Human Waste Disposal On Cruise Ships

With thousands of people onboard a ship there is a need for a sophisticated approach to managing where everything goes once people are done with it from human waste to recycling to leftover food.

Human waste disposal on cruise ships. Cruise ships can transport around 3000 people and these people generate about 30000 gallons of human waste water and produce seven tons of garbage and solid waste every day. Cruise ship discharges of solid waste are governed by two federal laws. Do Cruise Ships Dump Human Waste in the Ocean.

More than 130 US gallons 490 L of hazardous wastes. Older ships have in the past dumped human waste into the ocean once the ship was 12 nautical miles away from port however this is a rare occurrence today especially among the major cruise line operators. 1 million US gallons 3800 m3 of graywater wastewater from sinks showers and laundries.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency in the course of one day the average cruise ship produces. Title I of the Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries Act makes it illegal to transport garbage from the United States for the purpose of dumping it into ocean waters without a permit or to dump material from outside the US. During a typical one-week voyage a large cruise ship with 3000 passengers and crew is estimated to generate 210000 US gallons 790000 L of sewage.

The cruise ship industry knows it has to respond to these concerns and it has with both greater transparency and action. Heres a graphic about onboard waste disposal from Cruise Lines International Association CLIA says that many of its members have initiated recycling programs employee training improved electricity efficiency and. Law allows cruise ships to dump raw sewage in the ocean once a ship is more than three miles off US.

21000 gallons of human sewage one ton of solid waste garbage 170000 gallons of wastewater from showers sinks and laundry 6400 gallons of oily bilge water from the massive engines 25 pounds of batteries fluorescent lights medical wastes and expired chemicals and 8500. Because they are on the move it is much harder for the ships to dispose of waste. Just like in a small city cruise ships have on-site waste recycling plants packed with trash-eating appliances.

The ship has a few tanks that are refered to as contaminated holding tanks they work a lot like a septic tank in rural areas the waste is treated with chemicals to break it down then it is pumped over the side way out at sea or if they can in port they will hook up sewage lines and pump it into the local sewage system in whatever port they are. An image supposedly showing a cruise ship dumping human waste into the ocean near a coastal city is frequently shared on social media. What do cruise ships do with human waste.