Grey water management

[DreiHunde]

Originally Posted by Blackhat6mike

Several of the state parks in GA and FL that I have stayed in have gray water dumps on site. Just left Mistletoe State Park in GA and it had gray water dumps on the sites.

Yep! 30 gal trash cans buried in gravel every 4 or 5 sites. Very convenient and perfectly safe for the environment if done properly. Among other things, I don't think the "Enviro regulation" peeps would allow it in a campground that is on a reservoir, if it wasn't. Not in this day and age....60 years ago maybe, but not now.

[timfromma]

Start using the campground facilities until such time as you can dump your grey AT A DUMP STATION.

[MaineCampingFan]

Originally Posted by EDABEUT

We are in the blue cart group. I figure that we bought this TT so we have our own bathroom facilities and not have to use the cg ones. I figure it's a small price to go dump the gray water every few days. The new cart designs make it very easy to hook to truck and tow to the dump station hook up hose and pull valve then flush out tank and tow back. I bought a large one so it will hold a full gray tank and I haul it in the back of truck. Yes it does take up a lot of room but I am using my own bathroom in TT.

X2. Yep...they're pricey and for my convenience, worth every penny and I find room for it in the bed of the pickup. In fact, knowing I will be on a full hookup site, I still bring it knowing there could be a hiccup in hooking up.

Presuming no coincidence that you're in Flushing?

[BamaBob]

Originally Posted by Mat

Thank you all for your feedback, I didn't want to offend nobody with the grey stealth dumping and so sorry if I did!

No Offense taken - and BTW Welcome to the Forums from Huntsville, AL!!

The idea of getting a bucket is a good one. When you cross over to the USA, stop in a Home Depot and buy 1 or 2 "Homer Buckets" (that is what they are called...really!) They are 5 gallon buckets & make sure you buy the optional lids!

Just remember each bucket will weigh a little over 45 lbs when full so if you have a collapsible cart or your tow vehicle, put the covered (and sealed ) Homer buckets in and take them to either the central dump station (preferred) or Bathroom. At 10 gallons a pop, 2-3 trips will darn near empty a medium sized TT.

BTW, before you ask, I do NOT recommend this method for emptying your black tank

[4B11T]

I have a 32 gallon barker tote that stays in the back of my truck for only gray water. I use an 120v pump with garden hose fittings and pump it right into the tank.

[northstar1960]

first off when at a campground i use their facility to dump grey water . at boondocking location which out west are all over ,dumping grey water on the ground is OK . like mentioned before it's not toxic does not harm the environment .just soap and water . Black is another story .

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by northstar1960

first off when at a campground i use their facility to dump grey water . at boondocking location which out west are all over ,dumping grey water on the ground is OK . like mentioned before it's not toxic does not harm the environment .just soap and water . Black is another story .

What if you pee in the shower?

[doc73]

Originally Posted by timfromma

What if you pee in the shower?

Haha!!!

[northstar1960]

Originally Posted by timfromma

What if you pee in the shower?

Really ! what if i go outside and pee ? do that all the time .what if all the dogs people like to bring camping pee on the grass or the wheel of your unit ?
what about the bears oh that's right they only do it in the woods. lmao

[4B11T]

Originally Posted by Butch Wilson

Absolutely, you obviously think that rules do not apply to you. Your entitlements end when you jepordize the future for my grandkids to enjoy the National Parks !

Why would I think rules don't apply to me? I didn't say nothing about myself breaking rules. All of my waste water goes to the dump station because of the rules. I just believe in minding my own business and not being a rat! You don't now the people you are ratting on and never know what they might do I they find out who turned them in.

[Butch Wilson]

I am not afraid of standing up for what is right ! I'm sorry that you are !

[Iwritecode]

I was at a permanent site for years and none of the sites had sewer hookups. A CG worker came along once a week with the honey wagon to empty the black tanks.

As for the grey tanks, everyone just dug a hole, placed a 5-gallon bucket upside down in the hole and ran a hose from the drain to the bucket. So all the grey water went directly into the ground. It never hurt anything.

I'm not sure why people are getting so worked up about this subject.

