5 September 2024

Boat owners found guilty of creating environmental pollution face increasingly stringent fines, which can be many thousands of pounds depending on the region or country.

When on board, most boat owners check their bilges regularly and would see if there is an oil or diesel leak – but what happens when your boat is left unattended on a mooring and is fitted with an automatic bilge pump?

Wave International manufactures a range of bilge water filters that ensure only clean and unpolluted water is pumped overboard.  The company was made aware of a boat owner whose boat suffered a leak in a fuel line. The boat had been left on a mooring in a harbour, and it was estimated that by the time the owner returned some two weeks later, the Wavestream bilge filter had collected almost a litre of diesel.  “The automatic bilge pump was doing its job,” says Wave International MD Paul Gullett “and the Wavestream filter had enough capacity to collect all the pollutant ensuring no diesel fuel was being pumped overboard.” 

Marine environmentalist Monty Halls has recently fitted a Wavestream bilge filter onto his yacht. He believes it’s every boat owner’s responsibility to try and prevent pollutants of any type being pumped overboard. “The unique technology in the Wavestream filters ensure that not only fuels and oil but also micro plastics and fibres are captured within the filter. These very tiny plastic and waste particles, which could be ingested by fish and other wildlife come from everyday use on board – from ropes, towels, clothing and even bedding.”  

Fitting a bilge filter is currently an environmental choice by boat owners, but recently manufacturers have been given clearer guidance that watercraft are to be constructed so as to prevent the accidental discharge of pollutants. The recently updated Endorsed Recommendation for Use (ERFU#94) which applies to the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD/EU) and Recreational Craft Regulations (RCR/UK) states that watercraft are to be constructed to ensure prevention of accidental discharge of pollutants such as oil and fuel overboard. “Many boat owners are not aware that the legal limit is from 15 ppm to just 5ppm in some areas” says Gullett.  “A single drop of diesel in half a litre of water is about 15ppm.  Even a tiny trace of diesel or oil causes surface pollution – the ‘blueshine’ which is when oil or diesel can be seen on the water surface.”

Wavestream bilge filters have been manufactured in the UK for 25 years, and meet the latest ERFU for RCD/RCR requirements and are Lloyds Type Approved certified. Costing from as little as £ 120.00 ex VAT, these compact units are designed to be fitted inline with the bilge pump discharge line and meet the highest discharge levels of 5ppm to meet the requirements when going from coastal to inland waterways.

Wave’s systems comprise replaceable filter cartridges in a range of housings depending on the type and size of craft. They are fitted as standard by many manufacturers including Sunseeker and Mangusta.  The filters are designed to last for at least a season, depending on use, and are easily replaced. Many boaters carry spare filters with them, used filters can be responsibly and safely disposed of at marinas and boat yards.