Grey Water in California Parks

[Dwayne N]

Hi guys and gals,

Do any of you know what the policy on grey water dumping is in CA State Parks.  Some parks require TOTE-ALONGS while others don't.

Thanks

[towrod]

Hi guys and gals,
 
Do any of you know what the policy on grey water dumping is in CA State Parks. Some parks require TOTE-ALONGS while others don't.
 
Thanks

I believe the policy is no dumping in developed campgrounds or within 200 ft of a body of water in dispersed camping.  Enforcement is a different topic.

[maromeo]

Dwayne
We have been to 4 different CA State Parks over the years with our PU.
We usually haul it to the RV Dump Station, most are centrally located so it wasn't too bad. We do have a 16 Gallon Tote. Hope that helps.
Mary and Joe Romeo

[Dwayne N]

Thanks all,

That's what I was wondering.  This is our first big trip with the PU and I wanted to know what people do with the water from the shower and sinks.  

I know that we never had issues with our solar shower pouring on the ground.  But when the very same shower water comes from a camper, the rules sometimes change.

Dumping the cassette toilet is definitely a different story.  I have to figure out how that's done.  I imagine I need to take the tank to the pump out station at the park.  

What has been your experience with that?  I have a C2 Thetford Cassette and I'm thinking I need a hose or something for the spout after I remove the cap.

Those Tote-Alongs aren't cheap though.  The best price I found on a tank is $80 at Camping World for the 19 gallon.  Is that the best thing going right now?  I've already put a ton into her so far.

Thanks again,

[MtnCamper]

.  The best price I found on a tank is $80 at Camping World for the 19 gallon.  Is that the best thing going right now?  I've already put a ton into her so far.

I like the smaller 7 gal aquatainers, then build a hose.  19 gallons is over 160 lbs..... Something to think about too.

Porta potties get dumped at the dump station if available.

[Johnowolf]

Dumping the cassette toilet is definitely a different story. I have to figure out how that's done. I imagine I need to take the tank to the pump out station at the park.
 
What has been your experience with that? I have a C2 Thetford Cassette and I'm thinking I need a hose or something for the spout after I remove the cap.
 
Those Tote-Alongs aren't cheap though. The best price I found on a tank is $80 at Camping World for the 19 gallon. Is that the best thing going right now? I've already put a ton into her so far.

For the Toilet, all you'll do is just dump into the dump hole. Depends on the park setup, some are easy, some not so. When I'm at the dump sites where the edges of the hole are level with the surround and the surround is sloped, there's no problem. If you have a dump site with a raised dump hole and no surround, you have to be a LOT more careful pouring. That's where the Thetford spout comes in handy. My Coleman PP doesn't have a spout, so I've been thinking of making a "dump hose" for it using a short length of RV Sewer pipe, if I can make a fitting that will thread onto the black water tank. Once you've dumped, the dump station will have a "non-potable water" hose that you use to rinse. I usually rinse and dump a couple of times to get all the "cling-ins" out. I think that's why it's always the "DH Job". Oh, and be sure to wear OLD SHOES that are washable. When I finish, I actually hose of my shoes and tie 'em onto the trailer tongue to dry.
 
As for the grey water requirement, a lot of it will depend on what you expect to use. I just use a 6 gallon plastic "jerry can" that I used to use for hauling water when I was tent camping. I rigged a short hose to run from the drain into the spout and open the vent. Haven't had any trouble yet, but we don't use a lot of water inside and don't have an inside shower. My shower is a Coleman Hot Water On Demand. I may at some point rig a catch basin for the shower, then I'll have to worry about more grey water.
 
I would suggest that before you spend too much money on a fancy tank, try to figure out what you will normally use on a camping trip, and how difficult it will be to haul water for "mid-trip dumping". Remember, every time it fills, you have to get it to the dump site somehow. It's a tradeoff ... the more your grey water tank will hold, the more you will have to haul to dump. I know that those "tote" tanks are supposed to be towable, but that may depend on the layout of your campsite. I like having the smaller grey water and black water (PP) tanks. I can easily set 'em in the back of the TV and dump 'em myself. I'm also thinking of getting one of those bike trailers that can haul a couple of toddlers if I can find one at a garage sale somewhere ... should be just the right size for hauling my two tanks to the dump station if I need to empty in the middle of the trip. I know that if it's just the three of us, I generally only have to empty at the end of a long weekend (or about halfway through a week-long trip). If there are 4 or more of us, I generally have to empty almost once a day (especially the PP). For your first couple of trips, see if you can find a couple of 5 gallon buckets, or else go someplace like WalMart and pick up a couple of 7 gallon blue Aquatainer water jugs. They make decent grey water jugs, and you can always just switch off when one gets full.
 
