Bilge water and oily water, collected ashore
Oil, water and condensation drip down into the bilges of every engine room. The result is oily bilge water, and on many vessels it builds up faster than it can be dealt with on board. When it’s time to land it, we pump it out and take it away with the right paperwork.
BL Oils is a Doncaster-based, Environment Agency upper-tier waste carrier and dealer (CBDU69834), and an approved contractor at Hull, Goole, Immingham and Killingholme. We collect from cargo ships, tankers and ferries, and from smaller vessels such as tugs, workboats, fishing boats and offshore wind crew boats.
Why bilge water has to come ashore
MARPOL Annex I, the international rules on oil pollution from ships, bans oily water from being pumped over the side unless strict conditions are met. Larger ships can treat some bilge water on board with approved oil filtering equipment while they’re under way at sea. Everything else, including bilge water held in port and the oil the equipment removes, has to be kept on board and landed at a port. Smaller vessels without that equipment usually land all their oily bilge water.
What we collect
- Oily bilge water from engine room bilges and bilge holding tanks
- Bilge oil separated out on board
- Oily water from drip trays, engine room cleaning and drained equipment
- Used engine, gearbox and hydraulic oil from routine maintenance
- Sludge and slops on the same visit (see sludge and slops collection)
Oily waste only. We don’t collect sewage, rubbish (garbage) or chemicals from ships, and we don’t collect cooking oil or galley waste. Your ship’s agent or the port can arrange those separately.
How a bilge water collection works
Most collections are booked through the ship’s agent, but owners and skippers of smaller vessels can call us direct.
Tell us about the call
The ship’s agent, operator or port gives us the vessel name, port and berth, when it’s alongside, and the waste types and rough volumes.
We plan it with you
We give you a free, no-obligation quote and agree the timing, access to the quay and any port security requirements.
Pumped to our tanker on the quay
We pump the waste from the vessel straight into our road tanker, parked on the quay alongside.
Paperwork handed over
You get a hazardous waste consignment note for every collection, showing what was collected and how much.
Small vessels and workboats
Not every job is a big ship. Tugs, pilot boats, fishing boats, survey boats and crew transfer vessels all make oily bilge water, just in smaller amounts. We pump it straight from the vessel into our tanker on the quay, the same way as for a large ship.
If you run several small vessels from the same harbour, we can set up regular collections so the bilge tanks never get too full.
Keep the bilge clean
- Keep sewage and grey water out of the bilge. We don’t collect sewage.
- Don’t add cleaning chemicals, solvents or detergents to the bilge.
- Keep rags, rubbish and absorbent pads out of the bilge well.
Ashore at the port
Quaysides, slipways and wash-down areas often drain through an oil interceptor that collects oily water too. We empty those as well. See interceptor waste.
Paperwork for bilge water
Once it’s landed, oily bilge water is hazardous waste. Every collection comes with a hazardous waste consignment note showing the waste type, quantity and waste code, which the ship can use for its Oil Record Book. Our registration, CBDU69834, can be checked on the Environment Agency’s public register.
| Waste | Typical EWC code |
|---|---|
| Bilge oils from shipping | 13 04 03* |
| Oily water | 13 04 03* / 13 05 07* |
| Waste engine, gear and lubricating oils | 13 02 05* |
| Used oil filters | 16 01 07* |
These are typical codes only. The right code depends on what the waste is and where it came from, and we’ll confirm it with you before collection. An asterisk (*) means hazardous waste.
Ports we cover
Back to marine waste oil collection.
Bilge and oily water: FAQs
Do you collect bilge water from small boats?
Yes. We collect from tugs, workboats, fishing boats and other small commercial vessels as well as larger ships, pumping straight into our tanker on the quay.
Can you take bilge water that has sewage in it?
No. We collect oily waste only. Please keep sewage and grey water out of the bilge. Your agent or the port can arrange sewage collection separately.
Can you collect sludge and used oil at the same time?
Yes. Tell us roughly how much of each you have when you book and we’ll take it all on the same visit.
What paperwork do we get?
A hazardous waste consignment note for every collection, showing the waste type, quantity and waste code. The ship can use these details for its Oil Record Book.
How much does bilge water collection cost?
Every vessel and job is different, so we give you a free, no-obligation quote. Tell us the port, the vessel and roughly how much bilge water there is.
BL Oils is based in Doncaster and collects across all of Yorkshire, plus Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire (areas we cover). Call or WhatsApp 07785 921493, email info@bloils.co.uk, or ask for a free quote.