The Bilge is the Lowest Part of a Ship Where the Bottom Curves up to Meet the Sides of a Boat. The water that collects there is called bilge water ... On a large ship, some water inevitably ends up in the part of the boat that is below the water line ... The bilge of a ship or boat is the part of the hull that would rest on the ground if the vessel was unsupported by water ... Wastewater is produced by numerous operations involved in keeping a ship running while at sea ... The Bilge system is provided to maintain dry bilges throughout the ship and prevent the possibility of an accumulation of water or oil in the cargo holds ... The water that collects in the bilge of a vessel is generally foul and noxious ... Bilge Water is the Wastewater Found in the Machinery Spaces of Most Ships ... It is Generated by Various Activities Involved in Keeping a Ship Running ... Aside from the daily role of clearing the bilge wells of water, a bilge pump can also be a life-saver, because ... Bilge Pumps Can Stop the Boat From Sinking ... Bilge and Ballast Systems for the Ship's Machinery Spaces ... The bilge system is used to remove small quantities of fluids that have leaked or condensed into a dry area ... The Bilge Systems' Layout ... All cargo ships are provided with pumping and piping arrangements so that watertight compartments or a watertight section of a compartment can be pumped out ... Bilge water is all the waste water generated from machinery spaces onboard ... The Bilge is Also Called the Bilge Well ... It is the lowest space of the ship ... usually it includes one or two ... toilets ... (Heads) ... aboard a ship ... Bilge Keels... These are planes or fins fitted externally at the turn of the bilge. Their length usually extends over roughly one-third of the ship's length ... Oily bilge Water Should Never be Pumped Overboard ... Bilge Water is Collected from Various Uncontrollable Sources ... These Sources Must Be Entered into The Oil Record Book ... Bilge Waste ... This waste can be anything like water, oil, and other fluids, and sometimes solids such as paint chips, etc ... The Bilge Pump ... This is a mechanism for emptying the bilge of water ... Bilge Pumps must be kept in good working condition at all times ... Bilge Pumps can Save Lives ... Bilge pumps will automatically be activated in an emergency situation such having a dangerous leak suddenly occurring in the ship's bottom. On commercial ships the bilge keel is in the form of a strake that runs along much of the ship's length ... This helps to maintain the ship's stability as it flows through the water ... The Bilge Pumping System Shall be Capable of Operation Under All Practicable Conditions after a Casualty Whether the Ship is Upright or Listed ... Falsifying the Ship's Oil Record Book is Against Maritime Law ...