River Canal Rescue has developed a new decontaminating bilge water filter that removes oil, fuel and other hydrocarbons from bilge water before it’s pumped into canals, rivers or the sea.
Bilge Away can be retro-fitted to pre-installed bilge pumps and as the bilge water passes through the filters, a patented active component absorbs hydrocarbons, storing the compound in an environmentally-friendly cartridge that can be composted or incinerated.
“Most bilges contain 10% oil and 90% water and when mixed they’re classed as hazardous material and should not be bilged into water,” explained RCR operations director Jay Forman who devised the filter. “This eco barrier stops any contaminates leaving the boat, removing the risk of pollution.
“Even once the filter has absorbed its maximum content, the hydrocarbons are locked in, further reducing the risk of pollution.”
He added: “Boaters, boat yards, marinas and the waterways authorities all want to protect the environment and this revolutionary filter gives peace of mind that everyone can do their bit.”
RCR will dispose of the compound from returned filters and reuse cartridge bodies as it moves forward with decontaminating bilge water filter.