waste water

[topfitter1]

hi

as you may know i am new to this, is there somwhere on site to empty your waste water or do you wait untill you get home

ken & chris

[Mel B]

Hi Ken & Chris

 

Caravan sites all have somewhere to empty your waste water, however, it may not have a motorhome waste water point, the type that you drive over and release your waste water into. Therefore you need to have something to empty your waste water into if you wish to dispose of it on site, a collapsable bucket (or normal bucket if you've got room to store it) would do the job so long as it will fit underneath wherever your waste outlet is.

 

Some people actually go to the trouble of using a caravan type waste water container, such as a Wastemaster that is long and flat and really meant for caravans, but you then have to store it somewhere in transit and as thy are quite bulky, again this may not be convenient.

[topfitter1]

hi,

i do have an onboard holding tank with a flexable hose under the motorhome with a tap on the end, i now think when the tank is full i can drive up to a drain on site and empty my tank

thanks ken & chris

[Mel B]

Not quite ... on site they will only let you empty your waste (called grey waste normally) into a 'proper' waste disposal point, a normal rainwater drain wouldn't qualify so you would probably get a telling off ... however, if you find a suitable drain in the street that goes into the normal sewarge system (make sure it's not one that drains into a stream etc next door to it!), that shouldn't be a problem (some purists may argue about this).

 

We try not to put anything down our sink/waste outlets, such as large particles or food, grease etc, and use eco-friendly washing up liquid, so that when we have to jettison the load there's nothing nasty in it to hurt the environment/bugs/creatures etc.

[topfitter1]

hi mel b

i will use eco friendly products in my m/home thanks for that point

ken @ chris

[Guest peter]

Do what a lot of people do and open the valve when you leave the site and dump it along the road. After all it's only washing water and when there's a drought the water companies ask you to water your garden with it anyway. What's the harm?. :D

[flicka]

peter - 2010-06-29 10:45 PM

 

Do what a lot of people do and open the valve when you leave the site and dump it along the road. After all it's only washing water and when there's a drought the water companies ask you to water your garden with it anyway. What's the harm?. :D

 

I don't endorse Peter's method, but at least the soap residue will kill the roadside greenfly >:-) (lol)

[Tomo3090]

Some of the CL/CS sites will just tell you to release or empty it into the hedges around the field. We've got a metre length of drain hose that attaches to the waste water outlet just for this purpose. Other wise if you are on a pitch and don't want to move your van, a buckte and a walk to the drain dump does the job. Depending on how big your waste tank is then decides how many trips to the waste you do!

[topfitter1]

hi all

thanks for the tip's might not empty on road unless it is dark

thanks  ken & chris 

[vindiboy]

Get an old bucket, drill lots of holes in the bottom, fill the bucket with grass, place bucket under the waste outlet of your van, open the valve and let the water from your shower and sinks trickle into the bucket, the grass will collect grease etc, and filtered water will soak into the ground, dispose of the dirty grass in to a hedge or waste bin SIMPLES. :-o :-o :-o :-o

[topfitter1]

hi mal c

nice one will try one day

ken

[teflon2]

PLEASE disreguard Peters daft suggestion and have thought for others . Hot dry day motorcyclist cornering briskly comes upon selfish waste water discharge its an accident waiting to happen ? no its not it was done deliberately . >:-) John.

[Mel B]

vindiboy - 2010-06-30 8:07 PM

 

Get an old bucket, drill lots of holes in the bottom, fill the bucket with grass, place bucket under the waste outlet of your van, open the valve and let the water from your shower and sinks trickle into the bucket, the grass will collect grease etc, and filtered water will soak into the ground, dispose of the dirty grass in to a hedge or waste bin SIMPLES. :-o :-o :-o :-o

 

NOT a good idea ... I don't think they'd appreciate you digging up their grass pitches! 8-) Plus if the ground isn't free draining the pitch could get very soggy, not just for you but the next occupier. *-)

[Mel B]

teflon2 - 2010-06-30 9:02 PM

 

PLEASE disreguard Peters daft suggestion and have thought for others . Hot dry day motorcyclist cornering briskly comes upon selfish waste water discharge its an accident waiting to happen ? no its not it was done deliberately . >:-) John.

 

Totally agree, as a bike rider there's nowt worse that slip-sliding away due to another person's inconsiderate behaviour.

 

We followed a motorhome when we were on holiday in Scotland who was doing just this and leaving a great long streak down the road for ages, as we were following him - I'm sure we would be getting the blame! >:-(

[Guest pelmetman]

Would bikes actually skid on waste water???

 

Where we used to live just down from the top of the hill we had regular accidents in the morning because the local bus company would overfill their tanks (on the off side) and when they hit our left hand bend leave a nice trail of deisel on the deck 8-)

 

Just a thought, what is more slippery waste water or diesel :-S

[Mel B]

Its not as simple as that ...

