It's the Law: On the Water

Discharge of Oil and Other Hazardous Substances

• It is illegal to discharge oil or hazardous substances.
• You are not allowed to dump oil into the bilge of the vessel without means for proper disposal.
• You must discharge oil waste to a reception facility. On recreational vessels, a bucket or bailer is adequate.
• If your vessel is 26 feet or longer, you must display a 5 x 8-inch placard near the bilge pump switch stating the Federal Water Pollution Control Act's law

If your vessel discharges oil or hazardous substances in the water,iImmediately call the U.S. Coast Guard at 1-800-424-8802. Also notify the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) by calling 603-271-3899 (oil and non-oil spill).

Discharge of Sewage and Waste All waters in New Hampshire are "No Discharge Areas." It is illegal to discharge sewage—treated or untreated—into the water. If on inland waters, a vessel must have a holding tank with no through-hull discharge option. If you have a recreational vessel with installed toilet facilities, it must have an operable marine sanitation device (MSD) on board. All installed devices must be U.S. Coast Guard—certified. Types of MSDs Types I and II MSDs treat waste with special chemicals to kill bacteria before discharge. Types I and II MSDs with "Y" valves must be secured or have the handle removed so that the valve cannot be opened. Type I and II MSDs are allowed only on marine waters. Type III MSDs provide no treatment and are either holding tanks or portable toilets. Collected waste must disposed of in an onshore or mobile pump-out. A Type III is the only type of MSD allowed on inland waters.

Discharge of Trash

It is illegal to dump garbage in all inland bodies of water. Also it is never legal to dump plastics into federally controlled or inland bodies of water.

• You must store trash in a container 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.