Laws/Regulations for RV Fresh & Waste Water Service

[dcmac214]

Are there any? I'm guessing there might be one that prohibits using the same tank for both fresh and waste water. Other than that it don't look like it.

Getting on in years, we traded the 5er for a coach and unhappily find that both the fresh water service and waste water service are in the same underside compartment. Disgusting. What genius thought that up? And how was doing it "sold" to Winnebago?

[Old-Biscuit]

In a home the bathroom sink and toilet share same room, same cold water plumbing.
One just has to remember to not wash hands in toilet or pee in sink

Same for an RV.....
Pay attention and don't cross contaminate or use same hose for potable and waste.

[DrewE]

There are plumbing codes that apply to RVs, but they don't in any way prohibit using the same outside bay for various connections, both fresh and black/gray. There are requirements for things like vacuum breakers or other backflow prevention devices, the height of sink taps above the flood level of the basin, etc.

I'm afraid I don't see what's so disgusting about having both fresh and waste connections in the same bay. They aren't connected to each other. In my house, the pipe in from the well and the pipe out to the septic system both go through the foundation in the same general area, too, and any servicing or whatever needed to them would take place in the same corner of the laundry room, next to the pressure tank and water heater.

[BB_TX]

There is no connection between water systems, fresh or waste. And those systems are sealed to no way for one to infiltrate the other. I don't see a problem with location.

[rk911]

dcmac214 wrote:
Are there any? I'm guessing there might be one that prohibits using the same tank for both fresh and waste water. Other than that it don't look like it.

Getting on in years, we traded the 5er for a coach and unhappily find that both the fresh water service and waste water service are in the same underside compartment. Disgusting. What genius thought that up? And how was doing it "sold" to Winnebago?

3 MH’s since 1986 and each has had a “wet bay” with fresh water connection and gray and black tank dumps. my buddy’s TT was set up the same way. maybe i’m missing the point.

[Dutch_12078]

I'm assuming you mean the same "bin", not the same "tank". It's not an uncommon setup for motorhomes. Ordinary care in keeping the fresh fittings clean is usually all that's needed for safe use. I keep a can of hospital grade Lysol disinfectant in the wet bin that I use to spritz both the coach and park ends of the fresh connections before hooking up.

[DutchmenSport]

No laws or regulations that I know of. When you dump your tanks, black and grey, don't they go down the same sewer pipe anyway?

I think multiple holding tanks are added to RVs to increase the capacity they can be used. You can go a lot longer before having to dump with a 50 gallon thank than you can a 25 gallon tank.

Another reason for multiple tanks, (perhaps) is because manufacturers could use smaller tanks, but more of them. Dedicate one for the toilet, one for shower, one for the kitchen sink and they don't have to be as big. But the over all holding capacity is the same. (for example, you can have one 75 gallon tank for everything. At capacity that's 75 gallons multiplied by 8 pounds per gallon equals 600 pounds. If you had 3 twenty-five gallons, the weight of each one would potentially be 200 pounds.) And their overall size is smaller, easier to tuck away into the frame.

Other than convenience, size, and weight, there's no other reason why there's a difference between your black and black tanks separate or combined into one.