Washington’s Clean Vessel program, in partnership with Washington Sea Grant and hundreds of marinas, kept 10 million gallons of raw sewage out of Washington’s waterways in 2016 through free and reduced-charge marine pumpout services. Over six years, that’s a pollution prevention improvement of more than 7 million gallons.
Washington State Parks manages the federal Clean Vessel Act grant, a competitive funding source from a portion of taxes on the sales of boats, fishing equipment and small engine fuel. The act aims to reduce sewage dumping from recreational vessels into Washington’s waters.
State Parks’ Clean Vessel Program distributes the federal funds to marinas, which, in turn, provide free or reduced-charge pump-out services to boaters. The agency contracts with Sea Grant on outreach and education, allowing both organizations to participate in boat shows, workshops, magazine campaigns and training videos.