---
kind: "range"
citation: "33 C.F.R. §§ 155.330–155.380"
title: "33"
from: "155.330"
to: "155.380"
count: 5
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/33/155.330..155.380"
---

# §155.330. Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel oil tank ballast water discharges on U.S. non-oceangoing ships.

- (a) No person may operate a U.S. non-oceangoing ship in the navigable waters of the United States, unless it has the capacity to retain on board all oily mixtures and is equipped to discharge these oily mixtures to a reception facility.
- (b) A U.S. non-oceangoing ship may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges. An oil residue (sludge) tank is not required.
- (c) **This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.**

# §155.350. Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel oil tank ballast water discharges on oceangoing ships of less than 400 gross tons.

- (a) No person may operate an oceangoing ship of less than 400 gross tons, unless it either:
  - (1) Has the capacity to retain on board all oily mixtures and is equipped to discharge these oily mixtures to a reception facility; or
  - (2) Has approved oily-water separating equipment for processing oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast and discharges into the sea according to [§ 151.10](/cfr/33/151.10.md) of this chapter.
  - (3) For equipment installed after 2004 to be approved under [paragraph (a)(2)](#a-2) of this section, it must meet current standards in [46 CFR part 162](/cfr/46/part162.md), [subpart 162.050](/cfr/33/subpart162.050.md) by the date set forth in paragraphs [(a)(3)(i)](#a-3-i) and [(a)(3)(ii)](#a-3-ii) of this section, unless the equipment is installed on a ship constructed before 2005 and it would be unreasonable or impracticable to meet those current standards.
    - (i) A ship entering international service for the first time since 2004, must comply with the requirements of [paragraph (a)(3)](#a-3) of this section by the date of its initial survey prior to receiving its International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) certificate.
    - (ii) Any ship, other than a ship described in [paragraph (a)(3)(i)](#a-3-i) of this section, must comply with the requirements of [paragraph (a)(3)](#a-3) of this section by the date of the ship's first drydock after October 13, 2009.
- (b) An oceangoing ship of less than 400 gross tons may retain all oily mixtures on board in the ship's bilges. An oil residue (sludge) tank is not required.
- (c) This section does not apply to a barge that is not equipped with an installed bilge pumping system for discharge into the sea.
- (d) **This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.**

# §155.360. Oily mixture (bilge slops) discharges on oceangoing ships of 400 gross tons and above but less than 10,000 gross tons, excluding ships that carry ballast water in their fuel oil tanks.

- (a)
  - (1) Except as provided in [paragraph (a)(3)](#a-3) of this section, no person may operate an oceangoing ship of 400 gross tons and above but less than 10,000 gross tons, excluding a ship that carries ballast water in its fuel oil tanks, unless it is fitted with approved 15 parts per million (ppm) oily-water separating equipment for the processing of oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast.
  - (2) For equipment installed after 2004 to be approved under [paragraph (a)(1)](#a-1) of this section, it must meet current standards in [46 CFR part 162](/cfr/46/part162.md), [subpart 162.050](/cfr/33/subpart162.050.md) by the date set forth in paragraphs [(a)(2)(i)](#a-2-i) and [(a)(2)(ii)](#a-2-ii) of this section, unless the equipment is installed on a ship constructed before 2005 and it would be unreasonable or impracticable to meet those current standards.
    - (i) A ship entering international service for the first time since 2004, must comply with the requirements of [paragraph (a)(2)](#a-2) of this section by the date of its initial survey prior to receiving its International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) certificate.
    - (ii) Any ship, other than a ship described in [paragraph (a)(2)(i)](#a-2-i) of this section, must comply with the requirements of [paragraph (a)(2)](#a-2) of this section by the date of the ship's first drydock after October 13, 2009.
  - (3) Any ship certified under the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft engaged on a scheduled service with a turn-around time not exceeding 24 hours and covering also non-passenger/cargo-carrying relocation voyages for these ships need not be provided with oil filtering equipment. These ships must be fitted with an oily bilge water holding tank having a volume adequate for the total retention onboard of the oily bilge water. All oily bilge water must be retained onboard for subsequent discharge to reception facilities.
- (b) No person may operate a ship under this section unless it is fitted with an oil residue (sludge) tank or tanks of adequate capacity to receive the oil residue that cannot be dealt with otherwise.
  - (1) In new ships such tanks shall be designed and constructed to facilitate cleaning and the discharge of the oily residues to reception facilities. Existing ships shall comply with this requirement as far as reasonable and practicable.
  - (2) Tanks used for oily mixtures on ships certificated under [46 CFR Chapter I](/cfr/46/chI.md) shall meet the requirements of [46 CFR 56.50-50(h)](/cfr/46/56.50-50.md?p=h) for isolation between oil and bilge systems.
  - (3) **Ships subject to this section must—**
    - (i) Be provided with a designated pump for disposal that is capable of taking suction from the oil residue (sludge) tank(s); and
    - (ii) Have no discharge connections to the bilge system, oily bilge water holding tank(s), tank top or oily water separators except that the tank(s) may be fitted with drains, with manually operated self-closing valves and arrangements for subsequent visual monitoring of the settled water, that lead to an oily bilge water holding tank or bilge well, or an alternative arrangement, provided such arrangement does not connect directly to the bilge piping system.
- (c) No person may operate a ship unless it is equipped with a pipeline to discharge oily mixtures to a reception facility.
- (d) This section does not apply to a barge that is not equipped with an installed bilge pumping system for discharge into the sea.
- (e) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform, except as specified in [§ 155.400(a)(2)](/cfr/33/155.400.md?p=a-2).

