RE: Let s Talk About Gary Water

[Cadeuses]

 MtnCamper
**Gary**, and no not you Gary Water, whoever you are... You asked...
 
 

What s the other choice?

 Answer:  Evaporation....  For those really long camping trips...
 
 
 

It may drain a little slower, but we are campin , who cares.

 Ok... time for a nap... g nite

[NightOwl]

 whitestar505
I am delighted to see someone bring up this subject BEFORE the main camping season begins--it is NOT the easiest thing in the world to deal with and I  hope this becomes a long, informative thread like we often had about this subject on the other board.
 
 Ah, Sacto, do I recall that Dave made you a MODERATOR for a rally site?  The idea being that you are to maintain " decorum"  amongst the natives?   Isnt this like setting  the fox to watch the chickens?

[GeneF]

 whitestar505
The sink drain on my Mesa is on the bottom of the camper.
 
 I purchased one of the 7 gallon water jugs (about $7) at Walmart.  I had a spare washing machine hose kicking around.  Found that it fits the drain under the camper.  So, I know have a gray water system.  Main thing is that I have to be sure that I put a 2 x 8 under the wheel to get the camper high enough for the jug to fit underneath.
 
 The gray water issue seems to vary from campground to campground and state to state.  I generally set up and make the acquaintance of the person on duty and inquire about gray water rules.
 
 I have gotten answers from " Use the dump station only"  to " If I ain t looking, the ground is fine."
 
 If I am camping close to a river or a lake, no way do I dump on the ground.  Most of the campgrounds that I go to in NH, have plenty of woods near the sites.
 
 

[kathybrj]

 whitestar505
Depending where in NYS you are camping (state park vs. private campground) I do not believe that surface gray water is " ok"  in all camping areas of the state.
 
 In the past, I contacted the NYS DEC and they did send me a rather long email about gray water regulations in NYS parks. I no longer have the email, unfortunately. I have requested the information again. Unfortunately, they do not publish this info in any state campground brochures. As far as private cg s go, they make their own regulations and choose whether to enforce it or not.
 
 We always catch our gray water in two Blue Boys (7 gallons each) from Walmart and then dispose of it down at the dumping station (NOT in the regular bath houses- that s another camping pet peeve I have-yuck!). It s not that big of a deal that we wouldn t do it at any campground. We just don t feel right about leaving a puddle of muck for the next people using the site. We try to always leave a site in as good or better condition than we found it.

[jackgoesthepopup]

 whitestar505
Gary water. Is thats what it s called after my brother " GARY"  takes a bath . I know i wouldn t want that water in my campsite. We didn t have a gray water tank so i just set up a 10 gallon water container hooked to the drain on the side of the camper. After each meal i take it and dump it. It may only have soap water and some food particles in it. But if everyone poured it out next to the camper .Soon enough you would have a lot of food particles and then it would start smelling in the heat of august.

[Tim5055]

 whitestar505
You are going to find that different groups define gray water in their own way.
 
 In the RV industry, gray water is usually sink/shower water while toilet water is " black water" .
 
 This works well except in many jurisdictions gray water is a legally defined term. Legally (it does vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction) gray water is usually the water from a clothes washer and a handwashing sink while sewage is the discharge from a toilet or kitchen sink.
 
 You can see the obvious differences and where problems may arise. In some jurisdictions they are beginning to allow the use of untreated gray water for home gardnening watering with restrictions. Usually it is not allowed to be dumped directly on the ground (you need some form of below the surface irrigation system) as well as time limits on how long you store it before use. Any water not used in the allowed time (which is usually limited to several hours) must be disposed of in the sewer/septic system.
 
 In answer to yor question, it is gray unless you are in Canada then it is grey.
 
 
 For more information, check out my [link=http://www.title-3.com/GrayWater.htm]Gray Water Web Page[/link].  It s more than you ever wanted to know about the subject
 

[tlhdoc]

 whitestar505
I use 2 of the 5 gal. totes.  I don t have to dump the tote as soon as it gets full.  I can wait until I have time to do it.  We get 3 showers into a 5 gal. tote.[]

[topcat7736]

 tim5055
" Gary Water"  LOL! Pour some of it on these things => [][8D][&:][][>:][][][:@][: (][]
 
 As for the so called " gray water" , can anyone tell me where to find Realtree camo covered 50ft hoses? (Don t know exactly for what I d use them! [])
 
 It s interesting to note that within the first 6"  of topsoil (especially in the woods) live micro-organisms which will eat any food particles within a couple of days, so there won t be any " August odors" . In fact, when digging a latrine for personal use, one is instructed to dig no deeper than 6"  and cover it up when done. All will be gone within a few days!

