How many miles out to sea must a vessel be...

Question 1 / 270705eccef9ebacbc34ba4d466e0

Question 1 of 270705eccef9ebacbc34ba4d466e0

How many miles out to sea must a vessel be located before it can pump overboard an untreated sewage holding tank?

Question 1 of 27070

How many miles out to sea must a vessel be located before it can pump overboard an untreated sewage holding tank?

🔍 Key Concepts

• 33 CFR Part 159 – Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs) • Difference between territorial sea (near the coast) and waters beyond it • What counts as untreated sewage vs treated sewage from a Type II/III MSD

💭 Think About

• Think about where the U.S. territorial sea generally ends, and how that distance is treated for many pollution/discharge rules. • Ask yourself: Is the distance for untreated sewage usually the same as for garbage or oil, or is it different? • Consider what the law is trying to protect close to shore, and how that affects how far you must go out before discharging.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify in 33 CFR that the discharge of untreated sewage has a specific minimum distance offshore. • Make sure you are not confusing the rule for garbage discharge (Annex V) or oil discharge (MARPOL/33 CFR 151) with sewage rules. • Confirm whether the distance is measured in nautical miles from the nearest land, not from a harbor entrance or buoy.

Question 1 of 27070

How many miles out to sea must a vessel be located before it can pump overboard an untreated sewage holding tank?

3 nautical miles

6 nautical miles

12 nautical miles

25 nautical miles