Waste management for onboard waste streams include the following: source reduction, minimization, recycling, collection, processing and discharge ashore. This allows the incinerator to be used primarily for food waste, contaminated cardboard, trash and wood.
Incinerator ash should be tested at least once quarterly for the first year of operation to establish a baseline. Testing may then be conducted once a year. A recognized test procedure should be used to demonstrate that ash is not a hazardous waste. The test may include the following metals as indicators for toxicity - arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, and silver. Special attention is placed on the removal of batteries from the incinerator waste stream. The use of incinerators saves landfill space and prevents the build up of material onboard that could become the breeding ground for insects. rodcnts and other vermin.
Industly Goal: To reduce the production of incinerator ash by minimizing the generation of waste and maximizing recycling opportunities.
Handling Method:
Proper hazardous waste management procedures onboard assure that waste products that will result in a hazardous ash are not introduced into the incinerator. Non-hazardous incinerator ash may be disposed of at sea in accordance with MARPOL Annex V. Ash identified as being hazardous must be disposed of ashore in accordance with RCRA
K. Graywater
The term graywater is used on ships to refer to wastewater that is generally incidental to the operation of the ship. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) defines graywater as including drainage from dishwasher, shower, laundry, bath and washbasin drains. The US Clean Water Act (formally know as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act) includes galley, bath and shower water in its definition. The US regulations implementing this act do not include a further definition of gray water. However, the regulations do include a provision that exempts all of the wastewater included in the IMO definition and other discharges incidental to the operation of a ship from the Clean Water Act's permitting program (formally known as the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program). Finally, the US Coast Guard regulations include provisions that essentially combine the two definitions from the IMO and the Clean Water Act. These definitions indicate that there is global acceptance of the fact that gray water is not considered harmful to the environment. None of the definitions of graywater include blackwater (discussed below) or bilgewater from the machinery spaces.
The conclusion to be drawn from these various regulations is that wastewater discharges incidental to the operation of a ship are generally not subject to permitting or other regulatory programs.
Handling Method:
Graywater will be discharged only while ships are underway. This policy was agreed to in recognition that dispersal of these discharges is desirable and that mixing of these waters, which are discharged approximately 10-14 feet below the surface, by the action of the propellers and the movement of the ship, provides the best dispersal available.
Wastewater recycling:
Because of the amounts of fresh water involved and its restricted availability onboard ship (all fresh water must be either purchased or manufactured), water is a valuable commodity. Therefore, water management is extremely important and takes the form of both minimizing water usage and the recycling or reuse of water. Many ICCL companies are researching new technology and piloting graywater treatment systems onboard their vessels. ICCL member operators also take numerous steps in onboard water management. Water management techniques include:
a. Use of technical water (for example: air conditioning condensate) where possible,
b. use of water recovery systems (for example: filtering and reuse of laundry water -last rinse use for first wash) and,
c. active water conservation (for example: use of reduced flow showerheads, vacuum systems for toilets and laundry equipment that utilizes less water).
L. Blackwater
Most cruise ships separate waste from toilets, urinals, and other similar facilities (including sinks and drains in the medical facility) from other wastewaters. This separated waste is called "blackwater."
Blackwater is processed using an approved "Marine Sanitation Device" (MDS) that is intended to prevent the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated blackwater. Marine Sanitation Devices use physical, chemical and/or biological processes to allow effluent from the process to be discharged with characteristics that are similar to effluents from conventional, shoreside wastewater treatment plants.
