Grey Water: whats the deal?

[1990GT50]

Well, Ive been looking at RV's recently and was also thinking about camping in general. Some of the RV's I was looking at need new GREY water tanks (shower and sink runoff). I don't want to sound like an a$$hole but why would I bother replacing this if I use biodegradable soap and such. I usually wash off in whatever river I camp at and sink runoff would be the same as me washing off the fish I just caught in the river. I dont see the harm in letting this runoff head straight to the ground. What am I missing here? I am a responsible camper and dont see anything much different in an RV as far a "grey" water.

Dont mean to sound ignorant so thanks for the help? Anyone see my point of view or am I "that guy"?

 

[High Binder]

Re: Grey Water: whats the deal?

I think the idea is to minimize fecal bacteria out of out streams and the possibility of local (to the camp site) cross contamination of smells and hazards. So you have relatively safe water discharges (gray) that can easily be integrated into the local area and then you have the bad stuff which usually needs to be trucked off for disposal i.e. $$$.

 

[1990GT50]

Re: Grey Water: whats the deal?

I understand what youre saying and completely agree. The thing is that grey water is just shower runoff (water and biodegradable shampoo) and sink runoff which I would use to wash meat and veggies. I feel like this would be the common use for a shower or sink but maby Im wrong....

The only slight problem I could see is from erosion from the water running out of the rv but that is very minimal and comprable to rain.....

 

[DP425]

Re: Grey Water: whats the deal?

I think the issue might be more the fact that you're in a park somewhere just dumping water- not so much the KIND of water you're dumping, but the fact that you are making an otherwise dry area, potentially very wet- running into other camper's area's, having various different smells which may be offensive.

Don't get me wrong, I know what you're saying- they use gray water to spray on moon dust roads on FOBs in the sandbox... always used to wonder just how much sperm was in that water.... anyway, aside the point.... it's mostly safe to be around. But that doesn't mean everyone WANTS to be around it.

 

[ARMED-PILOT]

Re: Grey Water: whats the deal?

On lots of RV's the gray water tank is used to help flush the
black water tank when dumping.

 

[Lindy]

Re: Grey Water: whats the deal?

Well, it depends on where you are.

If you spend time in National Forest Service campgrounds, or similar areas, you can run a hose from a cap with a hose connection, to an area well away from the RV - I use a 75' hose for that purpose. (I don't use that hose for drinking water.) You're often going to get a bit of odor in that, from odors which accumulate in the tank, but it's really not a problem.

I've never had anyone in a National Forest Service campground object to that practice, and we spent several years camping mostly in such areas in the summer. I try not to be obvious about it, though. In some places, I've kept the tank closed, then dumped it at night, varying the spot I put the end of the hose, and keeping the hose out of sight during the day.

National and state parks, though, often have regulations against dumping grey water - and that often precludes even tent campers from dumping their dish water. Such parks usually have a place to dump dish water.

And there is one good reason in many places you have not considered - food odors, even faint ones, can attract bears.