[AustinBoston]

 topcat7736

ORIGINAL:  topcat7736
 It s interesting to note that within the first 6"  of topsoil (especially in the woods) live micro-organisms which will eat any food particles within a couple of days, so there won t be any " August odors" . In fact, when digging a latrine for personal use, one is instructed to dig no deeper than 6"  and cover it up when done. All will be gone within a few days!

 This was once believed to be true, but actual testing have shown it is not.  Food waste on the surface (depending on it s nature) can remain there for months or even years.
 
 Human waste buried in the first 6"  of soil generally takes three years to deompose completely, much longer in arid areas.  In remote backpacking situations, current instructions are either 1) pack it out [: (] or 2) smear it to less than 1/8"  thick on the surface where it will be struck by direct sunlight. [: (]  This has to be done at least 200 feet from any water source, surface water, road, or trail.
 
 I m not a backpacker, but I d be inclined to bury it anyway.
 
 Austin
 

[Gamecock Camper]

 whitestar505
Many if not all states have laws against draining gray water or black water directly on the ground.  All of the campgrounds I ve ever been to have a dumping station.  It really isn t too inconvenient.  I believe that if you are the only camper in a field dumping gray water once or twice a year, there is not really much of an impact.  The problem is likely that a 300 site campground that is full 80% of the year will definetely be impacted if everyone dumps their gray water.  Just think if every campsite has 3 people.  The gray water dumping (on the ground) would be much greater than you can imagine, so please be considerate of mother nature and other campers.
 
 In Florida, I believe that they passed a law that would make it illegal to even use a gray water container that was not designed as part of the camper.  They would not allow a hose dumping into a bucket, or one of the Aquacontainers (from Wally World) because they can overflow.  I believe that the law has changed and the Aquacontainers and other portable containers are now allowed if I am correct.  
 
 Regardless, it is a common sense good idea to prevent any graywater spilling on the ground.  Now there, I said it. (LOL)

[whitestar505]

 MtnCamper

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?

 
 What I think this means is there should be no HUMANS in the woods.[]

[garym053]

 whitestar505
Hi! I M GARY and my hair is getting GRAY, but I m NOT retaining WATER! Anyway, having finally solved this problem with an wheeled Blue Tote last year, (after years of lugging a 5 gallon container) and enjoying the verbal battles past and present, I would still like to chime in and say this subject, Gray water, should be properly addressed on all campground publications and with signage. IF you are a newbie camper and read the how-to camping books, almost all of them will tell you to broadcast your gray water over as wide an area as possible at least 200 feet from water!
 Perhaps in the past, throwing out gray water like that was okay, however with camping one of the fastest growing outdoor activities these days, there are just too many campers to do it that way without causing problems.
 One of the best sights in any of the Mass. campgounds we stayed in was what I call " The Parade of the Wheeled Blue Totes!"  Every night, after supper, you would see tow vehicle after tow vehicle driving by (at twice the CG Speed Limit) with one of the Blue Tote hooked to the trailer hitch or bumper. Those little plastic wheels just about smokin ! I want to go back and have a DECORATED Blue Tote Parade!

[whitestar505]

 whitestar505
Hi All Again,
 
   After reading all the attachments to this thread I still have not got a good way to deal with Gray Water. I have checked ways out and I am running into to many cons for each. If you buy blue totes where do you store them when driving. Let s say 2 5gal totes. Or if you buy the tote along the same question is asked. This one is costly also. If you get the Coleman gary water storage tank it is attached under the trailer out og the way. This also is costly. So .........[&:]

[MtnCamper]

 whitestar505

 

ORIGINAL:  whitestar505
 
 If you buy blue totes where do you store them when driving. Let s say 2 5gal totes.
 

I take the broom and slide the totes all the way against the back wall, then slide in the 3 sterilite drawers, the broom goes beside the whole thing. Ice chest goes in. Door is shut, and down the road.

[madrone]

 tim5055
I learned all about gray water last weekend.  If you don t put something under the drain to catch it, it mixes with the local dirt and comes back into your trailer on the soles of your children s feet.
 
 Here in coastal California, I use laundry rinse water to water my roses. We ve had so many droughts that I don t want them to be used to fresh water in the summertime.  The gray water doesn t affect the scent of the roses.
 
 I ve almost decided to get a dishpan and do my dishes at the outside shower. The sink in the PU isn t sloped enough to drain well.  I wonder what the status of that water will be.