What is ISO 11711-1 - Ballast water discharge sample port about?
ISO 11711-1 is the first part of the ISO 11711 series of standards that specifies requirements for the design and the fitting arrangements of ballast water discharge sample ports. In coordination with the vessel, a suitable sample collection probe is installed into the shipboard sample port as needed to collect ballast samples, and the port is sealed with a blind flange at other times.
ISO 11711-1 addresses the location of sample ports to accommodate representative sampling, and it standardizes the presentation of the port to accommodate various probe configurations. ISO 11711-1 provides specifications for a return port to the ballast line downstream of the sample collection port, allowing processed sample water to be returned to the ballast pipe.
Note1: The appropriate sample probe and other sample collection apparatus are determined by the sample collection team according to the requirements of ISO 117112.
Note2: ISO 11711-1 is applicable to ships with a ballast discharge pipe size of DN 100 or greater, with turbulent flows. Guidance for smaller ballast pipe diameters is given in Annex A.
Note3: ISO 11711-1 primarily addresses the collection of ballast water discharge samples. Optional requirements for installation of sample ports intended to collect uptake samples are provided in Annex B.
Who is ISO 11711-1 - Ballast water discharge sample port for?
ISO 11711-1 on ballast water discharge sample port is useful for:
- Ballast water discharge manufacturers
- Shipboard personnel
- Ballast water discharge installers
- Maritime personnel
- Ballast water discharge design engineers
- Shipowner
Why should you use ISO 11711-1 - Ballast water discharge sample port?
Sampling is intended to determine whether ballast water discharge is in compliance with regulatory discharge standards, such as during the installation or evaluation of ballast water treatment equipment, periodic ballast water discharge assessments or during a port state control inspection of the ballast water being discharged.
ISO 117111 provides guidance to shipboard personnel and other concerned parties on designs, installations and procedures required to obtain representative samples of ballast water from the ballast water discharge piping prior to discharge. ISO 117111 defines arrangements for shipboard ballast piping and fittings that are independent of the sampling apparatus used by sampling teams.
The sampling guidance provided by the ISO 117111 series is intended to support measurement of organism counts in ballast discharge piping consistent with the requirements of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) D2 discharge standard. Such measurement requires the collection and analysis of representative samples, i.e. the makeup of the sample is representative of the water flowing in the ballast pipe over the period of sample collection.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS ISO 11711-1:2019 cancels and replaces BS ISO 117111:2013.
The main changes are as follows:
- BS ISO 117111:2013 did not address the apparatus needed to collect representative samples of ballast water, nor did it provide procedures for handling or analysing the samples after they have been collected. Accordingly, BS ISO 11711-1:2019 is intended to be complemented with the other two Parts in the ISO 11711 series
- BS ISO 11711-1:2019 clarifies issues encountered with the BS ISO 117111:2013 and provides additional information:
- A semi-permanently installed probe could become hazardous to ship operations if there is excessive biofouling in or corrosion of the pipe.
- BS ISO 117111:2013 did not contain sufficient details to allow for multiple available sample probe configurations and installation methods

