Sewage Disposal and Water Conservation
The RMS St. Helena has a modern sewage treatment facility capable of handling waste generated by the nearly 200 passengers and ship's crew. The waste is received into a brand new sewage tank (installed August 2006), is treated and only the permitted effluent is then pumped overboard while in permitted areas and while being rigorously monitored. Although the toilet cisterns are 'freshwater flushed', being a vacuum system the use of valuable fresh water for this purpose is very minimal.
Most of our fresh water is generated from seawater and we fully recognise the importance of conserving the natural resources used in the manufacturing process. Taking this into account, both passengers and crew alike are encouraged to conserve water by turning off taps and showers when not in use. They are further encouraged to conserve water by only putting out towels for laundering when fresh ones are required and by laundering full batches of clothing rather than one garment at a time. Additionally, only approved biodegradable cleaning agents are used, which include toilet cleaners and general cleaning agents.
