Paolo Zini wrote:
I express my PERSONAL opinion about what is correct.
And you're certainly entitled to it! But let's see what we can do to
make it a more informed opinion.
My personal opinion is that is uncorrect to dump anything in coastal waters,
also soapy water...
That would be a valid concern in many parts of the world where
detergents still contain phosphates and other pollutants, but here in
the US the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1977 required the
removal of all pollutants from all dishwashing liquids, laundry
detergents, etc--even bilge cleaners and degreasers--sold here. Even TSP
(TriSodiumPhosphate) no longer contains any phosphate...it's been
replaced by a synthetic non-polluting substitute. So the only
pollutants in soapy water are from whatever the soap was used to
clean...for instance, an oily bilge.
Please discarge your waste few miles away from coast... where currents and
large wather masses can dilute and dissolve it.
A flush at time is ok...but a tankful even at sea has a definite
negative impact on the immediate surrounding waters and its inhabitants
before it's diluted and dissipated.
Or dump it at marina, where it will be sent to a serious (i hope...)
treatment plant...
That may or may not overflow and dump it into the waters without
treating it. That's a major problem in some areas...in fact, the EPA has
granted more than 100 New England cities and towns exemptions from
federal standards because their sewage treatment facilities are so old,
or inadequate for an increased population, or in such disrepair--or any
or all of the above. Exactly one week to the day after RI's statewide
no discharge law went into effect, a massive sewage treatment plant
spill closed all the beaches and shellfish beds for several days.
I have read the lectra/sans manual.
I am not a specialist, like you, but, if memory helps, salty water
electrolisys produces clorine... (I am right?)
So far...but--
this means that the s**t is
macerated and disinfected... But it remains s**t, nice dark s**t.
No...that's a common misconception among "no discharge" proponents.
First, it assumes that every flush is fecal matter...when in fact,
unless someone onboard has a serious gastrointestinal problem, only one
or at most two flushes person do...the remaining average 4 toilet
visits/day/person are urine only. Second, the average person
output--including solids--is only about 8 oz...the average flush
including flush water is about half a gallon. So the treated discharge
is highly diluted to begin with. Third, the hypochlorous acid
(chlorine) created by the Lectra/San not only reduces bacteria count to
less than 10/100 mililiter, it also bleaches as it treats...so what
comes out is only about a half gallon that closely resembles skim milk
that's been cut about 2:1 with water....so "thin" and pale in color
that, unless the thru-hull is very close to the waterline, it's totally
unnoticeable to anyone who didn't happen to be diving under the boat
next the thru-hull at the time the toilet is flushed. In fact, I'd bet
real money that you've been moored next to boats using Lectra/Sans and
didn't know it.
Maybe that is legal and safe, but is s**t.
You remind me of the time I was aboard a friend's boat...we were tossing
stale crackers to a flock of about 20 Canada geese gathered off his
stern...doing what geese do whenever the urge strikes--which is often
and plentiful. He was most emphatic about how he didn't want to swim in
$*** and didn't want his kids swimming in it either. But he didn't even
bat an eye when, just after we'd exhausted our supply of stale crackers,
his son dove off the stern of the boat right into the flock of geese. I
managed not to say a word, although I nearly strangled on the effort it
took.
This is ONLY MY PERSONAL OPINION.
Again...you're entitled to it! But my own personal opinion is that for
you, perception is 99% of reality...if you were in an anchorage where a
boat was using a Lectra/San and you didn't know it, you'd have no
problem happily swimming around them--and most likely have done so...but
if you found out, you wouldn't go back into the water...'cuz for all of
us, it's mind over matter...once the mind has firmly established its
prejudices, it's amost impossible for reason to overcome them.
I will continue to read your posts with greatest consideration.
And I will continue to respect your opinions. In fact, I doubt that I'll
succeed in changing any of yours...but that's ok...all I can do is try.
--
Peggie
----------
Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://69.20.93.241/store/customer/p...40&cat=&page=1