Free wastewater pumpout service for boaters available now through October

With the kickoff of the 2015 boating season underway, Ocean County officials are reminding boaters that they can access a free wastewater pumpout service every weekend throughout the summer.

“We are home to the greatest number of marinas in the state. We want people to use our bays and our rivers for recreational boating,” said Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari, who serves as liaison to the pumpout boat program. “But we also want everyone to enjoy these wonderful natural habitats responsibly and to be mindful of the environment that needs to be protected and preserved.”

Photo via Ocean County Planning
The pumpout boats plays a vital role in protecting
the inter-coastal waters of Ocean County.

The county’s pumpout boats are specially equipped vessels capable of emptying the on-board toilets and tanks of other boats, thus keeping waste from entering the bay. The boats cover different areas of the bay throughout the county, and can be accessed by contacting the captains on VHF Radio Channel 9.

“In its 18th year, we now operate six pumpout boats that are helping us do our part to keep Barnegat Bay and its tributaries clean,” said Freeholder Director John C. Bartlett Jr. “We encourage all of our boaters who are out enjoying the bay and our rivers to use this free service and stop wastewater pollutants from entering our waterways.”

The Bay Defender, a 23-foot boat with a 420-gallon holding tank that is operated by Brick Township, joined the Bay Saver in patrolling northern Barnegat Bay in 2014. Two other boats operate in central Barnegat Bay, and two boats patrol Little Egg Harbor.

“This program has been a great partnership with the state, our municipalities, the Ocean County Utilities Authority and the Tuckerton Seaport,” Vicari said.

The cost to operate all the boats is split between the county and the Ocean County Utilities Authority, which allows the pumpout service to be free for boaters.

Vicari said the program is essential for Ocean County, which relies on tourism for its economic base. When boaters are unable to use the many pumpouts based at the marinas throughout the county, they should be using the pumpout boats, he urged.

The boats operate Memorial Day weekend through October each year, including major holidays like July 4th, and have steadily expanded their operations. Last year almost 129,000 gallons of wastewater was removed from recreational boats.

“Since the program started in 1998, over 1 million gallons of wastewater has been removed and properly treated,” Vicari said. “Without this program, that wastewater could have been discharged improperly, sending pollutants into the bay.”

Vicari credited the boat captains for being “our eyes and ears on the water.”

“They can quickly notify us of any problems,” he said. “They serve as our ambassadors on the water.”

For more information, visit the Ocean County Planning Department website at planning.co.ocean.nj.us/coastal.htm. 

— Kelley Anne Essinger


This article was published in The SandPaper.