waste discharge valves

[djvj]

hey all, have a 1999 santego 380. is there a waste discharge valve, or do I have to pump out? thanks

[mjk1040]

My guess is you have pump outs, discharges are pretty much a thing of the past and may not even be legal anymore unless you are multiple miles out in the ocean.
Mike

[Viper]

You may have the fixings for overboard discharge but it's likely disabled if you're on an inland lake so you'de need to be pumped out.

[SplashyLady]

Under section 312 of the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Coast Guard and the State can enforce requirements.

"Freshwater Discharge Prohibition. Vessels with installed toilets are also prohibited from discharging sewage into freshwater lakes, freshwater reservoirs, or other freshwater impoundments whose entrance point(s) and exit point(s) are too shallow to allow these vessels to enter and leave, and into rivers that do not support interstate traffic by vessels subject to section 312."

Here is a summary of current rules for equipment:

Installed toilet without MSD - Not legal

Installed toilet with macerator - Not legal
USCG regulations require that all installed toilets have an attached Marine Sanitary Device (MSD). Macerator does not count.

Installed toilet with Type I MSD* treatment system - Legal, but not ok in No Discharge Areas
Ok on boats <65'. Discharge is <1000 per 100 milliliters of fecal coliform bacteria with no visibly identifiable floating solids.

Installed toilet with Type II MSD** treatment system - Legal (But not ok in No Discharge Areas)
Ok on any size boat. found on larger boats because of electricity and space requirements. Discharge is <200 per 100 milliliters of fecal coliform bacteria with <150 milligrams of suspended solids per liter.

Installed toilet with Type III MSD** - Legal
Keeps waste out of water by using a holding tank. Discharge at onshore pumpout facility or via "Y" valve while more than 3 miles offshore in the ocean. "Y" valve must be locked closed while inshore or in fresh water.

Portable toilet (Porta-Potti) - Legal on any boat in US.*
Since it is not installed on the boat and has a portable tank, it does not fall under USCG regulations of MSD's.

No installed toilet - legal
Remember No Discharge Area rules.

Note: Some states have additional restrictions. For example, in Florida, houseboats may only have a Type III MSD or a permanent sewer line to shore. Check on your state's laws.

** Must be USCG certified
* Not legal in the province of Ontario

[djvj]

Purasan not legal? Type 1 or 2.? On inland federal waterway.

[CaptBob]

Purasan = Type 1. Legal on inland lakes in the navigable water system. (lake with locks that eventually end up in the ocean. ) Land locked lakes (no locks, only ramps or hoists) Type 1 is not approved, holding tanks or porta pottys only. Type 2 is a heavier duty system (no pun intended) system, usually reserved for larger vessels with more extra electricity. Some localities offer local laws. NdZ (no discharge zone) none are allowed, some are even closed to grey water (sinks, showers) discharge.

I added a Hold-n-treat system to my 360SS this winter. The holding tank and vaccuflush works as before, the difference is when the sensors see a level in the tank it starts a transfer pump cycle that loads the purasan, lets the purasan cycle, then loads it again until the tank is empty. This way, I can shut off the purasan if in a delicate area, fill the tank, and let it empty later. The best of both worlds.

[djvj]

Thanks for the info very helpful. Like the idea of a dual function system. Do you know if the 380 has a through hull discharge valve already? Some people have called it a Y valve.

[CaptBob]

I don't know about your boat. Your holding tank will have two large hoses (may also have a smaller hose for venting) attached to it. One in and one out. If you can follow the out sanitation (large 2 inch, usually white or grungy white) hose from your holding tank to the pump out fitting on the deck. If there is a y valve it will be in that hose. Normal configuration with a y valve is - hose from holding tank to y valve, one outlet of y valve to pump out on deck, the other outlet of y valve to underwater discharge thru-hull. Without a y valve the configuration is - hose straight from the holding tank to the pump out fitting. (well... not straight, nothing goes straight in a boat!) If there is a hose to a thru-hull it may go up and then back down (a vented loop) before it makes it to the thru-hull (which should have a valve on it.)

Either way, if you do have a y valve and a thru hull, you should not be using it unless you have a treatment system on board, or you are miles out in the ocean.

Time to crawl around and love on your boat innards! Or like I do, I send my wife (she is much smaller than me) to the really small areas.

Good luck!

[Viper]

If you have an overboard discharge, you should have a macerator pump on board as the discharge is not a gravity feed. This pumps out of the tank and discharges overboard. If you have one, there should be a breaker on your panel.