Dumping grey waste

[colin]

Tracker - 2012-05-27 8:57 PM

 

The hole in the bucket principle has been around since at least the fifties when it was common for almost every tourer on a site to have a bucket that never needed emptying but looked good placed under the waste water outlet!

 

The contents of any buckets without a hole were chucked into the hedgerow in the true bucket and chuckit style!

 

Toilets then were Elsan - basically a lidable five gallon drum with a seat on it - which needed emptying (usually into an open pit!) either whenever it began to smell or got almost too heavy to carry - whichever came first!

 

 

I've been camping/caravaning/motorhoming for 50+ years man and boy and well aware of the practice, I learnt many years ago when camping to inspect any pitch to make sure the previous occupant had not spent a week or more discharging grey waste straight onto pitch, not nice.

[Guest Tracker]

colin - 2012-05-28 10:45 AM

I learnt many years ago when camping to inspect any pitch to make sure the previous occupant had not spent a week or more discharging grey waste straight onto pitch, not nice.

 

Nothing worse than laying on the damp patch is there Colin!!

[robbiec0]

We have stopped several times at a Caravan Club CL at Cheddar where the owner has pipes for everyone to run their grey waste into his hedge. The hedge is fantastic by the way.

[bolero boy]

LordThornber - 2012-05-27 7:22 PM

 

Good grief, there's folk being slaughtered in Syria and we're getting to the nuts and bolts of waste water disposal.

 

Martyn

Well this is a Motorhome forum where members are posting under the heading of 'Dumping Grey Waste'.

 

If you want to start preaching over the Syrian issue open another thread with an appropriate title in the appropriate forum and you will get as much priceless evangelistic viewpoints as you can stomach.

 

Just a personal view, as always.

[Guest pelmetman]

Tracker - 2012-05-28 10:46 AM

 

colin - 2012-05-28 10:45 AM

I learnt many years ago when camping to inspect any pitch to make sure the previous occupant had not spent a week or more discharging grey waste straight onto pitch, not nice.

 

Nothing worse than laying on the damp patch is there Colin!!

 

Wot do you do when its raining? :D

[Guest Tracker]

pelmetman - 2012-05-28 3:05 PM

Wot do you do when its raining? :D

 

Empty the tank anywhere 'cos it won't show!

 

Then lay down for a rest on a nice dry patch!

[colin]

pelmetman - 2012-05-28 3:05 PM

 

Tracker - 2012-05-28 10:46 AM

 

colin - 2012-05-28 10:45 AM

I learnt many years ago when camping to inspect any pitch to make sure the previous occupant had not spent a week or more discharging grey waste straight onto pitch, not nice.

 

Nothing worse than laying on the damp patch is there Colin!!

 

Wot do you do when its raining? :D

 

No problem a bit of rain never hurt anyone, grey waste water is a different thing alltogether

[Guest pelmetman]

colin - 2012-05-28 3:42 PM

 

pelmetman - 2012-05-28 3:05 PM

 

Tracker - 2012-05-28 10:46 AM

 

colin - 2012-05-28 10:45 AM

I learnt many years ago when camping to inspect any pitch to make sure the previous occupant had not spent a week or more discharging grey waste straight onto pitch, not nice.

 

Nothing worse than laying on the damp patch is there Colin!!

 

Wot do you do when its raining? :D

 

No problem a bit of rain never hurt anyone, grey waste water is a different thing alltogether

 

Well judging by what's in Brian's you may have a point (lol) (lol) (lol)

[Guest pelmetman]

Brian Kirby - 2012-05-27 10:11 PM

 

Tracker - 2012-05-27 7:29 PM..............- not that I have ever bought any Russian vodka!

