"Spoiler alert: it is some really gross stuff"
What's greywater?
"The International Maritime Organization defines it as “the drainage from dishwater, shower, laundry, bath and washbasin drains.” At first glance, this may not seem as bad as drainage from toilets (i.e. sewage), but surprise, it is! While people understand the dangers (and let’s face it, the general grossness) of untreated sewage, few realize that untreated greywater can be just as nasty."
Sarah Bobbe of Ocean Conservancy explains what greywater is, compares greywater to sewages, and how passenger ships (like cruise lines) are the biggest contributer to greywater being dumped into marine ecosystems.
"The EPA found sewage discharge rates on passenger vessels to be 8.4 gallons per day per person, while greywater discharges total anywhere from 45 gallons per day per person to 65 gallons per day per person."
Dumping raw greywater may be a neccessity still for the majority of sailors but cruise lines have the ability and funding to ehance their greywater waste systems, and should.
Read the article from Ocean Conservancy :
https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2019/05/27/need-know-graywater-discharge-ships/
Goals of Port Sundries
Educate the public about marine conservation and how marine conservation is important to all other ecosystems on Earth and all of humanity.
Provide basic sailing resources and teach how the hobby and lifestyle can adapt to assist marine conservation.
Share ecofriendly and sustainable methods of coastal and island travel and tourism.
Share the joy of life at sea, love of ocean adventure, a fondness for culture, and the enjoyment of nautical history.
If you would like to help us with these goals, please follow and consider upvoting this and our other posts. We are always thankful for those you upvote, follow, or repost.
Help defend the oceans. Support sustainable fishing and aquaculture/agriculture practices. Don't pollute your local waterways. Donate to your local marine conservation charity.
🐬🐬🐬Donate to the Dolphin Project 🐬🐬🐬https://www.dolphinproject.com/donate/
Dolphin Project is a non-profit charitable organization, dedicated to the welfare and protection of dolphins worldwide. Founded by Richard (Ric) O’Barry on Earth Day, April 22, 1970, the organization aims to educate the public about captivity and, where feasible, retire and/or release captive dolphins.
The mission of Dolphin Project is to end dolphin exploitation and slaughter, as dolphins are routinely captured, harassed, slaughtered and sold into captivity around the world – all in the name of profit. Dolphin Project works not only to halt these slaughters, but also to rehabilitate captive dolphins for retirement and/or release, investigate and advocate for economic alternatives to dolphin slaughter, and to put a permanent end to dolphin captivity.
Port Sundries is not affiliated with Dolphin Project but supports their goal 100%.
Follow us @portsundries for more Marine Conservation, Sea Life, and Sailing News.
Image courtesy of Pixabay