Bilgewater means the water accumulates in the bilges of a vessel, which generally becomes foul and noxious. Bilgewater also contains fluids from machinery spaces, internal drainage
systems, sludge tanks, and various other sources. This mixture is collected in the bilge
water holding tank, which generally is maintained at an elevated temperature. Regardless of its source bilge water must be treated to reduce the oil content to levels meeting
international regulations for release into the environment.
Note: Cleaning agents, emulsifiers, solvents, or surfactants used for cleaning purposes may
cause the bilge water to emulsify. Proper measures should be taken to minimize the presence
of these substances in the bilges of a ship.
Bilge water legislation – Current MARPOL legislation stipulates that separated bilge water
containing 15 ppm or below in water can be disposed into international waters. Some national, regional, and local authorities have more stringent regulations that need strict compliance. In the United
States and the Baltic and North Seas disposal of separated bilge water only permitted
at least 12 nautical miles from shore. The legislation is expected to become
even more stringent, requiring levels of oil in water to be reduced further to five ppm for
discharge at sea and zero-discharge in sensitive waters.
Bilges must be kept dry at all times by transferring bilge water to the bilge holding tank. All oil and water leaks must be stopped, or flow is reduced to a minimum, as soon as possible, to ensure bilges and bilge water tanks contain minimum bilge water.
Machinery Space Bilges:
Discharge into the sea of oil or oily mixtures is prohibited, except when all of the following conditions are satisfied:
- the ship is proceeding en route
- the oily mixture is discharged through the Oily Water Separator
- the oil content does not exceed 15 ppm
- the oily mixture does not include cargo pump room bilges or contain cargo residues
- if the ship is in a Special Area, the OWS must be fitted with an Alarm and Auto Stop.
To ensure that all entries within vessels’ Oil Record Books are clear and accurate, it is
vitally important that discharges ashore or to a barge, are accounted for in quantities
of specific fluids. (i.e. Sludge / Bilge Water / Slops / etc)
Discharge receipts often provide details of only the total amount of fluids discharged,
which does not allow for suitable accountability records to be maintained on board.
Quantities must be accounted for in segregated terms (i.e., the total amount of each fluid
discharged.)
Oil Record Book entries should be recorded immediately and signed by the officer in charge of the operation. The Master should also sign each completed page.
It is the vessel’s responsibility to ensure that all onboard records are
maintained accurately, with supporting evidence available as necessary. Vessels
should ensure that specific fluid quantities are stated on barge receipts and
entered within the Oil Record Book.
Where a quantity of fluids (Sludge / Bilge Water / Slops / etc) is discharged and
the discharge receipt does not provide evidence of the different quantities, the vessel
must write on the discharge receipt the volumes discharged, after which the
receiving facility should countersign the quantities thereby confirming and accepting
the vessel figures of discharge.
Should the vessel’s quantities not be confirmed or where discharge facilities refuse to
countersign the vessel figures (therefore hindering transparency of onboard
records), a Note of Protest, which includes the specific volumes, should be issued. A
copy of the Note of Protest is to be retained on board, again for accountability
purposes.
Nonetheless, total amounts of each fluid must be accountable at all times with the
vessel’s records showing complete accuracy and transparency.
Guideline for bilge water separator
The Chief Engineer shall ensure that the certificate for the equipment and the required signboards are present and readable at all times.
All engineers who are authorized by the Chief Engineer to operate the equipment shall be familiar with normal operations, the piping system to and from the separator, and the testing procedures.
The equipment should be operated in full compliance with MARPOL Annex I, and NO BYPASSING of the equipment should be done. If there is the slightest doubt that the equipment is operating satisfactorily, it shall not be used until a proper investigation and tests have been carried out under the supervision of the Chief Engineer.
The bilge water overboard discharge valve shall be kept closed and padlocked. It shall only be opened after permission from the Chief Engineer.
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