Sewage

General ban on disposal of sewage at sea (outside special areas)

The main principle of the ban is that disposal of sewage at sea is prohibited within Swedish territorial waters and the Swedish exclusive economic zone, albeit disposal of sewage at sea is allowed outside special areas, under the following circumstances:

• The sewage is comminuted and disinfected and the ship is at least three nautical miles from the nearest landmass.
• The sewage has been stored in tanks and the ship is at least twelve nautical miles from the nearest land mass. The ship needs to be underway with a speed of at least 4 knots and the disposal flow needs to be moderate. Momentarily disposal is prohibited.
• The sewage has been treated in an on board sewage treatment plant that, if it has been installed before the 1st of January 2010, is certified and meets the demands of resolution 2(VI). I the treatment plant has been installed after the 1st of January 2010, the treatment plant has to meet the demands of resolution MEPC.159(55).

All ships are obligated to be equipped with systems for comminution and disinfection of sewage, or a sewage treatment plant or sewage tanks. Ships shall also be equipped with piping and pump for delivering sewage to port reception facilities.

Ban on disposal of sewage at sea for passenger ships in the Baltic sea

The Baltic sea is especially exposed to eutrophication and is therefore defined as a special area in accordance with Marpol. Special areas have stricter rules for disposal at sea. Since the 1st of June, 2021 there is a complete ban on disposal of sewage at sea for all passenger ships (ships with more than twelve passengers) in th Baltic sea MEPC.275(69)

To dispose of sewage at sea in the Baltic sea area, ships have to install an on board sewage treatment plant capable of reducing nitrogen and phosphorus to predetermined levels. The sewage treatment plant has to meet the demands of resolution MEPC.227(64). All ships that does not have this type of sewage treatment plant are obligated to deliver their sewage to a port reception facility.

What can be defined as sewage?

Sewage is defined as follows:

• Drainage and other wastes from any form of toilets and urinals.
• Drainage from medical premises (dispensary, sick bay, etc.) via wash basins, wash tubs and scuppers located in such premises.
• Drainage from spaces containing living animals

Other waste waters when mixed with the drainages defined above