33 CFR 155.410: Oily mixture pumping and piping on non-oceangoing ships

Last reviewed: October 14, 2026

This section sets pumping, piping and discharge equipment requirements for non-oceangoing ships of 100 gross tons and above that have main or auxiliary machinery spaces. Such a ship must have a pump, fixed piping with a weather-deck outlet, a shore connection and a stop valve. Ships with approved oily-water separating equipment and drilling rigs or other platforms are excepted.

Applies toNon-oceangoing ships of 100 gross tons and above fitted with main or auxiliary machinery spaces operating in the navigable waters of the United States.

What it says

  1. No person may operate a covered non-oceangoing ship in the navigable waters of the United States unless the ship meets the equipment conditions in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(4).

    33 CFR 155.410(a)“No person may operate a non-oceangoing ship of 100 gross tons and above that is fitted with main or auxiliary machinery spaces in the navigable waters of the United States unless:”

  2. The ship must have at least one pump installed to discharge oily mixtures through a fixed piping system to a reception facility.

    33 CFR 155.410(a)(1)“The ship has at least one pump installed to discharge oily mixtures through a fixed piping system to a reception facility;”

  3. The piping system required by this section must have at least one outlet that is accessible from the weather deck.

    33 CFR 155.410(a)(2)“The piping system required by this section has at least one outlet that is accessible from the weather deck;”

  4. Each outlet required by this section must have a shore connection that is compatible with reception facilities in the ship's area of operation.

    33 CFR 155.410(a)(3)“Each outlet required by this section has a shore connection that is compatible with reception facilities in the ship's area of operation; and”

  5. The ship must have a stop valve for each outlet required by this section.

    33 CFR 155.410(a)(4)“The ship has a stop valve for each outlet required by this section.”

  6. Paragraph (a) does not apply to a ship that has approved oily-water separating equipment for processing oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast.

    33 CFR 155.410(b)“Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to a ship that has approved oily-water separating equipment for the processing of oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast.”

  7. This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.

    33 CFR 155.410(c)“This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.”

Common questions

What discharge equipment must a non-oceangoing ship of 100 gross tons and above have?

It must have at least one pump to discharge oily mixtures through a fixed piping system to a reception facility. The piping must have an outlet accessible from the weather deck, a shore connection, and a stop valve for each outlet.

“The ship has at least one pump installed to discharge oily mixtures through a fixed piping system to a reception facility;”

Does a ship with an oily-water separator have to meet these piping requirements?

No. Paragraph (a) does not apply to a ship that has approved oily-water separating equipment for processing oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast.

“Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to a ship that has approved oily-water separating equipment for the processing of oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast.”

Does this section apply to drilling rigs?

No. This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.

“This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.”

What kind of shore connection must the outlet have?

Each outlet required by this section must have a shore connection compatible with reception facilities in the ship's area of operation.

“Each outlet required by this section has a shore connection that is compatible with reception facilities in the ship's area of operation; and”

The text of 33 CFR 155.410

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

Pumping, piping and discharge requirements for non-oceangoing ships of 100 gross tons and above

(a) No person may operate a non-oceangoing ship of 100 gross tons and above that is fitted with main or auxiliary machinery spaces in the navigable waters of the United States unless:

(1) The ship has at least one pump installed to discharge oily mixtures through a fixed piping system to a reception facility;

(2) The piping system required by this section has at least one outlet that is accessible from the weather deck;

(3) Each outlet required by this section has a shore connection that is compatible with reception facilities in the ship's area of operation; and

(4) The ship has a stop valve for each outlet required by this section.

(b) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to a ship that has approved oily-water separating equipment for the processing of oily mixtures from bilges or fuel oil tank ballast.

(c) This section does not apply to a fixed or floating drilling rig or other platform.

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.