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Monroe County's Mobile Vessel Pumpout Program in the Florida Keys: 10 Years of Lessons Learned - Brittany Burtner 

10-05-2023 10:29 AM

In 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency established a No Discharge Zone (NDZ) for state waters surrounding the Florida Keys to address the issue of discharge of both treated and untreated vessel sewage, and in 2010 the NDZ was expanded to encompass all waters within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
 
In response, Monroe County implemented a large-scale mobile vessel pump out program in 2013 to assist boaters in complying with the NDZ by providing for free weekly pump outs to anchored-out vessels. The Keys-wide utilization of the service has been a huge success in ensuring compliance with NDZ regulations; protecting the fragile Keys environment, and keeping the waters safe and clean for swimmers, anglers and divers. Monroe County’s pump out program is now the largest program in the State of Florida and one of the largest programs in the country, covering an expansive area - 100 miles of Keys, on both the Gulf and Ocean sides of the island chain.
 
Recognizing that incentivizing boaters to pump out is paramount, the pump out service has been provided free of charge to boaters since its inception, thanks to funding from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Clean Vessel Act Program, the Florida Legislature, and Monroe County Boating Improvement Funds. In the decade following its creation, over 2.5 million gallons of sewage has been collected. This presentation will discuss the successes and challenges of managing and funding this long-term, large-scale program.

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