Oily Water Separator retrofit

An oily water separator (OWS) retrofit upgrades a ship’s bilge-water treatment to meet the 15 ppm oil-in-water discharge limit of MARPOL Annex I Regulation 14, usually by replacing an older separator with a unit certified under IMO resolution MEPC.107(49). That standard requires an integrated 15 ppm bilge alarm and an automatic stopping arrangement that prevents discharge above the limit. Retrofits commonly add a polishing stage (coalescer or membrane) and tamper-evident sampling to satisfy port-state and flag inspection after detentions for OWS bypass. The oil discharge monitoring and the oil record book Part I document compliance, and falsified records are a frequent enforcement target.