Canada: Updated discharge regulations for cruise ships

Transport Canada has issued ship safety bulletin No. 15/2024 concerning the discharge requirements for cruise ships.

The bulletin was published on 5 June and entered into force on 10 June 2024.

Purpose

This bulletin outlines the sewage and greywater discharge requirements for cruise ships in Canadian waters, replacing previous Bulletin 14/2023 issued on June 23, 2023.

Scope

Applies to Authorized Representatives (AR) of cruise ships certified to carry more than 100 people and with overnight accommodations. It includes both Canadian and foreign vessels operating in Canadian waters.

Background

In 2022, Transport Canada introduced voluntary measures for sewage and greywater discharge.
New permanent measures developed in 2023 will continue from June 2024 to June 2025 to protect Canadian waters from vessel-sourced pollution.
The interim order is effective immediately while the process of creating new regulations is underway.

Key Requirements

No discharge within 3 nautical miles from shore, an ice-shelf, or fast ice.
Between 3 to 12 nautical miles from shore:
- Greywater must be treated with sewage before discharge.
- Sewage must be treated with an approved marine sanitation device, with specific standards for fecal coliform count and visual appearance.

Definitions

Sewage: Human body wastes, drainage from toilets, medical premises, spaces with living animals, and mixed drainage.
Greywater: Used water from sinks, laundry, bathtubs, showers, and dishwashers, excluding sewage and machinery drainage.

Reporting and Record Keeping

Immediate reporting of emergency releases to a Marine Safety Inspector.
Detailed records of discharges, including reasons, times, locations, volumes, and signatures, must be maintained for 2 years.
Records can be in paper or electronic format and must be kept in English or French.

Inspections

Transport Canada will inspect Canadian and foreign vessels in Canadian waters to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. Deficiencies will result in enforcement actions as per the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.

Compliance and Enforcement

Non-compliance can result in:

Administrative monetary penalties up to $250,000 CAD.
Fines up to $1,000,000 CAD.
Imprisonment for up to 18 months.

Exceptions

Discharge is allowed under specific conditions:

When navigating narrow waterways.
Lack of adequate holding tank capacity.
Absence of onshore reception facilities.
Emergency situations for safety and preservation of life.

Operational Testing

Effluent samples must be tested according to standard methods unless continuous monitoring instruments are used.

Required Documentation

Cruise ships must hold and keep on board:

International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate.
Compliance certificate if not a party to Annex IV of MARPOL.
Certificate of type approval for the marine sanitation device.

Table: Summary of Discharge Regulatory Measures for Cruise Ships

Substance and distance from shore	Regulatory Measures
Discharge of treated sewage within 3 nautical miles from shore	Cruise ships certified to carry more than 100 persons and equipped with overnight accommodations must not discharge treated sewage within 3 nm from shore, an ice-shelf, or fast ice.
Discharge of treated sewage between 3 and 12 nautical miles from shore	Cruise ships certified to carry more than 100 persons and equipped with overnight accommodations must use an approved sewage treatment device capable of treatment to fecal coliform counts equal to or less than 14/100 ml before discharging between 3 and 12 nm from shore, an ice-shelf, or fast ice. The discharge must not contain any visible solids and must not cause a film or sheen on the water, discoloration of the water or its shorelines, or sewage sludge or an emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the water or on its shorelines. Additionally, the discharge must be made as far as feasible from areas of ice concentration exceeding 1/10; and in the case of a discharge made in Arctic waters, it must be made at a moderate rate while the cruise ship is en route at a speed of at least four knots.
Discharge of greywater within 3 nautical miles from shore	Cruise ships certified to carry more than 100 persons and equipped with overnight accommodations must not discharge greywater within 3 nm from shore, an ice-shelf, or fast ice.
Discharge of greywater between 3 and 12 nautical miles from shore	Cruise ships certified to carry more than 100 persons and equipped with overnight accommodations must treat greywater together with sewage before discharging between 3 and 12 nm from shore to the greatest extent possible. Any release of greywater must not result in the deposit of solids in the water or leave a sheen on the water, discoloration of the water or its shorelines, or an emulsion to be deposited beneath the surface of the water or on its shorelines.

Additional Compliance

Ships must comply with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and other relevant Canadian regulations like the Vessel Pollution and Dangerous Chemical Regulations and the Arctic Shipping Safety and Pollution Prevention Regulations.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):

Now in force: Discharge requirements for cruise ships

Want more regulatory documents? Visit Marineregulations.com