Marina adds sewers

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Easy-to-use sewage pump-out system means a cleaner harbor.

A little added ease will make for cleaner seas.

That’s the thinking behind a new sewage pump-out system at the Harbour Marina that gives boaters a convenient way to dispose of waste responsibly.

“The beauty of this is you don’t have to move your boat and you’ll be more likely to use it,” the marina’s dockmaster, Fred Adams said. “Now there are no excuses.”

While few admit it themselves, plenty of boaters say they’ve witnessed others dumping human waste into Eagle Harbor.

Some boaters don’t like to wait in line to use single-station pump-out facilities. Others gripe about using sewage vacuums that require a boater to pump into a cart, wheel it to a station and then pump out again.

The new $30,000 system at Harbour Marina, possibly the first of its kind in the county, features eight hydrants conveniently in-reach for all 45 slips.

Boaters can hook up to a hydrant and vacuum waste into pipes under the marina’s docks. The waste is then pumped directly into the city sewer system.

“In addition to being good for the environment, it is another service that we hope will attract boaters to Eagle Harbor,” said marina manager Jeff Waite.

Boaters who dock at the marina to dine at the Harbour Pub receive a complimentary pump-out, said Adams.

“If you’re having a beer, you can pump out free,” he said.

Marina members will see their monthly rates increase by about $5, but that’s no problem for marina member Phil Shivley, who runs an island boat tour company.

“It’s just a small part of the cost of keeping things clean,” he said.

While most boaters try to do the right thing, Shivley said the new system will help ensure the right thing happens more often.

“It’s like disposing of your oil,” he said. “You don’t want to dump it down the drain so people say you should drive it out to the waste oil transfer station. But, if given the chance to just throw it in the trash, they’ll be more likely to do that.

“This is similar. It makes things more convenient and that means more people are likely to use it.”