BOATsmart! Canada
Knowledge Base

It is illegal to pollute Canadian waterways. 

As Canadian boaters we all share the responsibility of keeping our incredible waterways clean! It can be as simple as making sure you don’t spill that little bit of fuel when you’re gassing up, and being mindful of the natural ecosystem and it’s inhabitants.

Always remember the following, to help keep Canada’s waters clean:

• You are prohibited from dumping any kind of oil, litter or waste into the water. Even small oil spills can cause serious long term effects.
• Waste from marine toilets must be held in a holding tank and pumped out at an approved marine facility.
• You are prohibited from dumping bilge water containing oil or other chemicals overboard. You should check your bilge on a regular basis to ensure it’s free of oil, grease and chemicals. If chemical pollutants are found in the bilge, use an environmentally-friendly absorbent product to soak up chemical waste.

Note: You must report to government authorities any discharge of a pollutant from your boat. Be prepared to provide your boat’s identifying information, the location and time of the discharge, the type and amount of discharge, and what steps you took to clean up the spill.