Is ballast water treatment system mandatory?

Is ballast water treatment system mandatory?

Existing ships must meet at least the D-1 (ballast water exchange) standard; they may also choose to install a ballast water management system or otherwise meet the D-2 (discharge) standard but this is not mandatory until the corresponding compliance date.

Which ships must comply with the ballast water management Convention?

Under the Convention, all ships in international traffic are required to manage their ballast water and sediments to a certain standard, according to a ship-specific ballast water management plan. All ships will also have to carry a ballast water record book and an international ballast water management certificate.

What regulation is ballast water performance standard?

Criteria for ballast water exchange (Regulation B-4) To achieve ballast water standard as per regulation D-1, the vessel needs to exchange the ballast in the mid sea. BWM convention regulation B-4 provides the criteria for deep sea where the ballast exchange need to be carried.

What is the minimum distance from the coast you should change ballast?

All ships using ballast water exchange should, whenever possible, conduct ballast water exchange at least 200 nautical miles from the nearest land and in water at least 200 metres in depth, taking into account guidelines developed by the IMO.

What are the requirement for ballast exchange?

You must perform the procedure at least 200 nautical miles from land and in waters at least 200 metres in depth, achieving a 95% volumetric exchange in accordance with Regulation D-1. The only way to avoid performing ballast water exchange is to install a type-approved ballast water treatment system.

Which ships are exempt from BWM Convention regulations?

According to Article 3, the BWM Convention applies to all ships including submersibles, floating craft, floating platforms, FSUs and FPSOs. It will not apply to: ships not designed to carry ballast water. warships, naval auxiliary ships or other ships owned or operated by a state.

What does the IMO ballast water regulation require?

IMO Requirements To obtain the certificate, a vessel must have a BWM Plan addressing procedures for BW exchange, BW treatment or both. If a BWM System is installed, then approved technical documentation for the BW treatment system installation must be available on board.

What is D1 and D2 in ballast water management?

The D1 standard concerns ballast water exchange, which must be undertaken within open ocean areas, >200nm from land and in seas >200m deep. The D2 standard covers approved ballast water treatment systems.

What is D2 standard in Ballast Water Management Convention?

The BWM Convention – D-2 standard Less than 1 colony-forming unit (cfu) per 100 millilitres of Toxicogenic Vibrio cholerae; Less than 250 cfu per 100 millilitres of Escherichia coli; Less than 100 cfu per 100 millilitres of Intestinal Enterococci.

What is the maximum distance and depth when conducting ballast water exchange?

1. Conduct ballast water exchange at least 200 nautical miles from the nearest land and in the water of at least 200 meters in depth.

What are the requirements for ballast exchange?

What is the operating procedure of the shipboard ballast water treatment plant?

This treatment involves heating the ballast water to reach a temperature that will kill the organisms. A separate heating system can be utilized to heat the ballast water in the tanks or the ballast water can be used to cool the ship’s engine, thus disinfecting the organisms from the heat acquired from the engine.

What is the USCG prevention policy for ballast water?

USCG Prevention Policy Long-Term Strategy “Now, in addition to protecting against the risk of accidental release of pollutants, vessel designers and operators must also address the impact of waste streams including ballast water and air emissions.

What is the US ballast water discharge standard?

The U.S. ballast water discharge standard aligns with the International Maritime Organization’s Ballast Water Management Convention adopted in 2004.

What is the final rule for ballast water management?

The Final Rule has several options to meet the discharge standard: Retain ballast water on board while in waters of the U.S. (i.e., within 12 nm), Install a Coast Guard-approved Ballast Water Management System, Discharge to a facility onshore or to another vessel for purpose of treatment, or Use ONLY water from a U.S. Public Water System (PWS).

Can I discharge untreated ballast water into US waters?

The final Rules prohibit all vessels with ballast tanks to discharge untreated Ballast Water into US waters. As in the IMO BWM Convention, there is an implementation schedule depending on the ballast water capacity and construction date of the vessel. Ships must manage their ballast water by following treatment methods and good practices: