The Overboard Discharge Program is responsible for regulating discharges of sanitary waste from residential or commercial sources to the stream, rivers, bays, and ocean. All overboard discharges must be approved by the DEP through a licensing process. For more information, see the issue profile titled "Overboard Discharges". Overboard discharges do not include sewage discharges from boats. For information on discharges from boats see the Pump-out Grant Program and information on marine pumpouts.
Texts of statutes are available on the Maine Revisor of Statutes' web site. Go here for Title 38, chapter 3 (off-site), which contains the sections mentioned in the fact sheet. Always check the disclaimer page for information on the currency of this database. In usually takes a few months for the database to be updated following a legislative session. DEP makes unofficial copies of recently enacted chapters affecting L&W program available on the L&W legislation page.
For any current or very recent rulemakings related to this program, see the Rulemaking Page.
Forms
E-mail or call 287-3901 to order a publication other than an application.
Contact Mike Demarest (287-6301) for an application (residential, renewal, or transfer). We are providing customized application forms at this time, therefore the applicant must contact Mike Demarest or Bill Johnson before submitting an application. Use of a customized application makes the application process easier for the applicant because a preliminary file review is done and unnecessary rework prevented. If helpful, please see this example of an application, but do not fill it in. Contact Mike Demarest for a customized application.
If filling out a form is msword, please note that altered forms will not be accepted. Extending the length of a form so that more information may be included is not considered an alteration.
Overboard Discharge Program (OBD Program)