It's the Law: On the Water

Discharge of Oil and Other Hazardous Substances

• You are not allowed to discharge oil or hazardous substances into the water.
• You are not allowed to dump oil into the bilge of the vessel without means for proper disposal.
• You must dispose of oil waste at an approved reception facility. On recreational vessels, a bucket or bailer is adequate for temporary storage prior to disposing of the oil waste at an approved facility.
• If boating on federally controlled waters and your vessel is 26 feet or longer, you must display a 5 x 8-inch placard made of durable material, fixed in a conspicuous place in the machinery spaces or at the bilge pump control station, stating the Federal Water Pollution Control Act’s law.

If your vessel discharges oil or hazardous substances into the water, immediately call the U.S. Coast Guard at 1-800-424-8802.

Discharge of Trash

It is illegal to dump refuse, garbage, or plastics into any state or federally controlled waters. Many forms of litter can kill birds, fish, and marine mammals.

• You must store trash in a container while on board and place it in a proper receptacle after returning to shore.
• If boating on federally controlled waters and your vessel is 26 feet or longer, you must display a Garbage Disposal Placard that is at least 4 x 9 inches and notifies passengers and crew about discharge restrictions.

Discharge of Waste

If you have a recreational vessel with installed toilet facilities, it must have an operable, U.S. Coast Guard–certified marine sanitation device (MSD) on board.

• All vessels 26 feet or more in length which have an enclosed cabin with sleeping facilities, must be equipped with a toilet if on Florida state waters. On a vessel other than a houseboat, the toilet may be portable or a permanently installed toilet properly attached to a MSD.
• Every houseboat must be equipped with at least one permanently installed toilet properly attached to a Type III MSD.

Types of MSDs

Type I MSD*: For vessels over 26 feet and under 65 feet and use a combination of maceration and chemical treatment to kill bacteria just prior to discharge. Type II MSD*: Required for vessels 65 feet and longer and use a combination of maceration, septic treatment, and chemical treatment to kill bacteria just prior to discharge. Type III MSD: Consists of holding tanks or portable toilets. Type III MSDs have the least effect on the environment since the waste is to be discharged on shore into a local sewage treatment facility. *There may be a “Y” valve that directs untreated waste material for discharge or directs waste material for treatment prior to discharge. The “Y” valve must be secured to direct waste to the MSD at all times within Florida waters (three miles or the edge of the Gulf Stream, whichever is greater, off the Atlantic coast or nine miles off the Gulf of Mexico coast).