Wise! I hear the Polish stuff is far better! :-)

 

You want to try the stuff they sell in Boston...............blows yer head off :-S

[PeteH]

Hi

 

Yup. Good stuff this. "Dry Camping" or "boon-docking" Is what our US cousins call "wild camping" (no facilities) Every State has different rules, and where Facilities ARE provided it is Illegal 1) not to use them and 2) discharging waste of any type IS also illegal. BLM land (bureau of land management) can also have different rules about "waste" in some cases demanding your "packing it out" ( use your imagination on that one!!!) As a matter of interest Our own S.A.S soldiers often do just that. it ALL comes home!!.

 

The particular location we where using did allow the limited distribution of grey waste (NO "black"), and the size of some of the "vegetation" I think might have reflected this!!. Other "dry camp" area`s have the "honey-wagon" which comes round and will empty your tanks for 10-15bucks!! depending on your tank capacity.

 

By Contrast we also had many nights on "Full Hookup" which comprised Water, 50Amp electric, AND adjacent sewer connection, Cable TV AND free WiFi.Often for the princely sum of LESS than £10pn!!! (and an average of about the £18pn mark) I have had FREE camping with water and electric on Casino`s too, before to-day!!. We once stayed at a Rodeo Ground for FREE including tickets for the rodeo!!!

 

I have never noticed an issue with Coaches, "dribbling" but never the less I would be just as likely to "inform" upon them too!!!. But the most blatant one`s I have seen are usually leaving Motorhome Shows!!!. where presumably they are too lazy to join the queue to "dump" like most of us And/Or are not prepared to take it Home!!.

 

P.s. "Polish" Vodka Used to be called "Slivowich" or something similar, when I was a Young Merchant Navy Engineer, on the Baltic Trade. And was Not recommended for "first trippers"!!! (mind the beer wasn't much better either under Stalin) Recently, apparently, it (was) being made in a factory unit in Lincolnshire. until they "Overcooked it"!!!.

 

Pete

 

 

[colin]

PeteH - 2012-05-28 10:17 PM

By Contrast we also had many nights on "Full Hookup" which comprised Water, 50Amp electric, AND adjacent sewer connection, Cable TV AND free WiFi.Often for the princely sum of LESS than £10pn!!! (and an average of about the £18pn mark) I have had FREE camping with water and electric on Casino`s too, before to-day!!. We once stayed at a Rodeo Ground for FREE including tickets for the rodeo!!!

 

In 2010 we where in the South West, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, it was generaly the most expensive commercial sites we've ever stayed on, and if busy as at weekends you can end up in what seems like a glorified carpark with hookups, on otherhand staying at National Forest sites we liked much better, no hookups or such like, just water taps and long drop toilets, vans a good 100yd apart and just a few dollars a night, there was one reservation site I particlary liked, it was dirty, desolate, dusty and little facilaties, but when you've been brought up on a diet of John Wayne films it's a must visit location.

[Mike B.]

colin - 2012-05-28 3:42 PM

 

pelmetman - 2012-05-28 3:05 PM

 

Tracker - 2012-05-28 10:46 AM

 

colin - 2012-05-28 10:45 AM

I learnt many years ago when camping to inspect any pitch to make sure the previous occupant had not spent a week or more discharging grey waste straight onto pitch, not nice.

 

Nothing worse than laying on the damp patch is there Colin!!

 

Wot do you do when its raining? :D

 

No problem a bit of rain never hurt anyone, grey waste water is a different thing alltogether

 

What about Acid Rain? Seem to remember that was a massive problem not long ago-funny don't hear of it now................ ;-)

[colin]

Mike B. - 2012-05-29 3:06 PM

 

colin - 2012-05-28 3:42 PM

 

pelmetman - 2012-05-28 3:05 PM

 

Tracker - 2012-05-28 10:46 AM

 

colin - 2012-05-28 10:45 AM

I learnt many years ago when camping to inspect any pitch to make sure the previous occupant had not spent a week or more discharging grey waste straight onto pitch, not nice.

 

Nothing worse than laying on the damp patch is there Colin!!

 

Wot do you do when its raining? :D

 

No problem a bit of rain never hurt anyone, grey waste water is a different thing alltogether

 

What about Acid Rain? Seem to remember that was a massive problem not long ago-funny don't hear of it now................ ;-)

 

After typing that I did think "well unless it's washout from Chonobyl, as for acid rain that was mainly caused by burning coal, damn sight less of that nowadays.

[tonyishuk]

I dont think it has been said, and apologies for repeating it if it has.

 

Dumping grey water in a gully can have a totally different effect to when dumped on land.

 

If dumped on soil the mico organisms (generaly) can cope with ingesting and using the grey waste to their advantage. Some fats and oils take longer to break down but will do so after a while.

 

If dumpted to a highway drain, or surface water sewer (Not a foul sewer) both lead to water courses.

The concentrations of materials in the grey water can poision and kill fish and other aquatic life until dilution takes place.

 

If dumped in streams the mico organisms whilst ingesting the grey matter remove the oxygen from the water and / or also poision water life.

 

Hence the drier the weather is, the more potent and toxic adding grey water to water course becomes and the fine weather tends to lead to more happy campers on the roads.

 

Rgds

 

 

 

 

[Guest Tracker]

tonyishuk - 2012-05-29 7:23 PM

Dumping grey water in a gully can have a totally different effect to when dumped on land.

 

If dumped on soil the mico organisms (generaly) can cope with ingesting and using the grey waste to their advantage. Some fats and oils take longer to break down but will do so after a while.

 

If dumpted to a highway drain, or surface water sewer (Not a foul sewer) both lead to water courses.

The concentrations of materials in the grey water can poision and kill fish and other aquatic life until dilution takes place.

 

If dumped in streams the mico organisms whilst ingesting the grey matter remove the oxygen from the water and / or also poision water life.

 

Hence the drier the weather is, the more potent and toxic adding grey water to water course becomes and the fine weather tends to lead to more happy campers on the roads.

 

I would like to think that nobody on here would dump grey waste water into a water course - or would they?? Probably the smokers would!!

 

When you consider what gets washed off a highway when it rains - a cocktail of oil, diesel, rubber dust and anything else spilt or applied to the road surface I really can't see how a few gallons of washing up water running along a layby and soaking through can do anything but good - especially in dry weather!!

 

You only have to see how the vegetation and wildlife have taken to those man made drainage storage ponds that are alongside many motorways and junctions to see what little effect this so called pollution has had?

[Bolly1965]

Oh so now we're generalising about Smokers?????

 

Don't you realise that it's our tobacco taxes that have propped up the NHS for years!

 

Thanks to all you prissy do gooders backing the smoking ban, the only place I can have a pint and a fag is The Jockey on Chatsworth estate.

 

This northern smoker is gonna be a nightmare when I pull up near one of you some day soon...

[Guest Tracker]

Oh goody goody - just what we need - another tetchy fagger in defence of his addiction!!

[crinklystarfish]

tonyishuk - 2012-05-29 7:23 PMI dont think it has been said, and apologies for repeating it if it has.Dumping grey water in a gully can have a totally different effect to when dumped on land.If dumped on soil the mico organisms (generaly) can cope with ingesting and using the grey waste to their advantage. Some fats and oils take longer to break down but will do so after a while.If dumpted to a highway drain, or surface water sewer (Not a foul sewer) both lead to water courses.The concentrations of materials in the grey water can poision and kill fish and other aquatic life until dilution takes place.If dumped in streams the mico organisms whilst ingesting the grey matter remove the oxygen from the water and / or also poision water life.Hence the drier the weather is, the more potent and toxic adding grey water to water course becomes and the fine weather tends to lead to more happy campers on the roads. Rgds

Not always the case. Much of the country is on 'combined sewers' where grey water from houses and storm water from roads etc is mixed in one system and taken off to the treatment plants.

In cases where gulley pots do drain straight into watercourses there is an ever present impact from run off from adjoining 'pesticide' laden agricultural soils, rock salt, and general nasties that are the by-product of drips and discharges from motor vehicles (and the chemicals from cig buts as it happens). 

The impact from these sources is way more significant that any from the grey water tank of a motorhome which, unless the owners have added gallons of milk, or some other substance with a high biological oxygen demand, or something like oven cleaner or bleach etc. to their grey water, will be immeasurable.

Not advocating discharge straight into a watercourse, you could be prosecuted, just highlighting the fact that in the vast majority of cases there would be no measurable environmental impact.

Honestly folks, get it onto perspective. 100l of water with some biodegradable washing up liquid and a few 'nutrients' in the form of skin flakes and tiny food scraps will, in all probability, actually add a net gain to the welfare of the ecosystem it's discharged upon / into.

[Derek Uzzell]

I think you mean "unmeasurable" not "immeasurable", but I otherwise agree with your comments.

 

If one dumped 100 litres of grey water on a car-park during a heavy rain storm, probably nobody would notice and the environmental effect would probably be nil. Do the same thing on a dry day and the environmental impact will be no different, but the chances of people noticing will be far higher and, if they do notice, there's a strong likelihood that the action will cause offence.

 

Isn't this all just bleeding commonsense??

[pepe63xnotuse]

Derek Uzzell - 2012-05-30 10:38 AM

...Isn't this all just bleeding commonsense??

 

Well,you'd like to think so,wouldn't you....and maybe a bit o' common courtesy?... :-S

..but unfortunately,both need to taught,instilled somewhere along the line...and it's clear that the chap in Ham's OP had very little of either.... *-)

 

[Guest pelmetman]

I suspect my 20 years of dribbling has done vey little damage to the planet.............

 

 

I wonder how much damage producing a motorhome does ;-)

[silverback]

ive held back!! untill now!! :-D was at a level crossing today, behind an artic...there was a dribble out the back... so i thought of this post *-) the barriers went up...... he pulled off....and quess what ! 100 gallon came out the back, followed him for 5 mile peeing out the back!!! and people on here moan about 100 litre!!! did he get caught? well not while i was following him/her(PC) :-D get a grip its washing up water.. you peeps down south will be filling up with the stuff come august!!!!!!!! *-)

and the person who got caught on cctv shame on you! do it where theres no camaras (lol)

tin hat on jon LOL

[Guest 1footinthegrave]

God almighty, just picked up on this thread, if you are concerned about such a trivial matter in a world drowning in pollution of every kind the very best thing you could do is flog your vehicle and walk everywhere, or better still live in a mud hut and live off berries and don't move much at all.

 

The very moment you turn the ignition key your adding to pollution, whilst I agree dumping on the ground on a site should not happen, I've lost count of the number of vanners who put their waste containers out for "effect" then leave them overflowing.

 

There are bigger fish to fry in the polution stakes, I'd start with the supermarkets and all the land fill crap they create for starters, not to mention the pollution created with the manufacture of all those oh so convenient plastic ready meals containers, and don't get me started on Dog crap, ;-)

[RogerC]

1footinthegrave - 2012-05-31 10:44 AMGod almighty, just picked up on this thread, if you are concerned about such a trivial matter in a world drowning in pollution of every kind the very best thing you could do is flog your vehicle and walk everywhere, or better still live in a mud hut and live off berries and don't move much at all. The very moment you turn the ignition key your adding to pollution, whilst I agree dumping on the ground on a site should not happen, I've lost count of the number of vanners who put their waste containers out for "effect" then leave them overflowing. There are bigger fish to fry in the polution stakes, I'd start with the supermarkets and all the land fill crap they create for starters, not to mention the pollution created with the manufacture of all those oh so convenient plastic ready meals containers, and don't get me started on Dog crap, ;-)

 

Tracker will be 'upset' ........you forgot to include dirty,selfish,polluting, nasty smokers.....hehe

 

[Symbol Owner]

I'm happy Roger -- he did include dog crap! ;-)

 

Colin.