Transport Canada has introduced new restrictions governing how cruise ships discharge sewage and release greywater in Canadian waters, tightening environmental requirements across the country’s coastlines.

Interim Order No. 4 Respecting the Discharge of Sewage and the Release of Greywater by Cruise Ships in Canadian Waters was signed in Ottawa on June 7 by Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon and came into force on June 11.

The order was made under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, and the minister said it was required to address a direct or indirect risk to marine safety or the marine environment.

The order applies to passenger vessels, other than ferries, that carry passengers for 24 hours or more, are certified for more than 100 persons and are equipped with berths or cabins for overnight travel.

Under the rules, a cruise ship must not discharge sewage or release greywater within three nautical miles of shore, an ice-shelf or fast ice. Between three and 12 nautical miles, discharges are permitted only if effluent passes through a marine sanitation device meeting Canadian requirements, with a fecal coliform count of 14/100 mL or less, no visible solids and no resulting sheen, discoloration or emulsion.

The order sets out exceptions for safety situations, certain geographical limitations and cases where no adequate onshore reception facility is available. Additional provisions apply in arctic waters, where qualifying discharges must be made at a moderate rate while the ship is underway at a speed of at least four knots.

Cruise operators must report authorized discharges to a marine safety inspector, maintain a record book for two years and keep required certificates onboard, including an International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate where applicable.