[youroo]

Originally Posted by Iwritecode

I was at a permanent site for years and none of the sites had sewer hookups. A CG worker came along once a week with the honey wagon to empty the black tanks.

As for the grey tanks, everyone just dug a hole, placed a 5-gallon bucket upside down in the hole and ran a hose from the drain to the bucket. So all the grey water went directly into the ground. It never hurt anything.

I'm not sure why people are getting so worked up about this subject.

I have Never been to a C/G that would Allow you to "DIG HOLES"! Youroo!! But I have been on Net Sites that don't like Members calling each other "Rats and A Holes! like above! Youroo!!

[Butch Wilson]

In the national park campgrounds with as many as 200 sites per campground. Multiple people occupying each site, you are talking about a lot of who knows what being dumped on the ground over many many years ! Those rules are not there to punish you, but protect you. To me remaining silent when someone puts you and the environment at risk is the same as condoning it ! I camp for the solitude and adventure not to police what others do, however we all have a responsibility to our Park System if it is going to remain unspoiled for future generations. As I said earlier in this thread I saw an individual washing his cassette toilet out at a fresh water station where people stacked their dishes to rinse them, being silent could contribute to someone being seriously ill ! Heck yeah if stopping that makes me a rat, so be it !

[Iwritecode]

The site team has had to do some cleanup in this thread due to some guideline violations that didn't adhere to our "play nice" motto.

Please try to keep the posts on topic and not delve into name-calling and/or personal attacks. If there are any problems, then let one of the site team members know thru the Private Message function.

[Mountndream]

instead of Pirate showers, try using the campground showers. It will make your grey water tank last longer.

[northstar1960]

jezz people in an up roar about grey water dumping . if a Campground forbids it then it's a no go . though i never stay at campgrounds that don't have full hook ups . if staying in a national park campground which i would never do as i camp to get away from the type of people that go to these campgrounds in the first place and they had rules of no dumping grey water then so be it . when i dry camp or as it's called by most boondock I let the grey water valves open and let it drain on the ground .again Black is a no no, no mater where you are . i have boondocked in the same place for the last 2 yrs 10 days in spring and 10 days in fall you'd never know any grey water was ever drained out not by me or anyone else . no it's not against the law it can be against some campground rules and in that case follow the rules . I assume most the dissenters live out east and only camp in crowded national forest campground . don't worry you'll never see me in one of those . if you come to Co and boondock the only rule we have here is don't bother other people and don't dump your black tank on the ground .

[Skyliner]

I don't dump my grey water ever! Instead, this morning I used 10 gallons of it to put out the campfire, another 10 gallons of grey to rinse of the ATVs, and another 10 gallons to rinse off the dust on my truck.

I have never damaged a fire ring, an ATV, or my truck by using grey water.

I am, however, very responsible with my black water. ;-)

I was going to collect rain water when camping to use to put out campfires by that is illegal here too!

[larryo]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Don't worry about it, people get touchy over this grey water. You would think it was crude oil or plutonium.

PA state parks had no specific grey water requirements or regulations until the late 1980's. Up until that point for 30 years or more when you went into a PA state park campground, every trailer or RV that had a grey tank had a garden hose running out into the woods. That's a lot of grey water being dumped for years and the woods are still there, the wildlife is still there, the lakes and streams are still there and full of fish, etc.

Too much belly aching go's on over this grey water in RV and camping forums, its actually amusing.

I wonder what the tank huggers are going to say when the ones who make the rules reverse course, and tell you to let your grey water loose in the woods because dumping it in the sewage system is a waste of water and energy? That day is coming sooner rather than later.

Well said !

[IndyCamp]

We stay almost exclusively in parks without sewer, and we have a 35-gallon tote for our grey water, and we empty it when needed.

With that said, where we camp, in state and national forests, it will not hurt a thing if campers dump their grey water on the ground. Hell, that's what tent campers do every day.

I, and everyone I camp with, urinates in the woods while we are camping. Sometimes, that is 20 people over 4 or 5 days. We have been camping at the same site for 10 years and the vegetation and young/old trees are surviving just fine. Weird, I know. BUT...we don't dump our grey water!