Recreational Waters Protection Act

This bill would update federal standards for marine sanitation devices (MSDs) used on boats to treat and discharge sewage. Specifically, it would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a new "Type IA" standard for advanced onboard treatment systems that meet higher purification levels than current models.

For boaters, the most significant impact would be a new federal exemption from state-level "no-discharge zones." If a vessel is equipped with one of these certified Type IA devices, states would no longer be allowed to prohibit them from discharging treated waste into protected waters. This change is intended to provide more flexibility for recreational boaters by reducing their reliance on shore-based pump-out stations, provided they use the newer, more advanced treatment technology.