Marinas, boat clubs or fuel docks with a working pumpout provide a vital service to recreational boaters. Installing a pump, however, and the annual costs to maintain one, can be high. That's where a program funded by the taxes and fees paid by boaters can help.

This fall, the US Fish & Wildlife Service's Clean Vessel Act program aims to give out about $12 million for the construction, renovation, operation and maintenance of public boat pumpouts. However, the deadline to apply for the 2017 grant cycle will soon draw to a close. BoatUS is urging anyone interested to apply now by contacting their state's grant coordinator.

APPLY ASAP -- A program funded by the taxes and fees paid by boaters can help pay for a boat pumpout facilities on your local waterway.

The nationally competitive, federal grant program, which is administered by individual states, pays up to 75 percent of the project costs and requires 25 percent matching funds. Some select states also contribute funds, which could essentially cover up to 100 percent of the costs. Any public or private boating facility or nonprofit organization is eligible to apply. In addition to stationary locations on docks or shore, funds may pay for pumpout vessels, floating restrooms used by boaters, educational efforts on environmental pollution or for other boat sewage-related measures.

"With the growth of no-discharge zones nationwide, we need to ensure boaters – from the largest to the smallest boats – have meaningful access to local pumpouts," said BoatUS Foundation Vice President Susan Shingledecker.

Since the inception of the Clean Vessel Act, the grant program has funded more than 6,000 pumpouts and dump stations and provided funds to help operate and maintain more than 3,700 systems.

A list of Individual Clean Vessel Act coordinators at the state level is at http://www.sobaus.org/pdf/CVA_Coordinator_ListMASTER.pdf. Examples of past projects may be found at Clean Vessel Act Grant Program - Funding.