Dumping grey water

[thehippie]

Is there no problem dumping grey water on the ground in campgrounds?


My grey water doesn't have food particles or grease. It's only hand soap, or dishwashing soap.

[profdant139]

When our gray tank gets full (it takes five days) and we don't want to go to the dump station quite yet, we use a bucket to dump gray water into the toilet, since we always have a lot of extra black tank capacity. Plus it helps rinse out the black tank with soapy water, which is not a bad thing.

Gray water can attract bears -- they are known to break into cars when they smell cosmetics and toiletries, so the fragrance of soapy water would have the same effect, I would think. And if you add in food particles, it would be even more dangerous.

For the same reason, if at all possible, take the trash out of your RV at night, if you have had a fragrant dinner. We had smoked barbecue ribs one night in Sequoia last November, and left the bones in our trashcan inside the trailer -- we decided not to take out the trash because there was a howling snowstorm. Not a good decision. A young bear (a yearling) smelled it and tried to break in while we were sleeping. We scared him off, but lesson learned.

[PAThwacker]

Tent campers aren't showering and sending fecal matter into the Petri tank. They are washing dishware and affecting the next family tenting. These sites are on areas where trailers and rv normally can't.

Letting 40 gallons flow either through the stinky Petri slinky or right from the Petri valve is illegal in many states forget about local campground rules and regs. Fines and jail time are more effective.

[hohenwald48]

Around here, most of the state parks have dish washing facilities located at the centralized restrooms. Dishwashing at the site is not permitted. Even for tent campers.

[dewey02]

Jayco23FB wrote:
So why is it OK to have outside showers and to toss your dishwater in the bushes? Just asking

Many/most campgrounds do NOT allow outside shower tents. And as someone said, the outide showers CAN be used for rinsing feet, etc.

It all comes down to a matter of amounts, impacts and many people's desire to push the limits of what is allowed.

Tent campers generally do not use or store a large water supply. A gallon or two of dishwater per day isn't going to cause much impact, and tent campers have few options for discarding their dishwater. A 5er or TT with 20-40 gallon GW tank does not compare with a tent camper. Lots of effluent, usually all at one time. And with an indoor shower and people using that on a regular basis - a lot of GW is generated. There IS the option of storing that GW on-board and dumping at the proper dump station.

There are always some people who say "Well, if the tent campers can do it, why can't I?" Managing a campground is a difficult proposition. A manager wants to make things convenient and comfortable for everyone, but inconsiderate campers can easily ruin it for neighbors and those who occupy their site after them.

[rbpru]

I believe the purpose of an outside shower is to rinse sand and other debris off your feet, not to take a soap and water shower.

[rbpru]

I cannot think of a more pleasant experience than walking around camp and stepping in someones dish and bathroom sink water. What a delightful thought.:E

Karma will of course catch up to that person, when they step in a pile of dog poop left by another inconsiderate person who did not pick up after their dog. :S

[Jayco23FB]

So why is it OK to have outside showers and to toss your dishwater in the bushes? Just asking

[Old-Biscuit]

Trolling...........

[westend]

Hippie has posted on this Forum about how he is trying to live in the outback and not using conventional methods of dumping. One post was about not using a hose. Another was about tearing out the black tank and i'm going to assume the rig is parked over a shithole.

I
AFAIK, dumping grey water or sewage is not allowed anywhere there is not a facility for the catchment. That could be your own facility if you have a developed sewer system. EXceptions to dumping only grey water exist in a few places where arid climate is a problem and the effluent helps the native flora.

On state or federal parks and lands, there could be big trouble with dumping.

[tonymull]

In some places it's encouraged. Just run your gray water right into a bucket and pour it into the bushes. In any campground where there are tents it will be fine. Our camper has separate hoses so there is no black tank crossover. And really, we usually do the dishes outside anyway. Makes sense if you cook outside, just do the dishes outside too.

The exception is in bear country. Then the food particles are a concern. When we are camping in Alaska we use disposable stuff and it either gets burned or goes in the dumpster at night.

[dahkota]

thehippie wrote:

My grey water doesn't have food particles or grease. It's only hand soap, or dishwashing soap.

If it is only soap, why not reuse it? It should be perfectly clean...

Honestly, if you are washing things, they were dirty. Now the water is dirty (gray). If you don't want to use the dirty water, why would you think the camper after you would want the dirty water? And yes, water evaporates and seeps but it leaves behind what made it dirty in the first place. I like to go barefoot - please allow me to continue to do so.

[mtofell1]

When I'm dry camping for days I'll empty the gray onto the ground through a designated garden hose so as to not get any more "black" than necessary. It also enables me to run it 25 feet away from the camper to an area where it won't bother anyone.

It's kind of a last resort and I'd never dream of doing it in a campground with facilities nearby. I also try to use biodegradable soap when I think I may be dumping onto the ground.

[Heavy_Metal_Doc]

aftermath wrote:

I walk through campgrounds all the time and see tent trailers with a bucket outside catching all the dish water. I also watch these campers take the bucket to the nearest bush and empty it. Tenters do the same and have been doing it for decades.

Agreed.
I have actually been to CG's, back in our Pop-Up days, where they asked us to be sure grey water was run off the site into the bushes and not allowed to puddle / washout the gravel on the site.

[rockhillmanor]

Walaby wrote:
In addition to the above comments, gray water STINKS.
Mike

X10

I don't care if they claim it's only shower and clean sink water either.
I have been parked next to campers that let their gray water drain on the ground and it does STINK. I think it is very inconsiderate to fellow campers.

Not to mention it IS illegal to do so in many places.

[aftermath]

I believe that your take on this thread is an East vs. West kind of thing. Most (not all) campgrounds specifically prohibit dumping of gray water so common sense and respect would say not to do it.

There are some places that don't speak to it and I have been in a few where the people in charge are glad to get some water to surrounding plants and bushes. "Dumping" as in simply emptying your tank right at the site is never a good idea. Running a hose out to the edge and into some bushes will do little harm and a lot more good in the end.

If your gray water "smells" then you have a problem with your tank. We treat our black tanks but few treat the gray tank. If you are worried about the smell then take care of the tank. I use biodegradable safe chemicals in the gray tank.

I walk through campgrounds all the time and see tent trailers with a bucket outside catching all the dish water. I also watch these campers take the bucket to the nearest bush and empty it. Tenters do the same and have been doing it for decades.