True or false: Bilge pumps may distribute spilled fuel into the water.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only on windy days
• D. Only if diesel

Answer: (A)

Pumping bilge water can spread contaminants into the water. If fuel has spilled into the bilge, turning on the bilge pump will push that fuel out with the water, releasing it into the surrounding environment. Because environmental regulations restrict discharges of oily bilge water, you should stop the spill, contain and clean it with absorbents, and discharge only after the water has been treated through an approved oily-water separator and meets legal limits, or dispose of it properly in a holding system. The weather or type of fuel doesn’t change this risk—the act of pumping contaminated bilge water can still introduce fuel into the water.