RE: Let s Talk About Gary Water

[whitestar505]

 Every once in awhile someone has to mention gray water, right " tlhdoc" . Gray water is just that, and should not be a problem at the camp sites as long as it is drained away from all of the sites. Does this vary from state to state or campgrounds to campgrounds?? I do know in New York state gray water is OK on top of the ground. Being from Maryland, have not heard about Gray water to much. Could be because we need any kind of water during the hot summers. Any input? Is the Gray water container worth it on the Coleman popups []?

[Cadeuses]

 whitestar505
Now you ve done it... opened the proverbial can-o-worms with that one!  I m sure Gary will be amused!  (I missed that on the first post... duh... too early... and I m obviously not awake!)
 
 Well to respond to your thread...  Proper gray water disposal is important to ALL who camp.  I for one would not like to follow behind the camper who threw his gray water on the ground.  Yuck![:@] Stepping into someones leftover dishwater is not the best way to begin a camping outing for anyone!
 
 Do I think the gray water containers on Coleman trailers are worth it?  Well yes... and no...  [&:]  Let me clarify.  []
 
   Yes they are worth it because they complete a system for the proper disposal of waste.  (It just happens to be water, soap, and food particles, etc..).  It shows that Fleetwood has taken a leadership role, and examined a problem common to all who camp, and they have provided a solution for the problem.  Something other manufactures should emulate.[]
 
   No they are not worth the SELLING COST to the consumer.  [>:]  Many of us have (or will in future) made up our own contraptions for dealing with this issue, which are much less costly, and just as effective.
 
   Do the rules vary from state to state?  Well being a Canadian, all I can go on is info I have read from others who have said " YOU BET" .  I can t speak to the specifics of each state, but many are more stringent with their rules regarding gray water disposal than others.
 
   Anyway... many others are sure to add to this thread that are more knowledgeable regarding their particular state laws on the matter.  Interestingly enough though, Canada, from one coast to the other does not regulate the disposal of grey water.  None of the PPs or National Parks have rulings posted or on pamphlets they hand out.  []  (maybe some of the private CGs do?)  Hey... I thought we were supposed to be the " GREEN"  advocates!?
 
 Anyway... that was my $0.02 on the subject.  For those looking for ideas on how to construct well made and simple grey water systems, check out this site [link=http://community.webshots.com/user/ozandus]HERE[/link].
 
 Have a great day all!
 
 

[Firefyter-Emt]

 whitestar505
Yes indeed.. I think unless you are running a shower, the " Auqatainer"  system works the best, and for the value (can you say many $$$ less) you just can not beat it.. I have included my link to see it here..
 
 http://www.yankeetoys.org/lee/camper_tips.htm

[NightOwl]

 whitestar505
"  Let s Talk About Gary Waterÿ"  GARY Water?  I kept looking at this title and wondering why someone would want to start a gossip thread about GARY?  What has poor Gary Water  done to deserve this, I wondered.
 
 Maybe it would be good to correct the title of the thread--I bet you d get quite a few interesting and useful answers
 
 Now I discover it is about GRAY water which is indeed a very important subject and something most of us are interested in.  My PU came with an attached  grey water tank, which is fine when you have hookups, but when boondocking, it will be a problem so I am thinking of getting a 10 or 11 gallon BlueBoy to take along for that purpose.

[rednekrubbrduck]

 whitestar505
If I remember right...Kansas SP s treat grey water like black water.  I ve got 2 10 gal (?) collapsable jugs from walmart for like 5 bucks each.  One for the sink drain...and one for fresh water.  Just make sure you have them plainly marked so as to not get them switched.

[whitestar505]

 Cadeuses
I know,I know, I agree with everything you said, but gray water is not harmful in any way as long as it is truly gray water.[&:] Just to let you know I am looking at an active live camera view of PEI :http://www.gov.pe.ca/islandcam/archived.php3. Looks like a nice cold morning up there.
 
   " Gray water is just that, and should not be a problem at the camp sites as long as it is drained away from all of the sites."  
 
   OK, you and I have some real fine descussion don t we. Is there a work around other than the Gray water tank from Coleman?[&:]

[whitestar505]

 Firefyter-Emt
You have some good ideas on this web page. []

[whitestar505]

 NightOwl
Hey Nightowl
 
   Good to heard from ya!

