WHAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH BOAT SEWAGE ANYWAY?
We all like to point the finger at Victoria, which continues to dump billions of gallons of raw sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca each year, while as boaters and paddlers we really contribute little to the overall amount. Well, Victoria has recently been ordered to clean up its act and now it looks like it’s our turn. The challenge with boats is that we tend to congregate in sensitive areas and have a severely concentrated effect. Think of those crowded anchorages on a busy summer weekend! With more and more boats on the water each year, sewage is becoming an issue we can no longer ignore. Apart from being a serious human health issue and contaminating shellfish beds, raw sewage can also sometimes contain endocrine disrupting chemicals that affect marine life. For those of us who use holding tanks already, there are some other challenges too. Some chemical treatments can be toxic to marine life and can shut down septic systems if introduced via a pump-out or by dumping a porta-pot
