
• Understand important features of operating and maintaining the OWS, including some simple
security precautions
• Learn about the new generation of separators designed to meet the standards specified in
MEPC.107(49)
MEPC stands for “Marine Environment Protection Committee”. This is a committee of the International
Maritime Organization – the IMO. The numbers simply tell us that this is the Committee’s 107th resolution,
passed at their 49th session. The full title of the resolution is: “Revised guidelines and specifications for pollution
prevention equipment for machinery spaces of ships”.
In addition to the usual introduction, explanation of the background and definitions, the resolution contains:
• Technical specifications
• Specifications for type approval testing of pollution prevention equipment
• Installation requirements
• Relate the issues covered in the programme to their own ship

THE PROGRAMME
• PART 1 covers where oily water comes from, how to minimise the quantity reaching the
bilges and how to control the content of the water so that the OWS and the OCM are able to
function correctly
• PART 2 covers how the separator and the OCM work, how to operate and maintain them,
simple security precautions and an outline of the new generation of separators
Each part of the programme is divided into sections. If you don’t have time to run all of either part, you
can run some sections separately. For example, you could discuss operating the separator in one short
training session and maintaining it in another. If you do, show the video in the first session and don’t
leave too much of a gap between sessions.

THE VIDEO
The video shows a conversation between an experienced engineer and a student who is nearing the end
of her university degree in mechanical engineering and is considering a career at sea. The experienced
engineer explains and discusses why it is important to handle oily water properly and how that is done.
The video is in two parts, each lasting approximately 15 minutes.

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INTRODUCTION

THE REGULATIONS
The appendix to the guide contains copies of the following regulations from MARPOL, Annex I:

• Regulation 4: Exceptions
• Regulation 14: Oil filtering equipment
• Regulation 15: Control of the discharge of oil
• MEPC 54/21, Annex 17

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INTRODUCTION
PREPARATION FOR PART 1
If you will be leading the programme:

• Watch PART 1 of the video

• Read the detailed notes suggesting how to run the programme
• Think about how the points raised relate to your ship (for example, procedures for disposing
of gas oil used for cleaning)
• Read MARPOL, Annex I, Regulations 14 and 15
• Identify any specific actions which you would like those taking part to take once the
programme is over. When you are leading the discussion, try to avoid telling the group what
these are. Encourage them to come up with ideas. Add anything they have missed once they
have done so. We have included examples of questions which you may want to use to
encourage discussion

PREPARATION FOR PART 2

If you will be leading the programme:

• Watch PART 2 of the video

• Read the detailed notes suggesting how to run the programme
• Think about how the points raised relate to your ship (for example, the procedure to be
followed for cleaning the OWS once discharge is completed)
• Section 5 of the programme covers the planned maintenance system (PMS) for your ship’s
separator. Decide how much detail you want to go into about this
• Review the fault list in your separator’s manual and decide which items are a priority to
discuss with those you will be training
• Identify any standing orders for the treatment of oily water which are specific to your ship
• If your company is likely to be installing new generation separators in the near future, find
out what type these will be so that you are able to discuss them during the programme
• Identify any specific actions which you would like those taking part to take once the
programme is over
• As with PART 1, try to make this session a discussion rather than a lecture, using the
examples of questions which we have provided if you think that these are helpful

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 1
1 INTRODUCTION
Explain that:

• This short training programme is about oily water

• It is in two parts. This part is about where oily water comes from, how to minimise its
quantity and how to control its content so that the separator and oil content monitor are able
to work properly. Part 2 covers how the separator and oil content monitor work, how to
operate and maintain them, simple security precautions and an outline of the new generation
of separators
• You will show them a video lasting about 15 minutes
• You will then lead a discussion about the points raised in the video. The main objective of this
discussion is to identify and agree ways of handling oily water better on your ship. Stress that
you want their ideas and suggestions
Remind the group that the discharge of oily water, whether through the separator or to shore based
facilities, is strictly controlled by internationally agreed regulations and it is inspected by port state
authorities. The limit for discharge at sea is 15ppm (parts per million) and the ship must be en route
during discharge.