[Firefyter-Emt]

 whitestar505
Thank you.. Look around, there is a lot more...

[bikolee]

 whitestar505
As Cadeuse said, you ve done it now. In Texas, it is illegal to drain gray water on the ground. Period. Needless to say, the same applies to black water. And like Cadeuse, I would not want to come behind camper(s) that have. This has been discussed MANY times in the past. Just imagine what the site conditions would be if everyone was allowed to drain their gray water onto the ground. I sure wouldn t want to camp there.
 
 As far as the Coleman tank. We have one. It s great in the way it stores. Up under the camper and out of the way. You have to remove it from it s stored position to use it, and you have to drain it before you can store it. Is it worth the $$, not really. If I had it to do over, I would have bought a larger Blue tote and carried in the back of the TV. The Coleman tank is only 15 gals. and fills rather quickly.
 
 Now as far as Gary Water goes, can t say I ve ever met him[]

[SactoCampers]

 bikolee

Now as far as Gary Water goes, can t say I ve ever met him  

 Gary Water? I know him. He hangs out a lot with M.T. Propane. [&:]
 
 <okay, bad joke [: (]. But it was the best I could do>

[ForestCreature]

 whitestar505
[font=" Papyrus" ] Gary water ....I can explain exactly what it is..[]
 You see Gary is my DH, and Gary water is the results he gets from drinking beer around the campfire. [/font][]

[MtnCamper]

 whitestar505
If you want a cheaper way to go, buy a aquatainer thing from wal-mart. The one with the spigot in the lid. Take that out, buy a 3/4 pipe-5/8 hose barb at the hardware store. Now just screw the pipe thread into the top of the lid. Push a short piece of hose onto it. There you go. It may drain a little slower, but we are campin , who cares.
 
 But, here s the catch. If you come to Colorado, there is no where to dump the container. That s right, there are no dump stations in any of the nationial forests here, at least I ve never found any. State parks either. So you got to either haul it home, or dump it on the ground. What s the other choice?

[bikolee]

 whitestar505
Shouldn t this actually be in the general, or fix it forum?

[AustinBoston]

 whitestar505

ORIGINAL:  whitestar505
 Does this vary from state to state or campgrounds to campgrounds?? I do know in New York state gray water is OK on top of the ground.
 

 It varies from state to state, from municipalitiy to municipality, and from campground to campground.
 
 Many states do not make a distinction between gray water and black water.  In those states, it s the same as draining sewage on the ground.
 
 In some states, even the type of container is regulated.  Florida tried to say " no portable containers"  but members of PUT successfully worked with regulators to change that.
 
 In Maine, the fine is $5,000 for disposing of gray water on the ground.
 
 Often times, state park personnel have wrong or incomplete information about this because it falls under health & safety (Dept. Public Health, etc.), not natural resources.
 
 Gray water is (usually) not difficult to collect and dispose of properly.  In those few cases where a dump station is not available, the campsite is generally far enough out in the woods so that no one cares...as long as it really is " away from other camp sites"  and at least 200 feet from any natural body of water.  Surface disposal can actually be dangerous in areas that are visited by bears.  In those areas, you are generally expected to dispose of wash water immediately after washing, and only in an approved manner.  If you are in one of those areas, you will know it.
 
 I have heard of one technique for removing the thing most likely to cause problems (food particles) from gray water before surface disposal.  Put an old nylon stocking over the end of the drain hose and secure it with a rubber band.  When water drains, it will fill the stocking and readily drain out, but food particles will be filtered by the fabric.  When the stocking is full or clogged (or stinks or is growing mold or maggots or attracting vermin), throw it in the garbage and put another one on.  BTW, all of those things will still happen if you don t filter it (stinking, growing mold or maggots, or attracting vermin).  It s just that it will happen on the ground where it s no simple matter to clean up, instead of in a nylon stocking that can be slipped into a garbage bag and gotten rid of properly.
 
 Note:  Those who have followed the " gray water wars"  of the past will notice a softening of my position on this issue.
 
 As far as the Coleman grey water tote, what you are really paying for is the rack in the back for storing the tote, not the tote itself.  Ours was already on the pop-up and included in the price, so I don t know what we really paid for it.  If I was having it added on, I would probably do something else (blue totes, etc.).
 
 Austin