The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Pumpout Grant Program is offering boat owners and marinas free pumpout adapter kits, which department staff developed to help boaters empty holding tanks securely at area pumpout stations. 

The kit has a plastic adapter that screws into the existing waste discharge deck fitting on a boat, which is secured by a cam lock found on most pumpout hoses. The free kit also contains instructions, protective gloves, a storage tube, and a QR code to a list of pumpout stations in Maryland.  

Maryland residents can request a pumpout adapter kit using an online form. Supplies are limited. Kits are provided with funding from U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Clean Vessel Act Grant funding and the Maryland Waterway Improvement Fund.

The kits are part of the department’s efforts to ensure boaters know how and where to properly empty their holding tanks, as overboard discharge is prohibited by state and federal law and punishable by civil penalties up to $2,000.  

For 30 years the Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has administered grants to marinas to install, operate, and maintain pumpout using Clean Vessel Act funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Maryland Waterway Improvement Funds. 

Program funds are generated from fees and taxes paid by boaters and have built approximately 267 publicly available pumpouts across Maryland, thanks to this public-private partnership. This summer, Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff will be inspecting grant-funded pumpouts to assess their condition and offer assistance to marinas to replace them if needed. 

The program also funds three pumpout boats through the Annapolis Harbormaster, ShoreRivers, and Arundel Rivers Foundation. 

In addition to the free adapter kits, the department maintains an online map of pumpout stations  (to include Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, Goose Creek Marina in Rumbley, the Deal Island boat ramp, the Webster’s Cove boat ramp in Mt. Vernon, and the Pocomoke City boat docks), developed a Clean Boating Tip Sheet, and offers the free adapter kits.  

For questions about the grant program or pumpout locations, Maryland waterway users should contact Liam McNally at 410-260-8772 or email pumpouts.dnr@maryland.gov. To report illegal discharges, citizens should contact the Maryland Natural Resources Police at 410-260-8888.