Once you figure out how much you actually have to empty them during a couple of camping trips, you'll know better what you REALLY need and can plan more effectively. You may decide the $80 tank that holds 19 gallons is a bargain (for that matter, you might even decide you want one of the 30 gallon ones). But if you find that you can get by easily with the smaller containers, why go to the extra expense?

[Camping Coxes]

I've never known of a park that allows you to dump any gray water on the ground.  I have "watered" the plants before with it; however, I use CampSoap, so it won't froth or hurt the plants or animals.

We also use the Aquatainers (purchased at Wal-mart).  They do the trick very nicely.  DH got a clear piece of hose from Home Depot and took out the pour spout so the hose fits it and we carry two.  It's much easier to dump at the dump station because they have a handle and you just tip it towards the opening to drain it.

[Dwayne N]

As always,  all of your help and suggestions are greatly appreciated.  

For the grey water, I think I'll try the 7 gallon tank idea.   I gave that a thought as soon as saw the size and price of the Tote-Alongs.  

I saw at the last park I went to here in AZ, a pretty rustic mountain park, a family in a PU just dug a hole and ran the water right into the hole.  I'm not sure how parks feel about that.

As for dumping the tank from the toilet, that should lead to some very funny stories.  I'm laughing about it already!  I need to look for that pair of old shoes.  Preferably not "open-toe".

Thanks

[oldmoose]

It seems there is a double standard at CA parks. The tent campers just dump their gray water in the bushes while we have to use the dump station. There are some parks where I have a hose that goes to the nearest tree. The toilet cassette goes into whatever restroom they have. Never had an issue with that.
 
Forgot to add we have a 15 gallon blue tote we use whenever possible. I take it to the dump station.
 
Moose

[OC Campers]

We use a 15 gallon grey water tote.  It is amazing how fast you will fill it up while doing dishes.  My dh is still able to lift it into the truck.
 
As far as the toilet.  We dump our cassette potty at the dump station.  Now I have to say we have dumped it in a pit toilet before.  It is only 5 gallons and my feeling is we would of deposited this much in the bathroom if we didn't have the cassette toilet.  I don't know if this is ok but we haven't been told not to.  Also, a lot of rest areas along the freeways have dump stations so if the cg doesn't have a dump station you may be able to dump at a rest area.
 
Jacqui

[Johnowolf]

I've dumped my PP in a pit toilet before, especially when late at night had to do an "emergency dump" because the PP was about to overflow! :yikes:  The only problem with doing this is that there's no handy-dandy rinse hose available. Have to carry the tank outside to the faucet, fill, shake, walk in, dump, walk out, fill, shake ... you get the picture. I don't mind doing that for a mid-week dump if needed, since if it's not ALL out it's not a big deal. But for the final dump, I always want the dump station and rinse hose so I can be SURE to get all the "leftovers" out of the tank. There's nothing worse than opening up your potti cabinet and discovering that you've had something in the PP tank "working" for a couple of weeks! LOL

As for the water issue, we're not exactly "anal" campers. We use a biodegradeable "camp safe" dish soap for washing dishes and are very careful to scrape and wipe off dishes before they go in the dishwater. We wash our dishes in a dishtub outside using the CHWOD for hot water. We'll dump that in the bushes as long as there is no foodstuff in the water. If there is, it goes into a bucket to go to the dump station. Bits of food and such have a nasty tendency to attract "visitors". As for the grey water from the inside sink that drains to the grey water can, it ALWAYS goes to either the dump station or a pit toilet (preferably a dump station). The reason is that it generally has stuff like toothpaste, milk, pop, etc in it that are SURE to attract critters and bugs, not to mention just being plain ol' nasty stuff!
 
It's all just a matter of what's going where. Use a bit of common sense about what you are leaving for others to deal with and what you might have to deal with yourself. Remember "Leave no trace" means don't leave something that others have to deal with or that might hurt the environment.

[Steve-o-bud]

While camping in Yosemite last week, I used a couple of 3 gallon buckets to manage the grey water. As soon as I'd fill two buckets up with grey water, I'd haul it to the restroom and pour it down the toilet. I'd rinse the bucket thourghorly in an outside sink, and fill the buckets with fresh water. Back at the trailer, I'd pump the fresh water into the fresh water tank. Using this method, I figure that whatever grey water I generated would be replaced with fresh water, so I don't run out. Also, I don't use my water system for drinking water, so I'm not too concerned with sanitizing the tank, etc.
 
We did have an outdoor shower set up, and use a mason's mixing tray as a catch basin. We were camped next to the river, and the rangers did ask me about how I was dealing with the shower water. When I explained my process, they were more than satisfied, giving me an honory "three stars" for not letting the grey water loose, and for disposing of it promptly so as not to attract bears with it.