Ask them if they know what 15ppm means. It is roughly a coffee cup of oil in 20m3 of water.

2 THE VIDEO
Explain that the video shows a conversation between an engineer officer and a student who is
nearing the end of her university degree course in mechanical engineering and is has been
asked by her professor to do a project on “real engineering”.
Show the video.

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 1
3 POINTS FROM THE VIDEO
Ask the group what they thought were the important points from the video. In summary these are:

• There are many sources of oily water – such as leaks, spills, overflows and condensation
• Good housekeeping can reduce the quantity of oily water coming from many of these sources.
A leak that drips every second can put 30 or 40 litres into the bilges in a day
• Cleaning is a particular issue
• Controlling the content, as well as the quantity, of the oily water that reaches the bilges is
important. If it contains too much oil the separator may struggle to cope with it. If it contains
impurities such as soot, the OCM may not work properly

4 SOURCES – LEAKS ETC

• Ask the group for suggestions about how to reduce the amount of oily water from leaks,
spills and overflows
• Check that they understand and are following the procedures for handling items
contaminated with oil – filters, oily rags and so on. Ask for any ideas about how to do this
better
• Stress the importance of keeping as much oil as possible out of the bilges by, for example,
carefully emptying drip trays
• Add any points for improvement which the group have not suggested

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 1
5 SOURCES – CLEANING
Discuss and identify improvements in the procedures for the following cleaning tasks:

• Keeping bilges and holding tanks as clean as possible

• Preventing emulsifiers getting into the bilge water
• Cleaning the air cooler in the charge air receiver
• Disposing of gas oil used for cleaning
• Handling water contaminated with soot from pressure washing
the waste heat recovery unit in the funnel, while in port

6 SUMMARY
Summarise the action points which you have agreed. Agree a timescale for implementation.

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 2
1 INTRODUCTION
Explain that:

• PART 2 of this short training programme covers how the separator and OCM work, how to
operate and maintain them, including tackling faults, simple security precautions and an
outline of the new generation of separators
• As in PART 1, you will show them a video lasting about 15 minutes, followed by a discussion
about the points raised in the video. The main objective of this discussion is to identify and
agree ways of handling oily water better on your ship. Stress that you want their ideas and
suggestions

2 THE VIDEO
Remind the group that the video shows a conversation between an engineer officer and a
student who is nearing the end of her university degree course in mechanical engineering and is
considering a career at sea. In PART 1 they discussed the sources of oily water. In this part they
talk about how oily water is dealt with.
Show the video.

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 2
3 HOW THE SEPARATOR AND OIL CONTENT MONITOR WORK
Check that those taking part understand the principles of how the separator and OCM work. Answer any
questions they may have. Points to stress are:

• Separation starts in the holding tank. Because oil and water have a different specific gravity,
the static mixture of the two liquids in the tank will separate, with oil rising to the top, which
from there can be drawn off into a waste oil tank. This lowers the concentration of oil in the
water towards the bottom of the tank, making it easier for the separator to deal with
• The present generation of separators contain two stages:

• Stage 1 is SEPARATION. The equipment is designed

to slow the velocity of oily water following its entry
into the separator from the holding tank. Again,
because of the differences in specific gravity, a slow
moving mixture of the two liquids enable them to
separate, with the oil rising to the top

• Separation is often also encouraged by using

heating coils, both in the holding tank and in the
separator itself. This is particularly important with
higher fractions of oil, since their specific gravities
are similar to water

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 2

• Discharge of oil from the top of the separator and

water from the bottom is controlled by solenoids –
capacitance probes. The oil is pumped to a waste oil
tank, while the water, which still contains more than
15 ppm of oil, is drawn into Stage 2...

