Dumping Gray Water In Your Campsite

[1L243]

I am staying in a National park for about a week now. Walking around I can see evidence(big puddle under trailer) of people dumping their gray water right in their site on the ground! One guy just leaves his sewer hose hooked up.

Today as I walked past a 40' Toy Hauler the occuapants looking suspicious had their gray tank draining right on the ground. Geeze people make me sick. There is a dump station here but they are too lazy to use it.

Also, if I see it you would think the seasonal staff would see it too but nothing it done.....

[DSDP_Don]

"spoon059"....is the only one with a sensible post. I'm sure the ones complaining the most are the same germaphobes that don't drink from their fresh water tank. Everything scares them!

When you see a sign that says, freeway watered with reclaimed water....where do you think that comes from. Do you drink it, no, but it's fine for watering plants.

Many of you back east forget that the west coast is in the worse drought in many years. Many people are recycling their shower and washing machine water to water their lawns.

We've been using biodegradable soap for years and we don't wash food or grease down our sink. There is nothing wrong with our grey water and it's great for keeping bushes alive in a drought stricken area. Since the water restrictions started, I leave my grey tank full until I get home and then use my SaniCon to water the dry spots in my yard with the grey water.

[IndyCamp]

As an earlier poster said, I think we have bigger problems than campers dumping grey water on the ground.

In my home town, Indianapolis, we have raw sewage dumped into our largest waterway, the White River, any time there is a decent rainfall. It's ridiculous.

Your town might not be exempt...

http://www.citizensenergygroup.com/Our-Company/Our-Projects/Combined-Sewer-Overflow

Combined Sewer Overflow
CSO Projects

Combined sewers are a method for conveying both stormwater and wastewater (sewage) in one combined system. Historically, these systems were built in hundreds of communities across the United States before indoor plumbing became commonplace.

During periods of normal rainfall, the systems function properly by conveying both stormwater and sewage to wastewater treatment facilities. However, during floods or periods of heavy rainfall, the combined system can cause raw sewage to overflow, called Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), into our streams and rivers causing a threat to public health. In the central part of Indianapolis within the combined sewer system, even a light rain storm can cause raw sewage to overflow and pollute Indianapolis waterways.

Under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act, Indianapolis and other combined sewer communities must develop plans to reduce these overflows to protect human health and the environment. Ignoring these problems makes it more difficult to attract new businesses, jobs and residents to our world-class city. To address CSOs, Citizens is implementing a $1.6 billion Long Term Control Plan that is required to be completed by 2025 under a consent decree with the EPA and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).

The Problem

The White River, and many of our neighborhood streams, are polluted by CSOs during rain and snow storms. When it rains as little as a quarter-inch, these sewers overflow into nearby streams, including White River, Fall Creek, Eagle Creek, Pleasant Run, Bean Creek and Pogues Run.

Raw sewage overflowing in our streams is a health hazard, smells and looks disgusting, hurts the environment, and harms the quality of life in our neighborhoods.

The Plan

The CSO Consent Decree is an agreement between Citizens, the EPA and IDEM, under which Citizens is executing a Long Term Control Plan to curb the overflow of raw sewage from combined sewers into local waterways. The current plan allows Citizens to meet the required Consent Decree performance criteria and 2025 timeline, but in a more cost-effective manner.

The backbone of Citizens plan is the Dig Indy tunnel storage system.

An additional 3.5 billion gallons of raw sewage will be captured and treated through 2025 when compared to the original Consent Decree schedule. Not only will the amended Consent Decree remove billions of gallons of sewage from entering the combined sewer system, but projects will cost less and involve fewer environmental concerns.

Costs and Benefits

When the federally-mandated plan is complete at the end of 2025, residents and businesses will benefit from the following:

-Improved public health and quality of life in many neighborhoods now suffering from the sight and stench of raw sewage

-The capture of up to 97 percent of sewage from entering White River and Fall Creek during wet weather

-Reduced overflow frequency from 45 to 80 events per year to two to four events per year; actual overflows will depend on the weather each year

-Cleaner streams for fish and other aquatic life

-Reduced odors, sanitary waste and other unsightly materials found overflowing from sewers into streams

-Minimized impacts on neighborhoods and businesses by constructing most overflow storage facilities deep underground

Because water pollution has many causes, we need an integrated, statewide effort to achieve our water quality goals. State and regional cooperation will be needed to resolve stormwater runoff and other difficult-to-control water pollution sources. Citizens wants to ensure affordable investments in water pollution control will yield the greatest benefit possible for human health, the environment and the citizens who live in and downstream of Marion County.

For more information on this plan, view the CSO FAQs and the Long Term Control Plan.

[IndyCamp]

I pee in the shower, so not all grey water is created equal. 😉

With that said, I have dumped grey water onto the ground twice, and both times it was during periods of huge rain, an inch or more per hour.

Also, both times, there wasn't someone coming to use that site the next day, as I was staying on that site the next few days. No big deal and I didn't notice any smell when the rain finally stopped.

To this day, even with a restroom, I pee in the woods, and when we tent camped, I peed and pooped in the woods, and washed dishes at the campsite. I have fixed breakfast for 20 campers and then washed the dishes at the campsite, dumping the waste water onto the ground. Breakfast for 20 people creates a lot more than one small tub of grey water. Somehow, none of those tent campers got sick. :R

[korbe]

Wow. You RVers are classic, just classic.

[stallsmi]

I will bet, those saying that gray water is nasty, have relieved themselves outdoors (in the bushes). Just saying...

[Naio]

It's such a joke on this forum, how some people assume that, whatever their opinion is, the opinion of 'liberals' or 'greenies' must be the opposite -- when actually they agree! It looks like a desperate attempt to manufacture conflict and division.

The most liberal cities in the US have modified their building codes to allow greywater from S&B houses to be drained directly onto the ground, or into holding tanks as another poster described. These ordinances vary in their details, as they should, due to local climate conditions and health concerns. Less liberal municipalities will follow suit.

Personally, if I wanted to dump a grey tank in a park I would ask park management. They should know what works in their particular environment and what doesn't.

I did once rinse vegetables in a bucket and dump the bucket in the bushes next to my site at a low-rent urban RV park. No soap. Was this bad? Maybe I should ask staff first, next time.

PS: AS for toxicity, greywater from showers and laundry does contain E. coli (you can google the science). And of course water from the kitchen sink contains bits of food that are old enough to give you food poisoning. Don't drink grey water or eat yellow snow. But do rely on nature to detoxify both over time.

[spoon059]

Steeljag wrote:
Relax Spooner.......the ocean is safe......go outside and get some fresh air and exercise, you'll be fine......lol!

Anyway.......rules are for other people right?

I'm relaxed, thank you. Went for a nice bike ride and lunch with the family earlier today, pulled the kids in a trailer for 8 miles... more exercise than I intended to get today.

I was responding to some Chicken Little poster who claimed it was TOXIC because body oils, deodorant and sunscreen were getting washed off our bodies and into the soil. I was simply trying to point out the absurdity of his/her post. Didn't mean to get you riled up.

If you read my post again, I said I DON'T dump gray water. I follow the rules. I often question the idiotic rules... but I follow them. There is nothing wrong with questioning things that don't make sense.

I agree that if EVERYONE dumped their gray water, it would be nasty. I never once advocated for it. I refuse to get all worked up into a lather over one guy dumping some otherwise innocuous gray water at one site in one park...

[et2]

abc40kids wrote:

et2 wrote:

abc40kids wrote:

et2 wrote:
I've had a accident where some gray water got on the ground. For those of you who say it doesnt stink are full of it. It stunk the whole weekend. Even after rinsing down. To those who want to think its ok, and the rest of us are greenies, you're talking outta your arse. There is always a way to dispose of it. It's most likely you're lazy, cheap, or don't care about anyone but yourselves.

