International requirements for the prevention of pollution from sewage are contained in Annex IV of MARPOL, Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships. Annex IV contains requirements for surveys, International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificates, sewage treatment plants, discharging sewage, reception facilities and standard discharge connections.

Canada has not acceded to Annex IV and this optional Annex will only come into force internationally on September 27, 2003. Canada has chosen not to accede to these regulations largely due to the lack of reception and treatment facilities for sewage at several Canadian coastal ports. However, revisions to Annex IV have been approved by the IMO that may permit Canada to adopt it.

Canada has adopted sewage pollution prevention regulations in the Great Lakes and several other bodies of water (the Great Lakes Sewage Pollution Prevention Regulations , the Pleasure Craft Sewage Pollution Prevention Regulations  and the Non-Pleasure Craft Sewage Pollution Prevention Regulations) and is in the process of reviewing requirements for sewage discharges.

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