Since it was launched in 1995, Friends of Casco Bay’s Vessel Pumpout Program has kept more than 195,000 gallons of raw sewage out of Casco Bay, Maine. Our 23-year old pumpout boat, Wanda, a.k.a. Baykeeper II, has been a workhorse, emptying approximately 6,000 sewage holding tanks and transferring the wastewater to shoreside disposal.
In addition to keeping boatloads of sewage out of the Bay, our knowledge of pumpout facilities helped encourage local marinas to install their own pumpout stations, setting the stage for Casco Bay to become the first federally-designated No Discharge Area in Maine. The EPA requires that there are adequate pumpout facilities before granting this designation, which prohibits boats from dumping treated or untreated sewage.
With more boaters sailing Casco Bay than ever, and our pumpout services in high demand, it is time for us to retire Wanda and deploy a new, larger-capacity pumpout vessel.
Next spring, we plan to launch a new, safer boat that will enable us to haul 650 gallons of sewage—twice the capacity we can carry now. Our yet-to-be named newest workhouse is under construction at Marine Boatbuilders Company in Warwick, Rhode Island.
Come June 2019, when thousands of boaters unwrap their boats for another beautiful season on the Bay, we will be able to better serve the health of Casco Bay.