Ballast Water Treatment A ship’s untreated ballast water can
have serious environmental consequences. Aquatic life discharged
with this untreated water may out-compete native species,
causing the collapse of entire commercial fisheries, the
displacement of native seabed communities, and the red tide
contamination absorbed by filter-feeding shellfish. These
impacts threaten aquatic ecosystems worldwide, and environmental
policy is developing rapidly to address them. IMO timelines
phase in requirements for ballast treatment systems on all
newly-built and existing vessels. In California, this phase-in
schedule is more aggressive, with treatment requirements
starting in 2010. Ballast water treatment systems must be tested
and independently certified to verify they meet applicable
standards. Since 2000, Glosten has brought shipboard operations
and design experience to ballast management solutions. In 2007,
Glosten assisted with the design, risk assessment, and
installation of a prototype onboard ballast water trea