Seafarers around Falmouth are being urged to pump out waste from their vessels using Falmouth Harbours’ newly installed black-water reception facility – rather than dumping it into the sea.
The £19k investment at North Quay aims to curb the amount of raw sewage pollution by the many craft which use the waters of Falmouth Bay, Falmouth Harbour and the Carrick Roads each year – which poses a threat to sealife and eco-systems as well as public health.
Any boat or craft with a holding tank can pump-out using the waste water station, which directs effluent into the sewerage system to be appropriately treated by South West Water. The service is free to all Falmouth Haven berth and mooring customers, while other users will be asked to spend £12 a pump to help cover running costs.
It has been among the key environmental investments on the agenda for Falmouth Harbour with their ambition – shared with other Maritime organisations – to transform Falmouth into an increasingly sustainable area through reduction of impacts.
“It’s obvious that pumping sewage from a boat into the sea is bad for our beautiful natural environment as well as for people and wildlife – especially when vessels are gathered in high concentrations,” sais Falmouth Harbour’s environment manager Vicki Spooner.
“Our new black water pump-out station goes some way to addressing this problem, although we’d urge owners of smaller or older vessels which don’t have a holding tank to avoid using their onboard heads: use land-based toilet facilities wherever possible!”
Falmouth joins Fowey and Padstow as the Cornish entries on ‘The Green Blue’s Pump-Out Directory’ map of environmental facilities at inland and coastal marinas, boatyards and harbours around the UK.