 

You don't know what is IN the water, if someone has had a particularly greasy supper and then let the water out in the morning, it could have a load of nasty slippery grease in it ... lovely!

 

And yes, water on its own can be slippery, especially if its lays on even a small greasy or oily/petrolly (?) patch on the road - it makes it a lot worse and you are, IMV, more likely to go skidding than just with the patch of oil/petrol alone. After all, a small patch of oil you can probably see and avoid, if you think it's just water ... whey-hey ... upsey daisy! >:-(

 

Then there's the winter dribblers ... really fun if it's a bit frosty and it turns to black ice!

*-)

[Guest peter]

So don't wash your car in the street. Because some motorcyclist may skid on the soapy water and don't dribble especially in the winter or the same can happen. :D

[Tomo3090]

Or jet wash your drive if it slopes towards the street, or let the kids play with water squirters near a road! Of course all those motorcyclists accelerating away from traffic lights, road junctions, overtaking on or near bends and bits of kids doing wheelies are not in anyway affecting other road users.

 

I'm yet to be convinced that the small amount of water draining off a partially opened waste valve for a half mile or so constitutes a higher risk to motorcyclists than the amount of debris on the roads anyway. It certainly doesn't affect the environment in any way.

[AliB]

Mel B - 2010-06-30 9:13 PM

 

if the ground isn't free draining the pitch could get very soggy*-)

 

What happens when it rains on said campsite if it cannot copy with a gradual dribble of water?

 

Leeds council have cleaning vans that go out and spray water on the roads.

 

What about the small discharge from vehicle aircon?

[Guest Tracker]

It is hard enough already getting local authorities to accept and provide parking for motorhomes.

Spreading a trail of water be it waste or fresh as you drive along is hardly conducive to improving the image of motor caravanners in general after the damage done by the so called travellers of past years.

Whether or not it is dangerous to other road users is not the issue - it simply looks awful to anyone following as they don't know what it is - it could even be toilet watse as far as the unfamiliar are concerned?

 

So please don't do it - thanks.

[Brambles]

Have any of you any idea how dangerous the action of emtying tanks as you drive a long the street is?

Your grey tank arbours all sorts of bacteria, germs and micro-organisms, and potentially legionaires decease as well. When you empty this on the road following cars can spray this into the air and the germs and bacteria beome airborne to be breathed in by following traffic or pedestrians. My god you could be reponsible for the spread of all sorts of deceases and bacteria into peoples lungs.

Am I overeacting, no I am bloddy not. It is a definite no no to dump loose water from a grey tank on the road. Even the sun shining on it to dry quickly causes water vapour and fine droplets carrying the contents of you tank for others to inhale and digest. Would you yourself be happy to breath in the contents of your tank...think about the consequences of your actions with spreading danerous bacteria and do you still want to be responsible for the possible spread of dangerous life threatening bacteria and possible death of others or at the least making them ill.

 

[AliB]

Brambles, that's the first valid reason I've heard to not discharge on roads IMO.

A very well made point.

[Guest Tracker]

Even when soapy water dries on the road as soon as it rains the soap etc will be reactivated into spray from passing traffic.

[LordThornber]

I echo Rich and Jon's comments entirely. As for emptying into a holed bucket? Come on, what about a tent camper pitching up on or near that, no thanks.

 

We use our own facilities whether on site or a CL so we generate a fair dollop of water, our solution was to buy one of the wheeled, (so no physical effort), waste tanks like a smaller, but still useable version of what caravanners use. Obviously it's easier than moving the van.

 

I cannot see any excuse for not disposing of your waste water in a responsible manner, would you throw your own kitchen sink water in front of your own front door?

 

Martyn

[Brian Kirby]

Tomo3090 - 2010-07-01 12:18 PM Or jet wash your drive if it slopes towards the street, or let the kids play with water squirters near a road! Of course all those motorcyclists accelerating away from traffic lights, road junctions, overtaking on or near bends and bits of kids doing wheelies are not in anyway affecting other road users. I'm yet to be convinced that the small amount of water draining off a partially opened waste valve for a half mile or so constitutes a higher risk to motorcyclists than the amount of debris on the roads anyway. It certainly doesn't affect the environment in any way.

Truth to be told, I don't think an increased risk to cyclists, motorised or other, is the disadvantage, because a sensibly ridden example of either should not lose adhesion on even soapy water - even assuming they can't avoid it.

The real disadvantage, IMV, is the impression Joe Public gets of motorhomers, because so many seem to think the waste is coming from the toilet - and would still be unhappy even if they knew its actual source.  If we don't want public hostility to motorhomes to result in restrictions, we should not foul our own nest.  There can be no excuse, there are grey waste disposal facilities at all proper stopover sites, so why not use them?