Winthrop Cracking Down on Boat Owners Dumping Poop in Boston Harbor

Photo by Bill Ilott on Flickr/Creative Commons

The Town of Winthrop is done taking your crap.

Town officials in the oceanside suburb are cracking down on boat owners who allegedly toss human waste into the Boston Harbor, after the board of health received several reports of illegal dumping from houseboats.

The problem was so bad last summer, bacteria levels in the water spiked, resulting in the closure of Donovan Beach. Al LeGee, the town’s director of inspectional services, told the Winthrop Transcript that a high reading for September prompted him to send warning letters to yacht clubs in the area.

Winthrop passed houseboat regulations last year, after one owner was discovered to be operating a bed-and-breakfast. Per these new rules, each houseboat owner must obtain a permit from the town manager, and the vessel must either be connected to the town sewer system or securely pumped by the harbor master.