All vessels have to test their ballast water treatment systems to comply with regulations and requirements (D-1 & D-2), incl. US Coast Guard. Thus, the ballast water test kit should be part of your self-monitoring on board, which decreases unnecessary waiting time because you do not need to send the test to a laboratory.
Customer avoids long waiting time and logistics with a cost-effective solution
Our customer has found a way to avoid:
✔ Long waiting times
✔ Logistical considerations
✔ Expensive solutions!
With Insatech Marine's ballast water test kit, our customer now easily test and document their discharge from their ballast water treatment system - all according to regulations and requirements. So, there is no need for a laboratory anymore.
As our customer said:
“We were looking for a solution, where we could analyze our samples onboard our ship, as we always have had challenges getting the samples to a shoreside laboratory for analysis within the given time frame”.
The Ballast Water Management Convention went into force in 2017 and requires all vessels to test their ballast water to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species and pathogens.
The cost-effective pass/fail test kit provides the crew on board with the possibility to monitor the efficiency and functionality of the vessel’s Ballast Water Treatment System.
Moreover, all the tests can be performed and executed by the crew on board your vessel without any problems. This makes it easy for you to document that all discharges comply with the relevant regulations - without the need for a laboratory.
You can choose between three Ballast Water Test Kits, but all content can be modified according to your needs.
The Ballast Water Test Kit makes it possible for you to easily comply with the following regulations and requirements, without leaving the vessel.
Thus, the kit makes it possible for the crew on board to perform pass/ fail tests and easily document that all discharges comply with the relevant regulations - without the need for a laboratory.
The regulations includes D1, D2, and VGP 2013 US Coastguard BWTS, which are listed below.
D1 – Exchange Standards
Ships performing ballast-water exchange shall do so with an efficiency of 95% volumetric exchange of ballast water.
The exchange procedure shall be carried out in an ‘open ocean condition’ at least 200 nautical miles from the nearest land and in waters at least 200 meters in depth.
The following ballast water test kits comply with the D1 requirement:
The majority of Flag States are following the VGP 2013 US Coastguard BWTS requirements which are as follows:
Ballast Water System Functionality Monitoring
Ballast water treatment systems use physical and/or chemical processes to achieve reductions in living organisms (i.e. filters, chlorine dioxide, cavitation, UV & hypochlorite). To assess the BWTS functionality, monitoring of the BWTS functionality is required at least once per month for specific parameters that apply to your system. Most ballast water treatment systems have control and self-diagnostic equipment such as sensors that continuously measure treatment parameters to verify performance.
Ballast Water Monitoring Equipment Sensor Calibration
All applicable sensors and other equipment must be calibrated annually.
Effluent Biological Organism Monitoring
This must be conducted 2 times during the first year the system is installed or used. If the sampling results are within the below parameters for two consecutive events, the vessel may reduce monitoring to one time per year after the first year. However, if the vessel exceeds the parameters below on any sampling event, they must return to 2 times per year. Monitoring must be conducted at least 14 days apart from different discharge events and records of the sampling/testing results must be retained on board for 3 years.
Parameters & Limits
Total Heterotrophic Bacteria: less than 1000 CFU/100ml, E.coli: less than 250 CFU/100ml, Enterococci: less than 100 CFU/100ml.
Residual Biocide Monitoring
You must conduct monitoring of the vessel ballast water discharge for any residual biocide used in the treatment process. Initial monitoring is 3 times in the first 10 discharge events (not exceeding 180 days), thereafter under maintenance monitoring 2 times per year.
Parameters & Limits
Chlorine Dioxide: maximum 0.2 mg/l or ppm, Chlorine: maximum 0.1 mg/l or ppm, Ozone: maximum 0.1 mg/l or ppm, Peracetic Acid: maximum 0.5 mg/l or ppm, Hydrogen Peroxide: maximum 1 mg/l or ppm.
The following ballast water test kits comply with the VGP 2013 US Coastguard BWTS requirements:
Why do you need to test your ballast water treatment system?
That has something to do with the Ballast Water Management Convention.
The Ballast Water Management Convention
The Ballast Water Management Convention was adopted on 13.02.2004 and ratified on the 08.09.2016. The aim of this convention was to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species and pathogens, carried in the ballast water and sediments of ships, being discharged into the sea where they could harm local species and human health. The convention enters into force on 08.09.2017.
Under the convention, all ships in international traffic are to manage their ballast water and sediments to a certain standard, according to the ship-specific ballast water management plan. All ships will also have to carry a ballast water record book and an International Ballast Water Management Certificate (IBWMC).
The convention will apply to the following ships:
Ships constructed before 2009 with a ballast water capacity of between 1500 and 5000m3 must conduct ballast water management that at least meets the ballast water exchange standards or the ballast water performance standards until 2014, after which time it shall at least meet the ballast water performance standard.
Ships constructed before 2009 with a ballast water capacity of less than 1500 or greater than 5000m3 must conduct ballast water management that at least meets the ballast water exchange standards or the ballast water performance standards until 2016, after which time it shall at least meet the ballast water performance standard.
Ships constructed in/after 2009 with a ballast water capacity of less than 5000m3 must conduct ballast water management that at least meets the ballast water performance standard.
Ships constructed in/after 2009 but before 2012, with a ballast water capacity of 5000m3 or more shall conduct ballast water management that at least meets the standard described in regulation D-1 or D-2 until 2016 and at least the ballast water performance standard after 2016.
Ships constructed in/after 2012, with a ballast water capacity of 5000m3 or more shall conduct ballast water management that at least meets the ballast water performance standard.
