Permanent boat waste pumpout service coming to Cuttyhunk in 2018

The Coalition is working with the town of Gosnold to install a free, permanent boat waste pumpout station in Cuttyhunk Harbor, a summertime destination for thousands of Buzzards Bay boaters. Service will begin in June 2018.

Cuttyhunk Harbormaster office

Free permanent boat waste pumpout service in Cuttyhunk Harbor will begin in June 2018.

From 2000 to 2016, the Coalition operated a free mobile pumpout service in Cuttyhunk Harbor aboard the R/V Buzzards Baykeeper®. However, the Coalition alone could not meet the demand for pumpouts. Working with the town of Gosnold, the Coalition has created a plan to create a stationary, self-service boat waste pumpout mounted at the fuel dock for recreational boaters to use.

Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound are both No Discharge Zones, which means it’s illegal for boats to discharge any waste in these coastal waters. Boat sewage can contain harmful bacteria, viruses, nitrogen, and chemicals that, when released into the water, can harm the health of the Bay and people who swim, fish, and shellfish in our local waters.

During the summer of 2017, the closest pumpout stations to Cuttyhunk Harbor are located in Padanaram in Dartmouth and in Menemsha Harbor on Martha’s Vineyard. For more information about alternative pumpout stations, call VHF Channel 9.

Category: On the Bay

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Working to Save Buzzards Bay

The Buzzards Bay Coalition is a membership-supported organization dedicated to improving the health of the Buzzards Bay ecosystem for all through education, conservation, research, and advocacy.

We work to protect clean water on the Bay and on the land: