Why people do this

[TF-Kevin]

I was camping last week up in cypress hill alberta, i noticed some guy dumping his grey water tank on the ground, and the dump station was only 1000 ft away, and the thing is they were leaving. I sure hope i don't end up in a spot like that when i go out camping again
Kevin

[Coreyhunt]

I hear you. I caught a guy dumping in the back corner of a Wendy's parking lot one time. He was trying to run his hose down into a sewer grate that was on the grass.

[Ovair]

1. Lack of experience
2. Lack of education
3. Lack of consideration for others

[TURBS]

Seen a guy one time late at night just slightly pulling his grey handle to allow it the drip but it was more like a steady trickle.
I was sitting under my awning in the dark so when he went inside to go to bed I slide on over and shut it off.
next day he was scratching his head. Later he hooked up tt and went to dump .
I'm geussing he was full on grey and decided he'd drain over night so he didn't have to dump.
I foiled that plan! COME ON!

[Labzy]

We had friends at the same CG as us, they were staying for 2 weeks.
I was expressing concerns about my gray tank getting full, and he said "oh, I just dump mine on the ground, it's just a little bit of soap."

I was disappointed to know that people actually do this =[

[lindy]

We were at a campground in Mich. last year, and went to see about a pump out. They said that their honey wagon was broke and as long as it was just the grey tank to dump it on the ground that night when it rained.

[baldy]

It was a common practice in Ontario Parks up until a couple of years ago. People would dig a whole and bury their hose. Conservation areas near me have blue barrels buried in the ground for dumping. Backcountry camping rules are to walk a minimum of 10 meters from the water and dump. It's the phosphates that are the issue. Otherwise it's really just water. If it's only the three of us we can last 10 days before we have to dump. With some other people I've been through 30 gals in 3 days!!!! It really teaches water conservation. I found when we get home it carries over. We are less than half the national average for household water consumption.

I guess I'm neither for or against dumping water on the ground but I am against people doing dishes, washing clothes or themselves at the taps! Now that irks me. The problem is if too many do it! And are responsible enough not to dump harmful stuff. People do dishes in a tub the dump. No difference.

[crocus]

We camped On the Alberta side of Cypress Hills a few years ago, and considering how unfriendly and miserable all of the campers with Alberta plates were, it doesn't surprise me that they would be ignorant enough to do that. I have never before, or since, experienced campers with such a terrible attitude, and I'll never go back. I also warn my friends to stay away as well.

[traveler2955]

While these folks inappropriately dumped, maybe a good question is what we/you all do about this-- not pointing fingers, of course.
Obviously, taking the law into your own hands may get you killed, but a call to appropriate authorities seems plausible. License numbers, date, time, location, etc.
Just a thought.
Mike

[wmtire]

I had a good friend of mine (and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet) who had his grey water seal leak. Someone at the campground reported him, and the park ranger wrote him a ticket for it. The ranger even told my friend that he wouldn't have wrote a ticket but the one who reported it was watching.

My friend had to drive into the parish seat (we don't have counties here in Louisiana, but parishes), and go to the courthouse/district attorney to pay the fine. They just looked at him like he was crazy, and said they hadn't ever had anyone ticketed for this before..........After listening to the story of what happened, the DA's office just threw it all out and told him to have a nice day.

[Bocephus]

My buddies pop up doesn't even have a gray tank. The water from his sink runs straight out a hose in the side of the camper and on to the ground.

If I am in a primitive site and there are not ppl jammed in right beside me, I don't think twice about dumping the gray on the ground. It's shower water....who cares. Most of you compalining about this probably go outside to take a leak so you can save fresh water and black tank space.......so what's the difference?

Don't take this he wrong way... If I am in amnice domesticated campground with neighbors around me, I would never do this. I respect my neighbors.....but I I have no neighbors, well......

[Bill_C]

Dumping grey water for us depends on four things.

1. Type of campground we are in and how many people use it
2. Vegetation around the campsite
3. Is the forest dry or wet?
4. Where is the campsite fresh water pump

1. If campsites are so busy that they look like a WalMart parking lot on a Saturday super sale then definitely -- NO--

2. If the surrounding vegetation is trees and scrubs, not lawn, then yes

3. If the ground is dry, the trees will appreciate the water. Plus, it makes the camp area safer from ground fires.

You have to appreciate you are dumping grey water on the ground into the vegetation. Common sense tells you to use bio-degradeable soaps and all you are dumping is grey water, no tank cleaning additives.

4. If we are next to or close to the campsite fresh water pump, then don't dump.

If the campsites are so crowded one neighbor can see the next one then don't dump anything.

As you can tell, we really don't camp? in crowded campsites where being neighborly is necessary. We go out to get away from the crowds, not exchange them.

[Labzy]

If we all considered it "acceptable" to do this, and everyone emptied their gray tank at the campsite or into the woods, just think what would would happen over time.

I like to think of the people who camp as true nature lovers who go out of their way to protect the environment.
In any 'protected park' you are not allowed to even take a stick or rock out of the park because you are disturbing the ecosystem.

Just think what dumping a tankful of water mixed with antibacterial soap , anti dandruff shampoo and the other various chemically laden products people use would do.

Remember:
Morally admirable people to the right thing even when nobody is looking =]

[RubenZ]

I would never dump an entire grey tank LOL. Ihave 42 gallon tanks. That would be a lot. However when we hard our old KZ sportsmen classice with 12gallon tanks I had to dump a gallon or 2. My wife was showering and the tub got full. If I would have driven to dump station I would have had water all over interior. So I had to dump a little bit just so water would go down. I don't see anything too wrong with that but wouldn't go about emptying an entire tank though.

[Len & Cheri]

Can someone list the dangers of this activity? Not being smart aleck, but I'd like to be educated.

[RubenZ]

Originally Posted by LFugate

Can someone list the dangers of this activity? Not being smart aleck, but I'd like to be educated.

Aside from a muddy campground I don't think there are none. It's just water with a tad of soap. It's probably more danger to wash the darn car outside LOL.

[TF-Kevin]

Years ago i had an 8 foot truck camper and the drain went outside, but i had a bucket where the hose went into it, then i would dump it in the proper place, well maybe i care too much for the outdoors i guess,

[Coreyhunt]

Originally Posted by TF-Kevin

Years ago i had an 8 foot truck camper and the drain went outside, but i had a bucket where the hose went into it, then i would dump it in the proper place, well maybe i care too much for the outdoors i guess,

Hey TF- Kevin how dare you and I care about the environment and our fellow campers.

Tonight I think I will have all my kids wash their face and brush their teeth in a bucket. Then I will do the dishes maybe a little food scraps in there won't hurt. Let it sit in the heat for a couple of days and then dump it out on my neighbors lawn.

All in good fun everyone. I always use a dump station. That's just me.

[Coreyhunt]

Originally Posted by traveler2955

While these folks inappropriately dumped, maybe a good question is what we/you all do about this-- not pointing fingers, of course.
Obviously, taking the law into your own hands may get you killed, but a call to appropriate authorities seems plausible. License numbers, date, time, location, etc.
Just a thought.
Mike

Or you can rub their nose in it.

[MrT]

For the record, I've always honored the wishes of every campground (none primitive) I've camped at--and have not dumped any waste water grey or black anywhere but in the dump station. Just sayin'.