BWM.2-Circ.82 - Guidance For The Temporary Storage Treated Sewage and Grey Water in BWT

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4 ALBERT EMBANKMENT
LONDON SE1 7SR
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7735 7611 Fax: +44 (0)20 7587 3210
BWM.2/Circ.82
2 April 2024
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT

OF SHIPS' BALLAST WATER AND SEDIMENTS, 2004
Guidance for the temporary storage of treated sewage

and/or grey water in ballast water tanks
1 The Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its eighty-first session

(18 to 22 March 2024), approved the Guidance for the temporary storage of treated sewage
and/or grey water in ballast water tanks to establish a uniform procedure for minimizing the
impact on the environment while ensuring practicability on ships, as set out in the annex.
2 Member Governments are invited to bring this Guidance to the attention of all parties
concerned.
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BWM.2/Circ.82
Annex, page 1
ANNEX
GUIDANCE FOR THE TEMPORARY STORAGE OF TREATED SEWAGE

AND/OR GREY WATER IN BALLAST WATER TANKS
Introduction
1 The purpose of this guidance is to provide a procedure for the temporary storage of
treated sewage and/or grey water in ballast water tanks.
2 Shipowners, ship operators, masters and officers of ships with temporary storage of
treated sewage and/or grey water in ballast water tanks should properly implement this
procedure.
3 There are exceptional situations where, to comply with coastal State regulations or
inadequate reception facilities at ports, dry-docks and terminals, it may become necessary to
store treated sewage and/or grey water in ballast water tanks.
Definitions
4 For the purpose of these guidelines:
.1 "Ballast water" means water with its suspended matter taken on board a ship
to control trim, list, draught, stability or stresses of the ship (article 1(2) of the
BWM Convention).
.2 "Treated ballast water" means water that is treated by a ballast water

management system (BWMS) to comply with regulation D-2 of the BWM
Convention.
.3 "Treated sewage (TS)" (effluent) means treated wastewater that is produced

by a sewage treatment plant in accordance with regulations 9.1.1 and 9.2.1
of MARPOL Annex IV.
.4 "Grey water (GW)" means drainage from dishwater, galley sink, shower,
laundry, bath and washbasin drains and does not include drainage from
toilets, urinals, hospitals, and animal spaces, as defined in regulation 1.3 of
MARPOL Annex IV, nor drainage from cargo spaces (paragraph 2.7 of
resolution MEPC.227(64), as may be amended).
.5 "Ballast water tank (BW tank)" means any tank, hold, or space used for the
carriage of ballast water (paragraph 2.2 of Guidelines (G4) (resolution
MEPC.127(53) as amended)).
.6 "Ballast water capacity" means the total volumetric capacity of any tanks,
spaces or compartments on a ship used for carrying, loading or discharging
ballast water, including any multi-use tank, space or compartment designed
to allow carriage of ballast water as per regulation A-1.2 of the BWM
Convention. Combined tanks are, therefore, regarded as BW tanks for the
purposes of the BWM Convention.
BWM.2/Circ.82
Annex, page 2
General matters for application
5 Temporary storage of TS/GW in BW tanks should only be used as an option in specific

ports and areas which restrict the discharge of TS/GW and where the ship does not have
dedicated tanks with adequate storage capacity for TS/GW.
6 Mixing ballast water and TS/GW in a BW tank should be avoided.
7 The storage of sewage not meeting the definition in paragraph 4.3 in a BW tank is
outside the scope of this guidance.
8 In case a ship stores TS/GW temporarily in its BW tanks, the ship should make
periodic inspections for those BW tanks' coatings and take measures to prevent impacts.
General guidance
9 If the use of a particular BW tank is changed for the temporary storage of TS/GW in
line with this guidance, such a BW tank should be solely used for storing it. If the use of the
BW tank needs to be reverted to storage of ballast water, the ship should follow this
guidance again.
10 In case a ship uses BW tank(s) to store TS/GW, when transferring TS/GW to BW

tank(s) the ship should take appropriate measures to prevent contamination of the ballast
system by TS/GW and to prevent accidental discharge of TS/GW within restricted waters
(e.g. closing the valves or using blanks, spectacle flanges and pipeline blinds or using isolated
pump and pipeline, dedicated portable hose, and/or using a lockout/tagout).
11 In case a ship changes the use of a BW tank to store TS/GW, the BW tank should be
fully emptied, including removal of any residual ballast water, as far as practicable, through the
BWMS. The removal and disposal of sediments should be carried out as far as practicable and
in line with paragraph 1.3 of part A of Guidelines (G4) (resolution MEPC.127(53) as amended).
12 In case a ship changes the use of a BW tank from TS/GW storage back to ballast
water storage, the ship should follow the following procedures:
.1 The contents of the BW tank(s) should be discharged. The BW tank, pipes,

and dual-purpose pumps should be flushed with the normal maximum
volume of the tank.
.2 Water used to flush the tanks should not be discharged through the BWMS
to avoid residue from the TS/GW entering the BWMS as this could potentially
harm the BWMS.
.3 Subsequent to the discharge and flushing, the ballast water tank should be
reconnected to the ballast system and the tank should be flushed once more
with treated ballast water to replace the residual water thus ensuring the tank
is ready to return to ballast operations in accordance with the BWM
Convention.
13 The hull strength and stability of the ship should not be compromised during the
intended duration of the temporary storage of TS/GW in BW tanks including ascertaining that
non-availability of a BW tank does not impact ship safety and operational performance.
BWM.2/Circ.82
Annex, page 3
14 The discharge of ballast water and TS/GW should adhere to the following principles:
.1 the discharge of ballast water and sediments should be in compliance with

the BWM Convention; and
.2 the discharge of TS should be in compliance with MARPOL Annex IV where

relevant. Any local TS/GW discharge requirements should also be
considered.
15 The Ballast Water Management Plan (BWMP) of the ship should include a
ship-specific change-over procedure, from ballast water storage to TS/GW storage and back
to ballast water storage, including pump and piping associated with the dual-purpose BW
tanks, with specific details on how the flushing is conducted. The BW tanks to be used for
temporary storage of TS/GW should be identified in the BWMP.
16 The Ballast Water Record Book (BWRB) should have an entry made under the
appropriate code related to additional operational procedures and general remarks containing
the details as mentioned in examples 22 and 23 in BWM.2/Circ.80.
___________

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E

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT

Guidance for the temporary storage of treated sewage

1 The Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its eighty-first session

GUIDANCE FOR THE TEMPORARY STORAGE OF TREATED SEWAGE

4 For the purpose of these guidelines:

.2 "Treated ballast water" means water that is treated by a ballast water

.3 "Treated sewage (TS)" (effluent) means treated wastewater that is produced

General matters for application

5 Temporary storage of TS/GW in BW tanks should only be used as an option in specific

6 Mixing ballast water and TS/GW in a BW tank should be avoided.

10 In case a ship uses BW tank(s) to store TS/GW, when transferring TS/GW to BW

.1 The contents of the BW tank(s) should be discharged. The BW tank, pipes,

.1 the discharge of ballast water and sediments should be in compliance with

.2 the discharge of TS should be in compliance with MARPOL Annex IV where

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