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Old 04-26-2012, 07:39 AM   #21
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It is really hard for me to get excited about 5 gallons of dispersed water spread over 24 hours.

I might change my attitude when I see the 100 or so cattle across the street wearing diapers.
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Old 04-26-2012, 08:45 AM   #22
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Cows wearing diapers. Now that's a site I don't want to see. Can you imagine a landfill full of cow size diapers?
Besides; all cows eats is grass, grain and water. How bad can it be?
Don't we fertilize the lawn that the grand kids play on with the "by product" of cattle?
Don't we fertilize the garden with the same stuff? Then eat the food.
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Old 04-26-2012, 09:34 AM   #23
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I find that when boondocking in the desert SW, it takes more careful planning and research to locate dump stations than it does camping areas. Even so, occasionally it means I can find water to refill but no place to dump for long stretches. In those rare cases, I try to release gray water away from the camping areas or trickle release as I drive. But then we use a wash tub for dishes at those times and dump that dishwater into the black tank so no food goes into the gray.

But even in the desert where you would think any water would be a blessing, things don't break down that fast. Many areas do not allow you to tent camp without a portable toilet. Digging cat holes to bury human waste and TP doesn't work because it lasts forever. If the ancient puebloans can build with rock and mud and the structures have lasted 800-2,000 years against the elements, you can only imagine how long your s**t will last!
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Old 04-26-2012, 09:42 AM   #24
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I will go on record as believing that dumping grey water is not harmful. I also believe that this is another great example of things not always being black or white but subtle shades of gray. Always use common sense and respect your fellow campers and you will be fine.

I camped for 17 years in a PU and we had a 5 gallon bucket outside to catch the grey water from the sink. I was never asked where I was putting that even though it was empty each morning.

We live in the rather arid part of Eastern Washington where water can be a scarce commodity especially during the summer months. Watering the shrubs or a particularly dry section of grass never bothered me. Now that I have the capacity to collect 37 gallons of grey water at once I refrain from dumping all of it at once. That would not be an example of common sense nor would it be very respectful.

I have also camped in some very crowded campgrounds with little or no places to discretely take care of grey water. In those situations common sense tells me to manage it more carefully and dump as expected.

Again, use common sense and respect and you will know when you can dump and when you can't. Pretty simple.
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Old 04-26-2012, 10:07 AM   #25
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What about when you are just flushing tanks?

In spring after applying bleach to sanitize tanks? (say a 10 oz solution in 40 gallons of water)? Anyone have an opinion if those situations would be harmful if drained in small batches? Haven't done it yet, but tempted...
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Old 04-26-2012, 10:21 AM   #26
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Shouldn't be a problem . That is not much bleach and exposure to sunlight kills the bleach as anyone maintaining a swimming pool knows.. in fact the reason bleach is stored in white bottles to avoid the light affecting it.

When in Alaska we had to get water from a creek on several occasions.
Since we did not have a charcoal filter in that trailer we set the heavily chlorinated water in dishpans on a picnic table. After a couple hours in the sun the taste and chlorine odor was totally gone
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Old 04-26-2012, 10:27 AM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by btowntincan
In spring after applying bleach to sanitize tanks? (say a 10 oz solution in 40 gallons of water)? Anyone have an opinion if those situations would be harmful if drained in small batches? Haven't done it yet, but tempted...
I would say unequivocally no to dumping water with bleach in it.


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Old 04-26-2012, 10:42 AM   #28
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Yes, Maggie you are right.

There is some sanctimony here but some common sense too: by you, Rick, TG, Bryan, Aftermath among others.

As Old Frank Wiltsie, referred to often on my main thread, used to say: “Common Sense ain’t too common anymore.”

A judicious, thoughtful, occasional commune with the Grey Water Fairy isn’t going to harm anyone.




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Old 04-26-2012, 11:05 AM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by btowntincan View Post
In spring after applying bleach to sanitize tanks? (say a 10 oz solution in 40 gallons of water)? Anyone have an opinion if those situations would be harmful if drained in small batches? Haven't done it yet, but tempted...
You make a good point, says he who has just drained off a fair few gallons of lightly bleached water onto his driveway and into the road drain yesterday. I guess it shouldn't be done but then neither should draining off the top few feet of pool water onto the street, nor allowing your bleached washing water into the drainage system.
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Old 04-26-2012, 11:25 AM   #30
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Not trying to add gasoline to the fire, but what happens to all that water, etc. when you wash your trailer or car or SUV in your driveway?

I suspect there are few that even consider the detergent laced runoff used in washing vehicles as bad.

IMO, common sense, location and absolute need are important considerations.
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Old 04-26-2012, 11:26 AM   #31
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I believe that discharging graywater will forever be one of those "agree to disagree" issues. Those who think it's okay will never be convinced otherwise and will keep doing it. Those who don't think it's okay will never be convinced otherwise, and won't do it. And those who think it's wrong but do it anyway will never admit to it.

I personally think graywater should be dumped in approved locations only, based on my research in the past. However, as long as people don't discharge where I'm going to park my rig or where I'm going to get my fresh water, I'm not going to stop them or rat them out to any kind of enforcement agency.
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Old 04-26-2012, 11:30 AM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by murreywalker
Not trying to add gasoline to the fire, but what happens to all that water, etc. when you wash your trailer or car or SUV in your driveway?

