14/07/2026
๐๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐.
Instead, MARPOL Annex IV Regulation 11 specifies when sewage discharge is permitted and prohibits discharge except under the prescribed conditions. It does not prescribe a padlock or seal for the overboard valve itself.
MARPOL Annex IV โ Regulation 11 (Discharge of Sewage)
Sewage may only be discharged if, for example:
* Comminuted and disinfected sewage: More than 3 nautical miles from the nearest land using an approved system.
* Untreated sewage: More than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land, discharged at a moderate rate while the ship is en route at not less than 4 knots.
* Approved Sewage Treatment Plant (STP): Effluent from an IMO-approved STP may be discharged in accordance with MARPOL requirements.
Why is the valve padlocked and sealed?
Although MARPOL does not specifically require a padlock, many ships keep the sewage overboard valve locked and sealed because of:
* Company Safety Management System (SMS) procedures.
* Flag State or Classification Society requirements.
* Port State Control (PSC) expectations.
* To prevent accidental or unauthorized discharge and to demonstrate environmental compliance during inspections.
In some jurisdictions, such as the United States, regulations do explicitly require securing overboard discharge valves. Acceptable methods include:
* Padlocking the valve in the closed position,
* Removing the valve handle, or
* Using a non-releasable wire tie.
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ฑ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฅ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐. ๐๐จ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐, ๐
๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ, ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐.
