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Greywater is the untreated water from onboard sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers and the wastewater from cleaning boats with detergents, soaps and bleaches. It is a major polluter of the marine environment, especially in ports and coastal areas. Greywater systems on larger boats are designed to collect and store grey wastewater until it is ready for discharge.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What is greywater? | Untreated water from onboard sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers and the wastewater from cleaning boats with detergents, soaps and bleaches. |
| How does it affect the environment? | It is a major polluter of the marine environment, especially in ports and coastal areas. It can cause excessive unwanted algae and vegetation growth, decreases the dissolved oxygen in the water due to the decomposition of organic matter and contributes to a decline in water quality and the aquatic ecosystem. |
| How is it stored? | Grey water tanks are typically small tanks of about 1 gallon which collect the waste from showers or sinks and then pump the waste overboard automatically using a bilge type pump with an inbuilt float switch. Larger boats have bigger grey water tanks that can also be run on automatic. |
| Where does it go? | Because boats are not connected to a permanent sanitary sewer system, greywater is discharged directly into the water without treatment. The discharge of greywater is prohibited in some harbours and marinas. |
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What You'll Learn
- Grey water tanks are typically small tanks of about 1 gallon
- Grey water systems on larger boats can store waste until it's ready for discharge
- Grey water tanks collect waste from showers, sinks, air conditioners and washing machines
- Grey water is untreated water from onboard sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers and wastewater from cleaning boats
- Grey water is a major polluter of the marine environment
Grey water tanks are typically small tanks of about 1 gallon
Because boats are not connected to a permanent sanitary sewer system, grey water is discharged directly into the water without treatment. Grey water may contain nutrients such as phosphate and toxins including chlorine, inorganic salts and metals that can cause excessive unwanted algae and vegetation growth, decreases the dissolved oxygen in the water due to the decomposition of organic matter and contributes to a decline in water quality and the aquatic ecosystem.
The discharge of grey water is prohibited in some harbours and marinas. Many marinas and harbours now have a no-discharge policy. Similar to blackwater (sewage discharge), when grey water enters the aquatic environment, the associated chemical nutrients decompose in the water leading to less available oxygen for aquatic life. This influx of nutrients also promotes rapid algal growth, a process called eutrophication.
Grey water systems on larger boats are designed to take far more grey waste water and store it until it is ready for discharge, similar to a black waste holding tank. These larger tanks can also be run on automatic, which will allow the waste to be discharged in a similar way to the smaller sump tanks.
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Grey water systems on larger boats can store waste until it's ready for discharge
Because boats are not connected to a permanent sanitary sewer system, grey water is usually discharged directly into the water without treatment. Grey water may contain nutrients such as phosphate and toxins including chlorine, inorganic salts and metals that can cause excessive unwanted algae and vegetation growth, decrease the dissolved oxygen in the water due to the decomposition of organic matter and contribute to a decline in water quality and the aquatic ecosystem.
Grey water systems on larger boats are designed to take more grey wastewater and store it until it's ready for discharge, similar to a black waste holding tank. These larger tanks can also be run on automatic, which will allow the waste to be discharged in a similar way to the smaller sump tanks. Larger systems will also have a manual override switch which enables the tank to be emptied at will. These larger tanks tend to use 1 ½” diaphragm pumps which can handle foreign bodies such as hair from the shower, peas from the sink and money from the washing machine!
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Grey water tanks collect waste from showers, sinks, air conditioners and washing machines
Because boats are not connected to a permanent sanitary sewer system, grey water is often discharged directly into the water without treatment. This can cause excessive unwanted algae and vegetation growth, decreases the dissolved oxygen in the water due to the decomposition of organic matter and contributes to a decline in water quality and the aquatic ecosystem.
Grey water tanks are typically small tanks of about one gallon which collect the waste from showers or sinks and then pump the waste overboard automatically using a bilge-type pump with an inbuilt float switch. Grey water tanks are designed to collect wastewater from showers, sinks, air conditioners and washing machines. Some boats have a grey water tank for the shower only, which is known as a sump tank.
Larger grey water systems on bigger boats are designed to take more grey wastewater and store it until it is ready for discharge, similar to a black waste holding tank. These larger tanks can also be run on automatic, which will allow the waste to be discharged in a similar way to the smaller sump tanks.
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Grey water is untreated water from onboard sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers and wastewater from cleaning boats
Because boats are not connected to a permanent sanitary sewer system, grey water is usually discharged directly into the water without treatment. This can cause excessive unwanted algae and vegetation growth, decrease the dissolved oxygen in the water due to the decomposition of organic matter, and contribute to a decline in water quality and the aquatic ecosystem.
To prevent this, many marinas and harbours now have a no-discharge policy for grey water. Similar to blackwater (sewage discharge), when grey water enters the aquatic environment, the associated chemical nutrients decompose in the water, leading to less available oxygen for aquatic life.
Grey water systems on larger boats are designed to take more grey wastewater and store it until it is ready for discharge, similar to a black waste holding tank. These larger tanks can also be run on automatic, allowing waste to be discharged in a similar way to smaller sump tanks.
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Grey water is a major polluter of the marine environment
Grey water may contain nutrients such as phosphate and toxins including chlorine, inorganic salts and metals. These can cause excessive unwanted algae and vegetation growth, decreasing the dissolved oxygen in the water due to the decomposition of organic matter. This contributes to a decline in water quality and the aquatic ecosystem.
Grey water systems on larger boats are designed to take more grey wastewater and store it until it is ready for discharge, similar to a black waste holding tank. These larger tanks can also be run on automatic, allowing the waste to be discharged in a similar way to smaller sump tanks. Grey water tanks are typically small tanks of about one gallon which collect the waste from showers or sinks and then pump the waste overboard automatically.
Many marinas and harbours now have a no-discharge policy. Similar to blackwater (sewage discharge), when grey water enters the aquatic environment, the associated chemical nutrients decompose in the water, leading to less available oxygen for aquatic life. This influx of nutrients also promotes rapid algal growth, a process called eutrophication.
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Frequently asked questions
Greywater is untreated water from onboard sinks, showers, washing machines, dishwashers and the wastewater from cleaning boats with detergents, soaps and bleaches.
Greywater is a major polluter of the marine environment, especially in ports and coastal areas. It contains nutrients such as phosphate and toxins including chlorine, inorganic salts and metals that can cause excessive unwanted algae and vegetation growth, decreases the dissolved oxygen in the water due to the decomposition of organic matter and contributes to a decline in water quality and the aquatic ecosystem.
Grey water systems on larger boats are designed to take far more grey wastewater and store it until ready for discharge similar to a black waste holding tank. Grey water tanks are typically small tanks of about 1 gallon which collect the waste from showers or sinks and then pump the waste overboard automatically using a bilge type pump with an inbuilt float switch.
Many marinas and harbours now have a no-discharge policy. Boat owners should check with marina personnel for local restrictions and use shore-side facilities such as showers, sinks and laundry.
