{"data":{"id":"us/33-cfr-159.7","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"33 CFR 159.7","heading":"Requirements for vessel operators.","body":"(a) No person may operate any vessel equipped with installed toilet facilities unless it is equipped with:\n(1) An operable Type II or III device that has a label on it under § 159.16 or that is certified under § 159.12 or § 159.12a; or\n(2) An operable Type I device that has a label on it under § 159.16 or that is certified under § 159.12, if the vessel is 19.7 meters (65 feet) or less in length.\n(b) When operating a vessel on a body of water where the discharge of treated or untreated sewage is prohibited by the Environmental Protection Agency under 40 CFR 140.3 or 140.4, the operator must secure each Type I or Type II device in a manner which prevents discharge of treated or untreated sewage. Acceptable methods of securing the device include—\n(1) Closing the seacock and removing the handle;\n(2) Padlocking the seacock in the closed position;\n(3) Using a non-releasable wire-tie to hold the seacock in the closed position; or\n(4) Locking the door to the space enclosing the toilets with a padlock or door handle key lock.\n(c) When operating a vessel on a body of water where the discharge of untreated sewage is prohibited by the Environmental Protection Agency under 40 CFR 140.3, the operator must secure each Type III device in a manner which prevents discharge of sewage. Acceptable methods of securing the device include—\n(1) Closing each valve leading to an overboard discharge and removing the handle;\n(2) Padlocking each valve leading to an overboard discharge in the closed position; or\n(3) Using a non-releasable wire-tie to hold each valve leading to an overboard discharge in the closed position.","path":["Title 33—Navigation and Navigable Waters","CHAPTER I—COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY","SUBCHAPTER O—POLLUTION","PART 159—MARINE SANITATION DEVICES","Subpart A—General"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-33.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:25:35Z","sha256":"a9e3380fe195ca42cf41b4fc12a206c69795518b508da7760e2301bbbedc2d08","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/33-cfr-159.5","next":"us/33-cfr-159.11"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}