I suspect there are few that even consider the detergent laced runoff used in washing vehicles as bad.

IMO, common sense, location and absolute need are important considerations.
Actually, I just read something about this very thing. It is very in-green to wash your vehicle in your driveway.

Better to wash it in a car wash.


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Old 04-26-2012, 11:38 AM   #33
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You have to be kidding???

I wash my vehicles on the lawn all summer and that part of the lawn needs to be mowed more often than the areas that only get sprinkler coverage.

Dave

Quote:
Originally Posted by doug&maggie View Post
Actually, I just read something about this very thing. It is very in-green to wash your vehicle in your driveway.

Better to wash it in a car wash.


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Old 04-26-2012, 12:14 PM   #34
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You have to be kidding???

I wash my vehicles on the lawn all summer and that part of the lawn needs to be mowed more often than the areas that only get sprinkler coverage.

Dave
I did mean un-green, and yes, it's the washing into the sewer of the soaps and crud off your vehicle.


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Old 04-26-2012, 12:38 PM   #35
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Quote:
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I did mean un-green, and yes, it's the washing into the sewer of the soaps and crud off your vehicle.


Maggie
Yes, and eventually into the watershed of your favorite lake.

I sometimes wonder if we're, sooner or later, going to legislate ourselves out of existence?

Bottom line, I think most RV'ers are some of the best custodians of our planet!
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Old 04-26-2012, 12:58 PM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by doug&maggie View Post
I did mean un-green, and yes, it's the washing into the sewer of the soaps and crud off your vehicle.


Maggie
Not a sewer within ten miles of here
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Old 04-26-2012, 01:01 PM   #37
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Where does one think the crud that didn't collect on your vehicle goes when it rains. In stead of collecting on your vehicle it falls on the ground, then when it rains washes down the storm drain.
The water at the car wash is recycled until it gets too dirty to clean, then guess where it goes. Down the drain.
Washing the car on the lawn is a great idea. Soap releases the surface tension of water. It is therefore absorbed into the soil more readily. If you don't believe it, take a spray bottle, fill it with water and spray it on dust. The water forms beads and does not soak in. Now add a small amount of Dawn soap (for example) and spray the same dust. No beads. The saying is that the soap makes the water wetter.
Living in an arid climate. I would consider grey water a blessing when applied in moderation. And I'm pretty sure the plants would be very grateful.
I know they would, because like Masseyfarm said. Stuff really grows. I'm paraphrasing.
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Old 04-26-2012, 01:22 PM   #38
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grey water in Arizona. Legal to dump in most places unless it says don't. As far as home grey water, they say use it on your yard, except from your kitchen sink or dish washer.
Few years ago I was in Quartzsite for the January events. Camped in the desert, no hookups. It rained
a entire night, next AM the smell of GREY WATER dumps was overwhelming. But out there I doubt any
long term problem. A large problem with the NFS. They are having private vendors run the campgrounds, and in a lot of them they closed the dump stations, No what do you do..well back to the porta potti and out house??
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Old 04-26-2012, 01:47 PM   #39
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Virginia BEACH - lessons in gray water effects

I live on Chesapeake BAY. Land averages 9-15 feet above sea level and everything drains into the bay and the ocean.

Too much fertilizer and detergents getting into the bay sometimes cause algael blooms that can kill off of oysters and blue crabs and fish. Of course industrial pollution is a big issue too.

You see a lot of people with these picture perfect lawns who have no idea how much grass seed and fertilizer they've sent straight down the storm drains. In one upscale neighborhood the problem got so bad that the city had to vacuum out the storm drains twice a year (Grass can actually grow IN the sewers - it's mainly yellow roots, but that and the black soil, etc. can literally clog up the drains.)

It's so low here that the cities have built huge rain reserviors near all public spaces like malls. Any time it isn't raining 2-3 times a week, these ponds turn scummy with algae because of all of the runoff fertilizer.

That evidence tells me dumping my gray on the ground isn't a good thing - especially because of the population density!

Ergo I don't wash my Airstream very often... (no that's laziness and lack of time transformed into sanctimoniousness.) When I DO wash it I don't use a hose. Just buckets of water and those blue microfiber rags you get at Sams Club. A wet one will lift off a huge amount of dust and dirt, and a clean vigorously wrung one will dry the surface. Just don't use a lot of pressure when cleaning off the dirt. I use detergent in the water only if I've gotten some smutts around the water heater, and on the dried on dead bugs. I usually do the front on arrival day, then one side on each successive day. No one objects to "wiping the bug juice off" since it's not "washing" the trailer.

I use the Sewer Solution - and don't often flush either my black or gray tanks. I fulltime. Why "sanitize" for 15 minutes? The white water tank is a slightly different case, and Bleach DOES break down quickly. I run water through my Britta pitcher and drink city water as it comes from the tap. Ain't kilt me yet!

Think of others, when in doubt err on the side of the angels.

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Old 04-26-2012, 02:03 PM   #40
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Interesting thread. Why do so many manufacturers include an outdoor shower as a standard feature or option. Cabella's and most stores like it offer outdoor shower stalls. We were dry camping for 8 days two miles up the canyon outside Moab, and used our outdoor shower, albeit quick Navy showers. We were camping on gravel and the water quickly seeped into the gravel. While this was the only time we used the outdoor shower, I never really considered it a big deal until reading this thread.
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