Ballast Water Compliance Shouldn’t Be a Gamble
18 March 2025
For vessel owners, ballast water compliance isn’t just a regulatory checkbox — it’s a daily challenge resulting in lost time, lost opportunity, increasing fines and damaged reputations.
The reason? Too many ships struggle with two common issues:
- Challenging water quality (CWQ) conditions that prevent UV-based and electro chlorination treatment systems from working.
- Difficult to operate and faulty onboard systems with crew lacking proper training.
The result? Non-compliance. And when that happens, what’s the response? It depends—on the goodwill and interpretation of local port authorities.
But let’s not forget: The IMO convention came into full effect on September 8, 2024. Compliance is no longer optional.
Why traditional systems fail
Many ships rely on UV or electro-chlorination ballast water treatment systems. But these systems often struggle in ports with:
- High turbidity or sediment levels that reduce UV effectiveness.
- Organic matter that interferes with treatment.
- Salinity variations that impact system performance.
So what happens when a vessel can’t comply because of local water conditions? Many ports rely on self-monitoring by vessel owners—and many simply hope for the best.
Ships often have to reduce the flow rates of their systems to handle the challenging water quality, which also results in overheating adding further challenge to already stretched maintenance budgets. This results in longer port stays where ballasting operations can take twice as long as previously planned resulting in considerably higher fuel bills to maintain service reliability.
A System That Works – No Matter the Water Quality
Too often, ballast water compliance is left to chance rather than being treated as a shared responsibility. Without clear ownership, the issue continues to be overlooked.
Report after report shows that 30% of vessels fail compliance testing—and these are voluntary tests. Others suggest the number could be as high as 53%. The real number? We simply don’t know.
At Bawat, we believe compliance should never be left to chance. That’s why we offer:
Bawat BaaS – Ballast as a Service
A mobile, IMO and US Coast Guard-approved, D2-compliant solution that uses pasteurization instead of UV or electro-chlorination to treat ballast water.
- No filters. No UV. No chemicals. Just heat.
- Works in all water conditions.
- No onboard modifications required.
Instead of relying on UV light or chemicals, we heat the ballast water to eliminate invasive species—ensuring vessels meet compliance standards anywhere in the world.
Who Benefits from Bawat BaaS?
- Vessel owners & operators struggling with compliance in challenging ports.
- Shipyards & dry docks looking for a practical ballast water treatment solution.
- Port authorities wanting to enforce strict environmental regulations.
- And most importantly—the environment, which suffers from invasive species.
Full D-2 compliance means no more ballast water exchange, yet many local authorities are still allowing this to take place illegally. Why accept sending a ship 200nm when a solution exists right there in the port.
Need a Compliance Solution That Works?
If you’re a vessel owner, port authority, or shipyard facing ballast water treatment challenges, let’s talk.
Our Solutions:
Bawat BWMS – An onboard system for retrofit and new builds.
Mobile containerized solutions – For use in ports, ships, or offshore units.
Bawat BaaS – Ballast as a Service – For contingency or planned treatment.
Have thoughts on ballast water compliance? Join the conversation in the comments or contact us at info@bawat.com.
Learn more here: https://www.bawat.com