33 CFR 151.1512: Ballast water management implementation schedule

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section says how a vessel subject to § 151.1510 may discharge ballast water into waters of the United States. The vessel must meet the discharge standard, use an AMS, or ballast only with U.S. public water system water, following the schedule in paragraph (b). Table 151.1512(b) sets compliance dates by vessel construction date and ballast water capacity.

Applies toThe master, owner, operator, agent, or person in charge of a vessel subject to § 151.1510 of this subpart.

What it says

  1. To discharge ballast water into waters of the United States, the master, owner, operator, agent, or person in charge of a vessel subject to § 151.1510 must meet the ballast water discharge standard in § 151.1511(a), use an AMS, or ballast exclusively with U.S. public water system water, according to the schedule in paragraph (b).

    33 CFR 151.1512(a)“must either ensure that the ballast water meets the ballast water discharge standard as defined in § 151.1511(a), use an AMS as provided for under § 151.1510(a)(1)”

  2. The public water system option is the one described in § 151.1510(a)(4).

    33 CFR 151.1512(a)“ballast exclusively with water from a U.S. public water system, as described in § 151.1510(a)(4)”

  3. After the dates in Table 151.1512(b), vessels may use a USCG-approved BWMS and comply with the discharge standard, or employ an approved ballast water management method under § 151.1510(a)(1) and (4).

    33 CFR 151.1512(b)“vessels may use a USCG-approved BWMS and comply with the discharge standard, or employ an approved ballast water management method per § 151.1510(a)(1) and (4).”

  4. New vessels, meaning those constructed on or after December 1, 2013, must comply on delivery, whatever their ballast water capacity.

    33 CFR 151.1512(b)“On or after December 1, 2013”

  5. Existing vessels with a ballast water capacity of 1500-5000 m3, constructed before December 1, 2013, must comply at their first scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014.

    33 CFR 151.1512(b)“First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014.”

  6. Existing vessels constructed before December 1, 2013, with a ballast water capacity of less than 1500 m3 or greater than 5000 m3, must comply at their first scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016.

    33 CFR 151.1512(b)“First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016.”

Common questions

What options do I have to discharge ballast water in U.S. waters?

A vessel subject to § 151.1510 must meet the ballast water discharge standard, use an AMS, or ballast exclusively with U.S. public water system water. It must follow the schedule in paragraph (b).

“must either ensure that the ballast water meets the ballast water discharge standard as defined in § 151.1511(a), use an AMS as provided for under § 151.1510(a)(1)”

When must a new vessel comply with the ballast water discharge standard?

A new vessel, constructed on or after December 1, 2013, must comply on delivery.

“On or after December 1, 2013”

When must an existing vessel with 1500-5000 m3 ballast capacity comply?

An existing vessel built before December 1, 2013, with that capacity must comply at its first scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014.

“First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014.”

May I use a Coast Guard approved BWMS to comply?

Yes. After the dates in Table 151.1512(b), vessels may use a USCG-approved BWMS and comply with the discharge standard.

“vessels may use a USCG-approved BWMS and comply with the discharge standard, or employ an approved ballast water management method per § 151.1510(a)(1) and (4).”

The text of 33 CFR 151.1512

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), current as of April 16, 2026 · Read it on eCFR

Implementation schedule for approved ballast water management methods

(a) To discharge ballast water into the waters of the United States, the master, owner, operator, agent, or person in charge of a vessel subject to § 151.1510 of this subpart must either ensure that the ballast water meets the ballast water discharge standard as defined in § 151.1511(a), use an AMS as provided for under § 151.1510(a)(1) or ballast exclusively with water from a U.S. public water system, as described in § 151.1510(a)(4), according to the schedule in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) Implementation Schedule for the Ballast Water Management Discharge Standard for vessels using a Coast Guard approved BWMS to manage ballast water discharged to waters of the United States. After the dates listed in Table 151.1512(b), vessels may use a USCG-approved BWMS and comply with the discharge standard, or employ an approved ballast water management method per § 151.1510(a)(1) and (4).

Table 151.1512(b)—Implementation Schedule for Ballast Water Management Discharge Standards for Vessels Using Coast Guard Approved Ballast Water Management Systems Vessel's ballastwater capacity Date constructed Vessel's compliance date New vessels All On or after December 1, 2013 On delivery. Existing vessels Less than 1500 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016. 1500-5000 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2014. Greater than 5000 m3 Before December 1, 2013 First scheduled drydocking after January 1, 2016.

Sections it refers to

The plain-English explanation on this page was written with AI from the regulation text above and checked automatically before publishing: every quote appears in the text, every number comes from it, and a second model confirmed each statement adds nothing the text doesn't say. Regulation text current as of April 16, 2026. The regulation text governs. RegKnot is not affiliated with the U.S. Coast Guard.