• Stage 2 is a COALESCER. The droplets of oil in the

water are now so small that frictional force on their
surfaces prevents them from rising. To solve this
problem the oily water is forced through a filter. The
water passes easily, but the oil droplets coalesce –
they stick to the filter and to one another, growing
larger in the process. This enables them to separate

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 2

• As in Stage 1, the oil is drawn off at the top of Stage

2, and water, which should now contain less than 15
ppm, is at the bottom
• In the OCM, infrared light is shone through the water
from Stage 2 onto a detector. This measures the
amount by which the light has been dispersed by the
remaining droplets of oil. The monitor has been
calibrated to convert this measurement into parts per
million. Calibration is not done on board.
It’s a job for the manufacturer
• If the monitor detects that the concentration of oil is
above 15 ppm, the overboard discharge outlet on the
3-way valve is automatically closed, an alarm sounds
and the water is directed back to
the holding tank

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 2
4 OPERATION OF THE SEPARATOR
The details to cover in this section will obviously depend on the make and model of the separator on your
ship. Find out whether the group ever experience any problems when running the equipment. Ask for any
suggestions they may have for improvements.

You may wish to stress the following general points which were covered in the video:

• It is good practice to put the manufacturer’s operating instructions in an easily visible

position near the separator. Encourage those who operate the equipment to check the
instructions, even if they have used it before. Sometimes even experienced operators can
overlook something important
• At the end of each cycle whoever is operating the separator should back-flush the equipment
with clean water. This cleans the filters in Stage 2 and removes any remaining oil from
Stage 1. The separator should be left full of clean water so that it is ready for the next time it
is used
• At the beginning of each separation cycle it is important to zero test the OCM with clean
water
• At the beginning and end of each cycle it is essential to check the ship’s exact position as this
information must be entered in the Oil Record Book
• On many ships (yours?) there is a float in the bilge holding tank which will stop the separator
running before the concentration of oil in the water becomes too great for it to cope with. If
this is not the case on your ship, stress that the operator should estimate the amount of
pumpable water in the system so that it can be shut down before the separator is flooded
with concentrated oil. It is not acceptable practice to run the equipment until the alarm
sounds

Explain and discuss any standing orders on your ship which are additional to the procedures called for in
the statutory regulations.

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 2
5 MAINTENANCE
Discuss the PMS for your separator with the group.

• Check that they understand the important points which it covers

• Find out whether they have any problems maintaining the equipment or
ideas for improvement
• Explain how you verify that maintenance schedules are being followed
• Stress the importance of keeping sufficient spares on board
Explain the key points from the fault list for your separator. Stress that when faults occur:

• They must stop the separator running as soon as the fault develops, rather than waiting until
they have identified the problem. There must never be any risk that water with an oil content
above the 15 ppm limit could be discharged overboard.
• They must avoid any temptation to break or bend the rules. If a problem arises which can
only be solved by doing something illegal, that is an issue for the shore office to sort out.

6 SECURITY
The video highlighted the use of:

• White boxes. These prevent anyone tampering with the OCM.

• Seals on valves and flanges in the engine room. These ensure that no one can interfere with
any pipe work containing oil or oily wastes. Some seals are plastic, so that they can be
removed quickly in an emergency. Others are chains secured by padlocks. The numbers of
plastic seals are recorded in the engine room logbooks and the Chief Engineer keeps the
keys to any padlocks
Discuss with the group the steps taken on your ship to protect the security of the equipment for handling
oily water.

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 2
7 THE NEW GENERATION OF SEPARATORS
As the student pointed out to the engineer in the video, the current generation of separators have some
important disadvantages and limitations. They cope badly with dirt, soot, emulsifiers, and oil at too high a
concentration. Rough sea conditions lower the efficiency of separation. For these reasons, it is often
difficult for even the most experienced engineers to make them work properly.

