Boat owners got a reminder today from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on the safe zones to discharge sewage from their vessels.

Sewage is permitted overboard outside of no-discharge zones, beyond the near shore area — or greater than 500 metres from the nearest land.

Waste is not allowed overboard in the enclosed areas of Great Sound, Little Sound, Harrington Sound, Castle Harbour, Hamilton Harbour or St George’s Harbour, as well as fisheries protected areas.

A spokeswoman said that the Water Resources (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Boats) Regulations 2018 had come into force in August 2018.

The restrictions cover the owners and operators of recreational boats, as well as liveaboard boats, charter vessels, and all other boats that sail or motor in and around Bermuda.

Disposal options include certain marinas, shore-side sanitation trucks, or moving outside of the no-discharge zones.

A brochure outlining regulations is available from Marine and Ports.

Regulations also require an instruction sticker showing no-discharge zones to be visible adjacent to toilets on board.

The discharge valve from the toilet or sewage holding tank should be set to closed whenever vessels are moored or at anchor in no-discharge zones.

The instruction stickers and brochures are available from either the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Botanical Gardens, or from the boats and mooring section of Marine and Ports Services, in the old Paget Post Office at Middle Road, Paget.

For more information, call 239-2356 or 239-2303, or e-mail pollutioncontrol@gov.bm