I met a fellow this week that camps in national parks & other public land campgrounds. During our conversation he indicated that quite often he lets his gray tank empty in the woods. I think he said he had a class C MH. I thought this was against the parks rules. I always haul my gray water to the dump station, not sure I would like to camp where someone dumped his or her gray water in the nearby area. I remember 50+ years ago mom would toss the dishwater on the ground away from the campsite. What do the tent campers do now days?
H & E wrote: I met a fellow this week that camps in national parks & other public land campgrounds. During our conversation he indicated that quite often he lets his gray tank empty in the woods. I think he said he had a class C MH. I thought this was against the parks rules. I always haul my gray water to the dump station, not sure I would like to camp where someone dumped his or her gray water in the nearby area. I remember 50+ years ago mom would toss the dishwater on the ground away from the campsite. What do the tent campers do now days?
I don't do it, I guess I grew up in CO and just didn't do stuff like that, but then again, CO is awful pretty and easy NOT to defile.....
I see a lot of people do it; even have the attachment to let it drain constantly. Dish soap is actually not harmful to the environment and is actually a fertilizer. Imagine that. This is from the "for what it's worth" department.
Bottom line, most parks don't allow it but it happens. But grey isn't really bad for the park, just muddy. I know I wouldn't be happy if the kids were out playing in someone elses dirty dishes water.....
2013 Fleetwood Discovery 40G
TOADS: 2012 Jeep JK Rubicon, 2012 Durango Citadel
2010 Harley Heritage Softail....American STEEL = American profits.
I can't speak for Texas but dumping grey water on the ground is illegal in the state of Virginia. A lot of things happened 50+ years ago that are not legal now. Most (not all) tent campers that I observe wash their dishes and the grey water goes on the ground. Even in this state there are quirks in the law...you can use your outside shower, not catch the water and not get in trouble, but you can't go inside, use the inside shower, and discharge the grey water on the ground...go figure.
Should he do it? No. I've dumped gray water (showers only) on my lawn at home, when we had our house shower replaced. The gray water tank would fill up in two days, and since it was only shower water (not food related, from washing dishes), I felt it was OK to let it water the lawn.
I have also been at a private CG, where the owner told us we could drain the gray water tank at site, because he hadn't gotten the dump stations for each site done yet. we had to drive over to the dump station by the entrance, for the black tank. Since we were only there for 2 nights, we didn't drain the gray water.
Would I do it while camping in a NP? No, because we would also be using our galley sink and this might attract animals to the site.
I doubt the water alone, will cause any environmental hazard, or cause damage to the ecosystem.
Bill & Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris / GS MJ Dogs: Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie, Annie, Maggie, Tugger & Beau RIP: Cookie, Foxy & Gidget @ Rainbow Bridge.
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April 2008 FMCA# F407293 The Pets
In some locations, the tent campers are encouraged to wash their dishes, etc. at the restroom building where there is an outside sink. At a couple parks in OR, I've noticed that there were mini dump stations spaced throughout the tent camping area where a camper could pour their bucket of gray water into a large pipe that was sticking out above the ground. Seemed to work quite well and kept the gray water from being tossed into the bushes or wherever. The main problem with gray water is that it usually has food particles and grease included from dishwashing, tossing that on the ground, even if away from the campsite, tends to mess things up. If it was just shower or other soapy water then there probably isn't any danger in dumping it, but in most places that is strictly against the park rules.
I do it as a last resort and I only dump enough to buy me time until I can get to the dump station. I also make sure it's dumped into an area that is away from others.
It's illegal here in California to dump your tanks on the ground. If you're a tent camper though, many of the state parks have a specific area where you're allowed to wash your dishes where the dish water goes into the ground.
05 Toyota Tacoma DC 4x4 SB Off-Road Package w/Tow 128" WB Toyo Open Country A/T Tires
Offline
FMCA# F407293
