Clinton Harbor Finally Has A Pumpout Boat

Coastal Environmental Services Inc. (CES) and Cedar Island Marina are pleased to announce the introduction of a marine pumpout boat, which will service marinas in Clinton Harbor, Madison, Westbrook, and Old Saybrook. Clinton Harbor is home to one of the busiest recreational boating areas in Connecticut, comprised of over 10 marinas with almost 1,000 boats berthed in the harbor and contiguous rivers during the summer.

A partnership between the Connecticut River Department of Health, The East Shore District Health Department, CES, the towns of Clinton, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, The State Department of Environmental and Energy Protection, and Cedar Island Marina has made this service possible for boaters in the area. Funding for 75% the pumpout services comes from the Sportfish Restoration Program. The remaining 25% of the funding is going to be provided through user donations and town contributions.

The arrival of the pumpout boat addresses the ongoing concern of boaters dumping their waste into the harbor. Before the boat, the only way to discharge waste was to drive a vessel to a shore based facility, like the fuel dock at Cedar Island Marina. A pumpout boat allows for faster, direct service to the user, without the hassle of having to move their boat. Additionally, CES uses a secure on-line reservation system (www.pumpout.me) that enables boaters to request immediate, on-demand pumpouts, and also schedule pumpouts in the future. All these aspects make clean discharges easy for boaters, reducing pollution into the Long Island Sound.

Enforcement of dumping waste overboard is hard as often times the dumping takes place outside of regular hours of operation, with few people around. The addition of the pumpout boat should alleviate most illegal dumping, making Clinton waters clean and healthy.

The boat is partially funded by CT DEEP, allowing free service for all boaters. Users can register online and immediately begin scheduling pumpouts. The boat will be operational Memorial Day with regular operating hours from 9:00am – 7:00pm Saturday and Sunday. The vessel will be berthed at Cedar Island Marina, though any boater in the area can use it. To schedule a pumpout call 860-514-7664, hail on VHF Channel 68, or register online at www.pumpout.me. 

More information about the program can be found at: www.coastalinc.org 

Program support can be made at: www.coastalinc.org/donate

For more information on our business, please visit: www.cedarislandmarina.com OR visit our FaceBook page at: www.facebook.com/cedarislandmarina