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What the law says

On the 30th of November 2009 the Swedish Transport Agency presented their report on conditions for a prohibition of emissions from lavatory waste that the authority had drawn up on behalf of the government. In their report the Swedish Transport Agency propose a general prohibition for pleasure craft to release lavatory waste along the Swedish coast and into inland waterways and lakes. All pleasure craft fitted with a permanent lavatory must also have a septic holding tank that can be emptied at designated sewage station on land. Moreover, the report suggests that regulations for pleasure craft stipulate further that all harbours shall provide a sewage tank to receive lavatory waste from pleasure craft.

The proposal the Swedish transport Agency has depositioned to the government can be summed up in three parts:

“...a general ban on pleasure craft releasing lavatory waste along the Swedish coat line and into Swedish waterways and lakes.”

Part 1.

A general ban on pleasure boats fitted with permanent lavatories emptying lavatories into the sea/water. This applies to all pleasure boats within Sweden’s territorial waters and to Swedish pleasure craft in other waters.

Part 2.

A constructive demand for all pleasure craft with permanent lavatories to have a septic holding tank that can be emptied into a sewage disposal plant on land. If this condition is not met, then the permanent toilet shall be removed from the boat.

Part 3.

A clarification of the regulation that all pleasure craft harbours shall provide sewage disposal plant to receive the lavatory waste from pleasure boats using said harbours. Such plant can include land lavatories, discharge basins and suction plant facilities. That is to say, facilities provided by a particular harbour shall accommodate the sewage emptying requirement of visiting pleasure craft.