Query About Grey Water Tanks In Turkey

Created by doina. Last modified on 2008-03-27 10:30:23
Topic: Environment
Countries: Turkey

Does anyone have any information about needing GRAY WATER TANKS in Turkey? I understand there are stiff fines if you pump your sink, shower or laundry machine waste overboard.

Martin Walker of the British yacht Hookey sent Noonsite this report:

I am not aware of any Turkish rules about having grey water tanks although they are determined to keep their waters clean and there is a general rule about not discharging any onboard water in enclosed areas. The marinas spell that out in their Terms and Conditions and some are highly enviromentally aware - including forbidding varnishing and teak work when afloat (in harbour) as well as only using approved liquids when cleaning a boat. I have been gently corrected for having a squeezy bottle on deck when washing off salt. Coastguard helicopters do fly over looking for trouble and occasionally find it. A couple of years ago an American boat was fined heavily for discharging his holding tank (sewage) when he was anchored outside a marina. He made a hell of a fuss but most of us had no sympathy for him. He was in an inland bay and close to miles of clean beaches and could easily have gone out to sea before pumping out. He gave the rest of us a bad name. The effect of the coastguard efforts is that one now sees far less streaks of discharge from the tourist boats and the waters are generally very clean.

Most marinas have excellent shore facilities (including showers and laundry) and they work hard to keep their waters clean. Some have been fined by the authorities for permitting boats to discharge so they do not expect boats to flout the rules and pump soap suds etc around the place. I think they get the balance about right. So to answer the question: few boats have grey water tanks though probably most have black water tanks. Pump out facilities for black water are gradually coming in. Provided common sense and a respect for the enviroment is applied there is no reason for a yachtsman to worry about falling foul of the rules.