Environmentalists, politicians and the man in the street are united in their concern about the threat to marine life and health posed by levels of pollution in the Baltic – and there are encouraging signs that technology is coming to their aid. Ship operators are already adopting a state of the art on-board treatment process, for example, which enables them to treat all the waste water generated by passengers and crew until it is crystal clear. It can then be discharged safely at sea, with no threat to health or marine life - and the quality of the processed water exceeds all current maritime standards.

Marine environmental solutions specialist Evac has launched a new advanced shipboard waste water treatment system, which produces crystal clear effluent that exceeds the requirements of all current quality standards, including those set by the IMO, Alaska, USCG and the Navy NIAG. It provides a compact, low maintenance solution for ship operators squeezed between the twin pressures of increasingly stringent legislation to protect the environment, and spiralling costs for waste water management and disposal.