Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
BWE would be exposed to a salinity shock when released in a recipient freshwater
port. Land-based trials have indicated an up to tenfold reduction of risk compared
to the use of BWMS alone (Briski et al. 2013 ).
Warnings Concerning Ballast Water Uptake in Certain Areas
The BWM Convention encourages Administrations to conduct monitoring pro-
grammes in their coastal waters, i.e. typical ballast water uptake zones, and further to
notify mariners if ballast water uptake restrictions are necessary. Such notifi cations
may include suggestions for alternative ballast water uptake areas. Ballast water
uptake warnings are useful e.g., in cases of outbreaks of toxic algal blooms
(e.g., Hallegraeff 1998 ), in the presence of human pathogens, or other (potentially)
harmful organisms. Ballast water uptake should also be avoided near sewage outfalls
and when tidal fl ushing is poor. Relevant notifi cations should be communicated to
IMO and potentially affected states.
These monitoring activities may be conducted within the framework of a regional
cooperation. One key problem is that in most countries existing monitoring
programmes were created for other purposes and lack sampling sites in ports or port
regions, i.e. in ballast water uptake areas.
Ballast Water Reception Facilities
BWM requirements in the BWM Convention do not apply to ships which intend to
discharge ballast water to a reception facility. If available, such facilities should be
designed according to the G5 Guidelines. A ballast water reception facility may be
a good solution for a vessel that didn't manage ballast water properly and would
need to discharge it. This would be especially important when the ballast water is
posing a high risk to the recipient environment (see chapter Risk Assessment in
Ballast Water Management ”).
Reception facilities may be land based or fl oating, e.g., barges, tankers (IMO
2013 ). Reception facilities may have a capacity to receive ballast water and treat it
later before the discharge into the environment, or the treatment process is applied
directly during the discharge to the environment. Where ballast water is discharged
into the aquatic environment it should at least meet the D-2 standard of the BWM
Convention (IMO 2006b ).
A reception facility should provide adequate pipelines, manifolds, reducers,
equipment and other resources to enable, ships wishing to discharge ballast water
in a port to use the facility (IMO 2006b ). However, today ships are lacking a
(standardised) pipework connection, which would enable the discharge of ballast
water to reception facilities. Tankers have standardized piping and manifolds for
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