GOSNOLD – The Buzzards Bay Coalition and the town of Gosnold are working to establish a permanent boat waste pumpout station on Cuttyhunk Island, which is a summertime destination for thousands of Buzzards Bay boaters.
The Coalition started to operate a mobile boat waste pumpout service in Cuttyhunk Harbor in 2000 but the EPA established a No Discharge Zone in Buzzards Bay making it illegal for boats to discharge any waste in the bay.
The boat sewage can contain bacteria, viruses, nitrogen and other chemicals that can harm the health of the bay.
For the past 15 summers the Coalition’s research vessel Buzzards Baykeeper has visited the harbor a few times a week to service boats that needed pumpouts. The vessel has removed about 25,000 gallons of sewage over that time.
Gosnold has been improving the island’s ferry dock and septic holding tanks and the Coalition will be working with the town over the next few months to create a plan to create a permanent pumpout station.
Until a station can be installed, the Coalition will continue to assist boaters in the harbor with free pumpout service this summer.
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