# §155.370. Oily mixture (bilge slops)/fuel oil tank ballast water discharges on oceangoing ships of 10,000 gross tons and above and oceangoing ships of 400 gross tons and above that carry ballast water in their fuel oil tanks.

- (a) Except as provided in [paragraph (a)(5)](#a-5) of this section, no person may operate an oceangoing ship of 10,000 gross tons and above, or any oceangoing ship of 400 gross tons and above, that carries ballast water in its fuel oil tanks, unless it has—
  - (1) Approved 15 ppm oily-water separating equipment for the processing of oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast;
  - (2) A bilge alarm; and
  - (3) A means for automatically stopping any discharge of oily mixture when the oil content in the effluent exceeds 15 ppm.
  - (4) For equipment installed after 2004 to be approved under [paragraph (a)](#a) of this section, it must meet current standards in [46 CFR part 162](/cfr/46/part162.md), [subpart 162.050](/cfr/33/subpart162.050.md) by the date set forth in paragraphs [(a)(4)(i)](#a-4-i) and [(a)(4)(ii)](#a-4-ii) of this section, unless the equipment is installed on a ship constructed before 2005 and it would be unreasonable or impracticable to meet those current standards.
    - (i) A ship entering international service for the first time since 2004, must comply with the requirements of [paragraph (a)(4)](#a-4) of this section by the date of its initial survey prior to receiving its International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) certificate.
    - (ii) Any ship, other than a ship described in [paragraph (a)(4)(i)](#a-4-i) of this section, must comply with the requirements of [paragraph (4)](#a-4) of this section by the date of the ship's first drydock after October 13, 2009.
  - (5) Any ship certified under the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft engaged on a scheduled service with a turn-around time not exceeding 24 hours and covering also non-passenger/cargo-carrying relocation voyages for these ships need not be provided with oil filtering equipment. These ships must be fitted with an oily bilge water holding tank having a volume adequate for the total retention onboard of the oily bilge water. All oily bilge water must be retained onboard for subsequent discharge to reception facilities.
- (b) No person may operate a ship under this section unless it is fitted with an oil residue (sludge) tank or tanks of adequate capacity to receive the oil residue that cannot be dealt with otherwise.
  - (1) In new ships such tanks shall be designed and constructed to facilitate cleaning and the discharge of the oil residue to reception facilities. Existing ships shall comply with this requirement as far as reasonable and practicable.
  - (2) Tanks used for oily mixtures on ships certificated under [46 CFR Chapter I](/cfr/46/chI.md) shall meet the requirements of [46 CFR 56.50-50(h)](/cfr/46/56.50-50.md?p=h) for isolation between oil and bilge systems.
  - (3) **Ships subject to this section must—**
    - (i) Be provided with a designated pump for disposal that is capable of taking suction from the oil residue (sludge) tank(s); and
    - (ii) Have no discharge connections to the bilge system, oily bilge water holding tank(s), tank top or oily water separators except that the tank(s) may be fitted with drains, with manually operated self-closing valves and arrangements for subsequent visual monitoring of the settled water, that lead to an oily bilge water holding tank or bilge well, or an alternative arrangement, provided such arrangement does not connect directly to the bilge piping system.
- (c) No person may operate a ship under this section unless it is equipped with a pipeline to discharge oily mixtures to a reception facility.
- (d) This section does not apply to a barge that is not equipped with an installed bilge pumping system for discharge into the sea.
- (e) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform, except as specified in [§ 155.400(a)(2)](/cfr/33/155.400.md?p=a-2).

# §155.380. Oily water separating equipment and bilge alarm approval standards.

- (a) On U.S. inspected ships, oily water separating equipment and bilge alarms must be approved under [46 CFR 162.050](/cfr/46/162.050.md).
- (b) On U.S. uninspected ships and foreign ships, oily water separating equipment and bilge alarms must be approved under either [46 CFR 162.050](/cfr/46/162.050.md) or MARPOL 73/78 Annex I.
- (c) A ship that is required to have a bilge alarm may defer installment and use a previously installed bilge monitor provided the bilge monitor met Coast Guard approval requirements at the time of its installation and it does not allow more than a 15 ppm oil content in water discharge.
- (d) The accuracy of the bilge alarms must be checked at IOPP Certificate renewal surveys according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, the unit may be replaced by a calibrated bilge alarm. The calibration certificate for the bilge alarm, which certifies the date of the last calibration check, should be retained onboard for inspection purposes. The accuracy checks can only be done by the manufacturer or persons authorized by the manufacturer.
- (e) Ship staff training must include familiarization in the operation and maintenance of the equipment.
- (f) The routine maintenance of the oily water separating equipment and the bilge alarm must be clearly defined by the manufacturer in the associated operating and maintenance manuals. All routine and repair maintenance must be recorded.