No Discharge Areas (NDAs)

Boat sewage can contain bacteria and viruses, nutrients, and chemicals that can be harmful to water quality and public health. No Discharge Areas, or NDAs, are designated bodies of water where the discharge of all boat sewage, whether treated or not, is prohibited. Governor Patrick's goal is ultimately to make all of the Commonwealth’s coastal waters NDAs. The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is working with coastal communities to develop applications to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for no discharge status, and is supporting efforts to increase boat pumpout facilities to make proper sewage disposal more convenient for boaters.

This website includes information on:

• Benefits of NDAs
• Requirements for Boaters in NDAs
• Current NDA Locations
• Boat Pumpout Information
  • Massachusetts Pumpout List
  • Interactive Map of Massachusetts Pumpout Locations (created with Google^TM Maps)
  • South Shore Vessel Pumpout Evaluation & Outreach Plan (PDF, 1.45 MB)
  • Upper North Shore Regional Boat Waste Pumpout Plan (PDF, 838 KB)
• The NDA Application Process
• Enforcement in NDAs

For additional information on clean boating, see:

• Massachusetts Clean Marina Guide
• Environmentally Friendly Boat Engines