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You are here: Home / Glossary / Ballast Water Management

Ballast Water Management

August 9, 2017

Ballast Water Management are methods utilized in order to prevent the transfer and spread of aquatic species in ballast tanks of ships. These methods include the following:

  1. Mid Ocean BW Exchange: Ballast water that is exchanged 200 nautical miles outside of land masses.
    1. Empty Refill (ER): In empty/refill exchange, the ballasted tank is emptied by pumps until the pumps lose suction, and then refilled via gravitation and pumping of ocean water. 100% of the ballast water must be emptied from the tank before refilling to complete an empty/refill exchange.
    2.  Flow Through (FT): In the flow-through method of exchange, mid-ocean water is pumped into a full tank or hold from below while the existing coastal water is forced out an opening at the top. A volume of water three times the ballast tank capacity (300%) must be pumped out to complete a flow-through exchange, as mandated by the US Coast Guard.
  2. Ballast Water Treatment (BW Treatment): treatment of ballast water under the USCG STEP Program, an accepted Alternative Management System (AMS), or a USCG Type Approved Ballast Water Management System.
  3. Discharge to an onshore treatment facility, or another vessel, for the purposes of treatment pursuant to 33 CFR 151.2025(a)(5).
  4. US Public Water System source: use only water from a US Public Water System pursuant to 33 CFR 151.2025(a)(2).
  5. Retain Ballast Water: vessels that have ballast water on board but do not discharge any ballast water within the waters of the United States.

 

 

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