Don't know what you put down your sink or shower with but you are wrong about my grey water, heck it sometimes smells good, can smell the shampoo...... Not about lazy but about full and no other option. I did pay $40.00 to dump my black tank at a music festival but sorry not paying to dump gray water.

Sounds like you dumped your black and thought it was grey!

And you would be wrong assuming that. As many others have noted here ... It stinks. Like I said before there is always a option. Then that would leave lazy or cheap or don't care. Unless the campground doesn't have a main dump facility you have multiple options. That still leaves the three comments viable.

Not always an option to have it drained and if I want a shower grey on the ground it is so I can get that shower. I paid the man to dump my black when it was an option and he spilled a good bit on the ground and all I did was soak it with water and smell gone in a few minutes, that was black water.

99% of the time I have full hook ups so this is not an issue very often.

Maybe this will help

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=rv+waste+water+tote&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=34653...

[1L243]

Then there is mouthwash toothpaste hep c. If you dump gray on the ground when there is a dump station just yards away your just lazy....

[EsoxLucius]

The solution to pollution is dilution. Dilution is impossible if grey water is not disposed of correctly by campers continually occupying campsites.

[mowermech]

Don't dump your grey (or gray) water tank on the ground in any campground in Montana. It is against the rules.
the rules are plainly posted on a big board at the entrance to all USFS campgrounds and State Parks. READ and FOLLOW the rules.

[abc40kids]

et2 wrote:

abc40kids wrote:

et2 wrote:
I've had a accident where some gray water got on the ground. For those of you who say it doesnt stink are full of it. It stunk the whole weekend. Even after rinsing down. To those who want to think its ok, and the rest of us are greenies, you're talking outta your arse. There is always a way to dispose of it. It's most likely you're lazy, cheap, or don't care about anyone but yourselves.

Don't know what you put down your sink or shower with but you are wrong about my grey water, heck it sometimes smells good, can smell the shampoo...... Not about lazy but about full and no other option. I did pay $40.00 to dump my black tank at a music festival but sorry not paying to dump gray water.

Sounds like you dumped your black and thought it was grey!

And you would be wrong assuming that. As many others have noted here ... It stinks. Like I said before there is always a option. Then that would leave lazy or cheap or don't care. Unless the campground doesn't have a main dump facility you have multiple options. That still leaves the three comments viable.

Not always an option to have it drained and if I want a shower grey on the ground it is so I can get that shower. I paid the man to dump my black when it was an option and he spilled a good bit on the ground and all I did was soak it with water and smell gone in a few minutes, that was black water.

99% of the time I have full hook ups so this is not an issue very often.

[Steeljag]

Lol......some here need to reread the original post......or have someone read / explain it. A RV dumping dirty grey water on a specific site.....that probably will be occupied the next day, or soon after they leave.

Not a pot or two.....RV holding tanks......on a RV site......

Relax Spooner.......the ocean is safe......go outside and get some fresh air and exercise, you'll be fine......lol!

Anyway.......rules are for other people right?

[et2]

abc40kids wrote:

et2 wrote:
I've had a accident where some gray water got on the ground. For those of you who say it doesnt stink are full of it. It stunk the whole weekend. Even after rinsing down. To those who want to think its ok, and the rest of us are greenies, you're talking outta your arse. There is always a way to dispose of it. It's most likely you're lazy, cheap, or don't care about anyone but yourselves.

Don't know what you put down your sink or shower with but you are wrong about my grey water, heck it sometimes smells good, can smell the shampoo...... Not about lazy but about full and no other option. I did pay $40.00 to dump my black tank at a music festival but sorry not paying to dump gray water.

Sounds like you dumped your black and thought it was grey!

And you would be wrong assuming that. As many others have noted here ... It stinks. Like I said before there is always a option. Then that would leave lazy or cheap or don't care. Unless the campground doesn't have a main dump facility you have multiple options. That still leaves the three comments viable.