It's the Law: On the Water
Discharge
of Waste
All vessels, including houseboats and floating cabins, that are equipped with a marine toilet must have a wastewater holding system to prevent the discharge of waste products into surrounding waters.
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A marine toilet is considered to be any equipment installed on board a vessel that is designed to receive, retain, treat, or discharge sewage and any process to treat such sewage. A portable toilet is not considered to be a marine toilet.
Typical Marine Sanitation Device
It is illegal for a vessel to pump out sewage from a wastewater holding system, a portable toilet, or a marine sanitation device into surrounding waters except into an approved pump-out facility or into a sewer system located on dry land.
All vessels equipped with a marine toilet must be registered with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. You will be issued a Marine Toilet Certificate decal that must be affixed to the hull adjacent to the vessel's registration number. The one-time certification fee is $5.00. No renewal of the certificate is required, and it is transferable to any subsequent owner of the vessel. |
Vessels equipped with a marine toilet must follow these regulations.
 If operated on Lakes Allatoona, Blackshear, Blue Ridge, Clarks Hill, Hartwell, Russell, Seminole, Sidney Lanier, Sinclair, Walter F. George Reservoir, or West Point, the vessel's marine toilet must be equipped with a holding tank that is built so that it can be emptied only by being pumped out. The "Y" valve must be removed to prevent discharge.- If built before January 1, 1978, the vessel may be equipped with a fully operable U.S. Coast Guard—certified Marine Sanitation Device (MSD) if the MSD is part of the vessel's original equipment.
- Sewage from the wastewater holding system or MSD must conform to the current guidelines for disposal.
You must maintain a record, going back at least one year, of the name and location of the pump-out facilities you use to empty your holding system and the dates of such use.
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.
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