Garbage Disposal - Legal or not ??

[Ray 40]

Having a discussion with a fellow boater I mentioned that my galley sink emptied into the grey water sump and that I thought it was wrong to have sink waste (ie: tuna sandwich crumbs, other food waste rinsed from dishes) sitting in the sump.It seems that this would 'fowl' the sump - possibly plug up the sump bilge pump - and generally be unsanitary.

I'm asking if anyone knows whether or not it is legal to have a garbage disposal - obviously going straight overboard (in my case a 40' Sedan Bridge).

I know that after you 'cut out' the useless, hard to get at Lazy Suzan you have a 'cavern' of space under the sink. By cutting, with a hole saw, a normal home kitchen sized drain hole in the sink and attaching the lowest HP( therefore smallest in size and least amp draw) Disposal you can find....you can then plumb the unit to the thru hull fitting you have installed about 10-12" above the water line (in the 40' Sed. Bridge). The last step is to merely plug the unit into the receptacle that the refer. is using.

I'm not saying I did this....unless it's Legal !

The only thing that ever goes overboard is totally biodegradable...food stuffs....with the exception of the ocassional spoon or knife that gets shoved down the drain!

Opinions or facts please.

Bud

 

[Carver370]

My sink drains directly out the side.

 

[ChuckW]

Coastal regulations are different from inland waterways and lakes. Many inland settings do not allow any gray water discharge. So let's assume we are talking coastal US. Food particles are classified as graywater. However read on...

USCG Links:
Note the specific comment about food content vs. fecal matter
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg5213/docs/graywater.pdf

Note: the focus is on fecal matter
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg5213/msd.asp

That all having been said, the overboard discharge of anything from recreational boats is under scrutiny recently by the EPA and proposals regulating even rain water that lands on your boat and thens runs out a scupper is comming under fire...but nothing in stone yet.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-03-04/html/2011-4989.htm

 

[chuck1]

You should have a card mounted that talks about garbage/waste some where on your boat. It is also going to depend on where you boat. I know some inland area you can not have any gray water going overboard.

Chuck W beat me to it. Thanks Chuck.

 

[Vince_nj1]

I don't believe it is legal unless you can guarantee that the garbage will be ground down to less than 1 Inch and you only dump 3 miles off shore. Which for all practical purposes makes it illegal.

http://www.uscg.mil/d1/prevention/NavInfo/navinfo/documents/F-Environmental_Protection.PDF

MARPOL Annex V restricts the discharge of vessel generated garbage to the following:

Plastic Disposal prohibited into any waters

The discharge of all garbage is prohibited in the navigable waters of the United States and, in all waters, within three nautical miles of the nearest land.

Dunnage, lining, and packing materials that float
Disposal prohibited less than 25 miles from nearest land and in U. S. Navigable Waters

Unground Garbage
Disposal prohibited less than 12 miles from nearest land and in U.S. Navigable waters

Garbage ground to less than one inch
Disposal prohibited less than 3 miles from nearest land and in U.S. Navigable Waters

U.S. vessels 26 feet or more in length must display a placard to make those on board aware of the above listed information. U.S. vessels 40 feet or larger, and which operate beyond three miles, and have a galley and berthing, or engage in commerce, must have a waste management plan posted and keep records of garbage discharges and disposals. A person who violates any of the above requirements is liable for a civil penalty of up to $25,000, a fine of up to $50,000, and imprisonment for up to five years for each violation. Note that regional, state, and local restrictions on garbage restrictions also may apply.

 

[Asureyez]

I work to make sure little goes down to the "OctoSump". Solids sit in there and rot, stink the drains up which rises right I to the salon. Rotting solids create scum whioch makes the float switch unpredictable as well. Solids in grey water and cause trouble over time.

I doubt a mating solution from the pre-cast sinks to a disposer would be a easy trick.

I prefer to leave a clean wake and bag all trash, garbage and food waste, to be dumped shore side.

 

[Captain Allen]

Step #1 Put out a fishing rod or two.
Step #2 Grind up your food solids.
Step #3 Call it chum.

Seriously, putresible food waste ground up in a disposal is not garbage, IMHO.

 

[Four Suns]

I seriously doubt is illegal unless there is a gray water ban in your waters. The Viking yachts that sit here (brand new ones as well) all have garbage disposals that are directly plumbed to an outlet a few inches above the water line.

What is the difference of it going into a sump box to fester then go over vs. directly going through a disposal that will remove the "fester" part?

 

[crosscr]

Seriously, putresible food waste ground up in a disposal is not garbage, IMHO.

I agree, it's not much different than when my wife sits on the swim platform and feeds the fish and ducks with cereal, crackers, catfood or resturant leftovers.

 

[Four Suns]

I agree, it's not much different than when my wife sits on the swim platform and feeds the fish and ducks with cereal, crackers, catfood or resturant leftovers.

Exactly...

This is a "cool mod" I would love to do to my boat... the galley sink is right against the hull... just something about drilling holes in boats.

 

[expressboy]

I had a small garbage disposal on my last boat ( 50' trawler") ... I got a kick out of the looks you would get by folks walking by if the boat was tied to the galley side of a dock and someone used the disposal!.
Seriously the EPA should pull their collective heads out of their asses and go after REAL POLLUTERS vs. our gray water. I for one dump all foodstuff that doesn't float when we are on the hook... and I will dump the floating food if we are alone. I hadn't even thought about adding a disposal to my 400 EC as the boat already lacks in space to put anything in the galley.... but I may have to reconsider...
EXPRESSBOY