A 30-foot aluminum boat that made the business of doing one’s business on New Hampshire’s waters a little easier will not operate this summer.
The Royal Flush, also known as the “poop boat,” offered pleasure boaters a roving pump out service for their sewage holding tanks. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services announced it was suspending the program, citing operational and maintenance costs.
“NHDES recognizes that the Royal Flush provides a convenient and environmentally beneficial service for boaters,” the agency said. “Officials emphasized that the decision was made after careful consideration of operational costs and long-term program sustainability.”
The free service was popular in Great Bay and along the state’s shoreline.
The Royal Flush is equipped with a large storage tank and a pump capable of siphoning 40 gallons of sewage per minute. On a busy day, the boat could visit about a dozen customers, relieving them of their waste. The Royal Flush collected about 10,000 to 15,000 gallons of sewage each year, protecting the waterways and local aquatic life from any unwanted discharge.
It is illegal for boats to discharge human waste or gray water within three miles of the shoreline.
In previous years, a federal grant helped cover the cost of the Royal Flush and its captain. An agency spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment on the status of that funding, or the extent of necessary repairs for the boat.
But the loss of the Royal Flush doesn’t mean water lovers now need to hold it in. The following facilities also offer pump outs:
- Great Bay Marine, Newington
- Wentworth by the Sea Marina, New Castle
- Great Cove Boat Club, Eliot, Maine
- Safe Harbor Kittery Point, Kittery, Maine
- Newburyport Harbor Marina, Newburyport, Massachusetts
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