Bristol Floating Harbour's Get On Board Campaign

Located upstream of the Bristol Channel on the tidal River Avon, Bristol’s historic floating harbour is an enclosed freshwater environment. Held back by lock gates, the harbour is fed by the freshwater of the River’s Avon & Frome, thus creating the “Floating” harbour, unaffected by tides. A voluntary survey, which took place in 2005, found over 10.4% of Bristol’s boaters were discharging raw sewage and 65.6% discharging grey water into the Harbour regularly.

The Get On Board campaign is a collaborative approach to improve environmental quality in and around Bristol’s historic floating harbour over the next two years and includes raising awareness and installing four new pump-out facilities. Launched in 2007, a progress report from the first 6 months is now available to download.

The Get On Board campaign is a collaborative approach to improve environmental quality in and around Bristol’s historic floating harbour over the next two years.

Campaign partners the Bristol Living Rivers Project, Bristol Harbour Authority, the City Council, the Environment Agency, Bristol Marina and Wessex Water are all doing their bit to improve the environment of Bristol’s floating harbour.

One key aspect of the campaign supported by The Green Blue is improving the water quality in the harbour through the following ways –

• Installing four new pump-out facilities for boaters by 2009.
• Raising awareness amongst the boating community on wastewater disposal though leaflet distribution, events, talks, user group meetings and the Bristol Living Rivers newsletter.
• Purchasing a flotsam & jetsam-collecting vessel, “The Melly”.
• Launching a certification scheme (certificates, stickers & other incentives) for boaters disposing of their wastewater in an environmentally acceptable way (due to be launched 2008).

Educational project with local schools.

The Campaign Launch

The opening of the first of four new pump-out facilities due to be installed over the next few years coincided with the launch of the Campaign in June 2007, which was a great success.  Forty invited guests including the local press, local Councillors, recreational harbour users, campaign partners, stakeholders and representatives from the Green Blue attended on the day.

Bristol City Councillor Rosalie Walker officially opening new pump-out facility.

The launch involved a boat trip around the harbour, followed by the official opening of the new pump-out facility before guests were invited to view the campaign exhibition by the stakeholders (including The Green Blue) at the Harbourside Pavilion.

The second day was an open day for the boating community and harbour users to find out about the campaign and what it means for them.  It was also an opportunity for visitors to enjoy the company of the Harry Browns Shanty Men at a Harbourside Pavilion overlooking the water.

Photo courtesy of Bristol Evening Post

Pump-Out Installation & Usage

In the past, Bristol Harbour has lacked adequate & reliable pump-out facilities, making the disposal of wastewater difficult for the boating community. However, as part of the campaign, Bristol Harbour Authority & Bristol Marina agreed to install four new high specification pump-outs over the next few years. One of which is now open and available for use, and the others are planned as part of the redevelopment of the Harbour (due to be completed by 2009).

The first pump-out at Bristol Marina has been popular since its opening at the campaign launch in June 2007 by commercial, residential, leisure & visiting craft.

2007 Figures for Bristol Marina Pump-out Facility

Raising Awareness

Since the launch in June 2007, the campaign has been promoted through a variety of media;

• A campaign logo was designed and has been used on all campaign information distributed around the harbour to promote & raise the profile the campaign where possible
• • Campaign information leaflets have been produced for the public (see below) & also specifically for the boating community and are available online and can be downloaded at
  • www.bristol.gov.uk/rivers.
  • A permanent information stand is on display, in conjunction with a selection of Green Blue information at the Harbour Office (see below right).

  

  • Other information outlets include Bristol Marina, the CREATE Environment Centre and onboard Bristol Ferry Boats.
  • The Recreational Harbour User Group has also been an important part of the campaign linking directly with the boating community.
  • A series of talks to the two Cruising Clubs in Bristol in early 2008 may be planned.
  • The Bristol Harbour Festival was an excellent opportunity to promote the campaign in 2007. The event attracts thousands of visitors, both members of the public and visiting boats to the harbour over a weekend in August.

  The three-day public event on the Harbourside provided the chance for the Get              On Board campaign team to run a stall with plenty of information on the campaign, and the opportunity to talk to as many boaters as possible who had made the journey from other local harbours and Marinas to be part of the festival. The stall also included plenty of Green Blue information that was very popular with the boating community.

  

  

  • The Bristol Living Rivers Newsletter also provided the opportunity to promote the campaign further. This newsletter, produced bi-annually, featured a double page spread all about the campaign and was distributed to over 1000 outlets across Bristol as well as around the Harbour.

  

  Flotsam & Jetsam Collection Vessel ~ The “Melly”
• Bristol Harbour Authority has purchased a new flotsam & jetsam collection boat, to assist the campaign by keeping the floating debris and litter in the harbour to a minimum.

  Bristol Harbour Authority is very pleased with the new vessel that is used daily to collect rubbish and litter and other things discarded into the harbour waters. “The Melly” has had a considerable impact on the amount of lighter rubbish (flotsam & jetsam) collected from Harbour waters whilst also being popular with the operatives as it is a clean, simple and easy to use.

  Get On Board Certification Scheme (due for launch in spring 2008)

  As part of the education & awareness raising aspect of the campaign, a voluntary certification scheme is currently being put together to recognise vessels disposing of wastewater inline with Good Environmental Practice in the Floating Harbour.

  The proposed scheme will involve assessing the boats sewage & grey water disposal subject to their mooring agreements (commercial, residential & leisure).  It has stipulated that NO sewage, black water, chemical toilet waste or port-a-potty waste etc.  is discharged into harbour waters. Commercial and residential boats have been asked not to discharge grey water (most of these boats are connected to mains drainage) into harbour waters. For leisure craft, the scheme will allow grey water to be discharged subject to following the good practice as laid down by The Green Blue and the Environmental Code of Good Practice.

  This scheme is currently being developed and so information on how it has been received by the boating community is not yet available – however, this is something the campaign hope to provide next year.

  More information

  Search for Bristol Living Rivers Project – Get on Board Campaign on Bristol Councils website for more information www.bristol.gov.uk or contact Environment Advisor, Tanya Darch tanya.darch@bristol.gov.uk  

  Download maps of inland and coastal pump-out facilities across the UK

  www.thegreenblue.org.uk/research/pumpoutguide.asp