Friends of Casco Bay Program to Prevent Sewage Dumping

Friends of Casco Bay has announced the beginning of its annual pumpout program to discourage the dumping of sewage in Casco Bay. Recreational boaters who have used the pumpout service in the past will see changes in the program this season.

There will be limited pumpout service starting Wednesday, June 21st, but the emphasis will be on helping boaters locate and operate shoreside pumpout services at area marinas. The shift from seaside to shoreside pumpouts is partly due to the success of the program.

Calls for pumpouts have outstripped Friends of Casco Bay’s ability to meet the increasing demand, and costs far exceed the $5 fees set by federal law. When the mobile pumpout program started in 1995, there was only one shoreside pumpout facility in Casco Bay; now there are nineteen. Since 1995, Friends of Casco Bay’s pumpout boat has prevented over 93,000 gallons of sewage from entering Casco Bay.