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Bilge Basics
Q. What is a bilge and why does it need to be sucked-out? A. The bilge on a boat is the lowest point inside the boat underneath the deck and floor boards. It runs fore and aft and is normally divided into three sections. The center bilge is usually where the engine and generator are housed. Throughout the entire bilge area there is electrical wiring, plumbing, exhaust and conduit. Salt water flows into the bilge from the stuffing boxes/raw water pumps/leaking thru holes, etc. The bilge also collects fluids leaking from the engines, generator, transmissions, gear boxes and the holding tank. These fluids include gasoline, diesel, oil, anti-freeze, solvents, raw sewage, etc. Lastly, the bilge collects all the miscellaneous “stuff” that a boat owner may put in it including, detergents, bilge cleaners, paint, galley run off, etc. The bilge water usually flows freely between the different bilge sections. This toxic mixture needs to be sucked-out of the bilge before the bilge pump sends it into our bays and harbors. Having the bilge sucked-out is not only good for the environment, but it is also good for the boat owner. The toxic cocktail sitting below deck can create a nasty smell and potentially dangerous fumes.
Q. Isn’t the water in the bilge just dirty salt water? A. No. Bilge water from the average boat contains a combination of salt water, fresh water, used motor oil, anti-freeze, gas or diesel, raw sewage, solvents, detergents, paint and bilge cleaner. Waste is ever present in bilges, but it can be minimized by proper disposal of used engine oil, filters, holding tanks fluids, anti-freeze and oil absorbers.
Q. With automatic bilge pumps constantly emptying the bilges, why does the boat owner need to have someone remove the bilge water? A. The bilge pump is not selective about what it pumps over the side. When the bilge pump goes on the bilge waste flows out into the bay contaminating everything it comes in contact with – fish, crab, beaches, etc. Every boat owner needs to be aware that any discharge from their boat which discolors the water and/or causes a sheen or film on the water is an illegal discharge which could subject the boat owner to serious fines and penalties.
Q. Don’t Bilge Pads absorb all the “bad stuff” in the bilge water before it is pumped out? A. No. Bilge pads are a great supplement to regular cleaning of a bilge, but they do not absorb all the pollutants in the bilge water. Bilge pads are great at absorbing moderate quantities of hydrocarbon (oil) based products. Bilge pads do NOT absorb any non-hydrocarbon liquid waste. In other words, bilge pads do not absorb the raw sewage, anti-freeze, solvents, detergents, paints and other non-petroleum products floating in the bilge – that’s a lot of “bad stuff” waiting to flow overboard. In addition, if the boat owner has used a product in the bilge which emulsifies the oil/water mix, the bilge pad is unable to effectively trap the oil. Lastly, when boat owners remove the bilge pads, a little inadvertent squeeze of the pad can send some of that oil/fuel right back into the bilge.
Q. Is there a filter which can be used in conjunction with the bilge pump to reduce the amount of waste water flowing into the bay? A. Yes. The filters run the gamut in terms of costs and functions. The Liberty Bay Filters are the least expensive and are designed to easily fit and mount between the bilge pump and the thru hole. The Liberty Bay Filter traps hydrocarbons only. The Liberty Bay Filter comes in three sizes and is easily installed. The Bilge Boy is an oil water separator which is mounted in the engine room and is designed for the larger pleasure yachts or commercial vessels. The Bilge Boy is Coast Guard and IMO approved for discharge at 15 p.p.m. or below. For more information on these filters, contact Dan West at (877) 582-5823 (toll free).
Q. Why would a boat owner choose to dump his/her bilge waste into the local bay instead of handling the bilge waste in an environmentally friendly manner? A. There are several reasons: 1. People buy boats to have fun. They do not buy boats to spend their limited free time inside a dirty bilge. It is much easier to pour a gallon of bilge cleaner into the bilge and let the bilge pump dump the waste over board, then to clean the bilge or to take it to a bilge suck-out station. 2. Ignorance. Most boat owners haven’t clue as to what is in the water in their bilge. They don’t knowingly pollute. 3. “It’s a big ocean.” Some boaters know their bilge water contains toxins, but they believe that the amount of bilge waste pumped into the bay is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things – just a drop in a big ocean.
Q. What options are available to a boat owner who wants to have his/her bilges cleaned? A. The boat owner has three options: 1. Clean the bilge himself/herself. This is a time consuming and extremely dirty process. It also requires that the boat owner know how to handle and dispose of the waste water removed. Most boat owners do not chose this option. 2. Bilge Suck-Out station. A boat owner can take his/her boat to the local bilge suck-out station and remove almost all the liquid waste from the bilges (no solids). The down side is that it is time consuming and impossible to get all the waste from inside the bilge because it adheres to the hull. All solid waste remains (sludge, etc.) 3. Professional Bilge Cleaning Service. The boat owner can contact a licensed professional bilge cleaning service. These services come to the boat and will remove and manifest the liquid and solid waste in the bilge. These services can get to almost all the nooks and crannies in a bilge thus eliminating a greater amount of waste. Some services will also steam clean the interior of the bilge to remove all the waste. The steam cleaning removes the waste that has adhered to the inside of the hull thereby reducing the amount of waste in the next batch of bilge water.
Q. How does a boat owner find a reputable bilge suck-out service? A. The boat owner can contact his/her harbor master and ask for a list of local bilge cleaning companies. The boat owner can also check the local marine yellow pages for a bilge cleaning company. The boat owner should always do the following before hiring any bilge cleaning company: 1. Verify that the company is licensed to do business in your area; 2. Verify that the company is insured; 3. Ask how and where the company disposes of its hazardous waste (you could be responsible for illegal disposal by the company); and 4. Verify that the company has an EPA Number.
Material prepared by American Marine Oil Systems and Naut-A-Care Marine Services P.O. Box 1021 Newport Beach, CA 92659 (877) 582-5823 (toll free) or (949) 631-5823
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