That is why the IMO has introduced a revised set of guidelines and specifications for separators. These
are set out in MEPC.107(49).
MEPC stands for “Marine Environment Protection Committee”. This is a committee of the International
Maritime Organization – the IMO. The numbers simply tell us that this is the Committee’s 107th
resolution, passed at their 49th session. The full title of the resolution is:

“Revised guidelines and specifications for pollution prevention equipment for machinery spaces
of ships”
In addition to the usual introduction, explanation of the background and definitions, the resolution
contains:

• Technical specifications
• Specifications for type approval testing of pollution prevention equipment
• Installation requirements

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HOW TO RUN THE PROGRAMME

PART 2
These new requirements apply to:

• “Installations fitted to ships, the keel of which are laid or which are at a similar stage of
construction on or after 1 January 2005; and
• To new installations fitted on or after 1 January 2005 to ships, the keel of which were laid or
which were at a similar stage of construction before 1 January 2005 in as far as is reasonable
and practicable”
The requirements for design, manufacture, testing, type approval and so on are very detailed, but tell the
group that the good news for ships’ engineers is contained in the following single paragraph:

“It should be understood that a 15ppm Bilge Separator must be capable of handling any oily
mixtures from the machinery space bilges and be expected to be effective over the complete
range of oils which might be carried on board ship, and deal with oil of very high relative
density, or with a mixture presented to it as an emulsion. Cleansing agents, emulsifiers,
solvents or surfactants used for cleaning purposes may cause the bilge water to emulsify.
Proper measures should be taken to minimise the presence of these substances in the bilges
of a ship. With the possibility of emulsified bilge water always present the 15ppm Bilge
Separator must be capable of separating the oil from the emulsion to produce an effluent with
an oil content not exceeding 15ppm”

Explain that a number of manufacturers have already risen to this challenge using a variety of technical
approaches, including centrifuges, sophisticated membranes, biological systems and evaporation. If your
company is introducing new generation separators, explain the approach on which they will be based.

8 SUMMARY
Summarise the action points which you have agreed. Agree a timescale for implementation.

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ENGINE ROOM WASTE MANAGEMENT OILY WATER AND SEPARATORS VIDEOTEL PRODUCTIONS

QUESTIONS
PART 1
1 Name three sources of oily water
2 Name three different types of impurities which may prevent the OWS or the OCM from
working properly
3 Oil and water separate because of differences in what?
4 Why must we avoid using cleaners that contain emulsifiers?
5 Why are heating coils used in the bilge holding tank and the separator?
6 How should gas oil used for cleaning be disposed of?
7 Why do some companies put their OCM in a lockable white box?
8 What should you do if the separator develops a fault while you are operating it?
9 What should you do to the OCM before starting separation?
10 What should you do to the separator once you have completed a cycle of separation?

PART 2
1 What happens in the first separation stage of the separator?
2 What happens in the second coalescing stage of the separator?
3 Why do some companies put their OCM in a lockable white box?
4 Why are heating coils used in the bilge holding tank and the separator?
5 How is the discharge of oil and water controlled in the first stage of the separator?
6 How does the oil content monitor work?
7 What should you do if the separator develops a fault while you are operating it?
8 What should you do to the OCM before starting separation?
9 What should you do to the separator once you have completed a cycle of separation?
10 Name two of the principles on which the design of the new generation of separators
is based
11 Why is it necessary to check the ship’s position at the beginning and end of separation?
12 Why is it good practice to lock flanges and valves with plastic seals and padlocks?

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APPENDIX / RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING

MARPOL, ANNEX I
CHAPTER 1 GENERAL
Regulation 4: Exceptions
CHAPTER 3 REQUIREMENTS FOR MACHINERY SPACES OF ALL SHIPS
PART B – Equipment
Regulation 14: Oil filtering equipment
PART C – Control of operational discharge of oil
Regulation 15: Control of the discharge of oil
A: Discharges outside special areas
B: Discharges in special areas
C: Requirements for ships of less than 400 gross tonnage
in all areas except the Antarctic area
D: General requirements

RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING

Shipping Industry Guidance on the use of Oily Water Separators
Published by: MARITIME I

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p r o d u c t i o n s
84 NEWMAN STREET, LONDON W1T 3EU
TELEPHONE +44(0)20 7299 1800
FACSIMILE +44(0)20 7299 1818
E-MAIL mail@videotelmail.com
WEB www.videotel.co.uk