PROVIDENCE — The Department of Environmental Management has awarded $235,726 in grants to marinas and shoreline communities to replace or upgrade sewage pump-out equipment serving recreational boaters.The federal money will buy three new pump-out boats and four new stationary pump-out stations, bringing the total number of boats statewide to 14 and shore- side facilities to 47.

Rhode Island in 1998 became the first state to ban the discharge of boat sewage into waters within its jurisdiction.

Since then, the DEM has awarded more than $1 million for pump-out facilities and has prodded boaters to adhere to the regulations through education and enforcement.

The largest single grant in the latest distribution, $56,250, went to North Kingstown to purchase a new pump-out boat to serve the about 330 town moorings in Wickford Harbor, Allen Harbor and the West Passage, according to the DEM.

Norton’s shipyard and Marina, in East Greenwich, won the second-largest grant, $52,735, to help purchase a pump-out boat to serve its operation as well as Greenwich Cove and Greenwich Bay.

Grants of $15,000 were awarded to Old Port Marine of Newport for a new boat, and to Quality Yacht Services of Tiverton; Pleasant Sea View, of Warwick; Stone Cove Marina, Wakefield, and the Barrington Yacht Club, for shore-side pump-out stations.

Upgrade and repair grants of $15,000 or less were awarded to Block Island to renovate a pump-out boat to serve Block Island, to New England Boat Works, Portsmouth, to replace its pump-out facility, to Bristol to replace the pump-out facility at Rockwell Pier in Bristol Harbor, to Brewer Greenwich Bay Enterprises, in East Greenwich, to replace a pump-out serving Greenwich Bay, and to Goat Island Marina, Newport, to replace a pump-out facility.

Each grant requires a 25 percent match.

dbarbari@projo.com