# Dumping Fresh Water



## Chaarlie (Feb 19, 2010)

Morning All,
Prior to leaving a pitch and heading home (rather than travelling to the next site) I open the fresh water tap and hot water dump valve, and let the fresh water drain onto the pitch, and then drive home with these valves open. Probably dumping about 20 litres of water. 

Is this bad protocol? 
Some people must wonder what I've let run out, but surely dumping the fresh water can't be a problem.

Do others do the same?

Charlie.


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

I think you've answered it yourself. Quite a few people will assume that water coming out of a van as it drives along is either grey or, worse still, black and they will form an opinion about all motorhomers as a consequence. 

I will sometimes dump fresh water on to a pitch and also grey water on to a ditch or flowerbed if within reach of the pitch. However even then I'm careful to make sure that it doesn't drain on to anyone else's pitch or indeed leave large puddles under or around the van as inevitably some other site users will assume the worst.


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

As above.


Most of our grey water is just from washing up .

Any grease or food residue is wiped of plates with kitchen roll prior to washing. So the water is nearly "clear."
I treat the camping environment as I would treat my garden

Dave p


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

We normally run all taps into the sink and, with the last lot, put in the plug and fill the sink then add some biological laundry liquid and leave it for as long as we can then drain before we move. We then drive to the campsite waste water dump and get rid of it all there.

This means that the kitchen sink ( matt finish " stainless" steel )
has all the tea stains and gunge removed by the action of the laundry liquid and the the tank is cleaned out too.

I'd not dump so much water on the pitch as you don't know how free-draining it is until you start and it is not good manners to leave a pool for the next camper ! Also, as said above, everyone assumes you're dumping dirty water and this does little for our corporate image.

G


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## mike800966 (May 1, 2005)

*Dumping Water*

Dont forget the hot water will kill the grass very effectively. 
I had a chat with a motorcyclist once and he was very worried even about wet trails left on the road, grey or not, I wouldnt dump it on roadway.

A following driver would possibly not notice it but might assume it was black water, not good for our PR image

Mike


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

Ooooh! I remember a post like this a little while ago. Be prepared to get some stick Charlie.


If we need to empty waste water we wait until we are in some out of the way place and where it will drain off towards a verge or ordinary drain. It is, after all, just water but any non-motorhomers seeing it may rightly think we are dumping nasties so we never do it where others may see it being done.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

shingi said:


> Ooooh! I remember a post like this a little while ago. Be prepared to get some stick Charlie.
> 
> .


The OP is asking about _fresh _ water. That I replied that we convert ours into waste doesn't alter his original post. If he'd asked whether dumping _ waste_ water onto a pitch was acceptable then I'm sure the aforementioned discussion might have started up again !

G


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> I treat the camping environment as I would treat my garden
> Dave p


Which inadvertently is the answer. We keep ours onboard until we get home, then use it to water the plants.


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## shingi (Apr 18, 2008)

Grizzly said:


> shingi said:
> 
> 
> > Ooooh! I remember a post like this a little while ago. Be prepared to get some stick Charlie.
> ...


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Chaarlie said:


> Morning All,
> Prior to leaving a pitch and heading home (rather than travelling to the next site) I open the fresh water tap and hot water dump valve, and let the fresh water drain onto the pitch, and then drive home with these valves open. Probably dumping about 20 litres of water.
> 
> Is this bad protocol?
> ...


Hi All,

"And then a family of tenters arrive on the pitch that you have just vacated and have to pitch their tent on top of your waste water."

I cannot understand the mentality of some people, just drive your motorhome to the waste water drain point and empty it there. Or on the other hand, if you are on a CL then empty your tank with a bucket and throw it into a hedge, i.e. provided it is 'clean" waste.

I followed a motorhome returning from a rally and had my vehicle covered in waste water due to the fact that he couldn't have been bothered to MT his tank before leaving the site.

People who do this sort of thing should be charged with ??? and banned from the clubs.

Drew


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Drew,
the OP is refering to clean water, not waste water.
Dave p


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## SpeedyDux (Jul 13, 2007)

I agree with Drew.

I was on a campsite (in Italy) last month where a pitch was vacated by a MH and it was obvious that he had just emptied at least one if not both of his fresh or waste tanks. The whole pitch was turned into a wet mud patch. It hadn't rained for days and the rest of the site was bone dry and dusty. It stood out like a sore thumb. Was it grey water or fresh water? Hard to tell. Either way, it looked bad.

On that site the majority of pitches were compacted earth and gravel. About half the campers were tenters. The MH's behaviour was shameful. Presumably he didn't care because he was miles away with no risk of comeback from the site owner. 

The next people to occupy that pitch were caravanners with children and they must have wondered why theirs was the only muddy pitch even though it had begun to dry out. 

SD


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## jontan (Aug 30, 2009)

*Fresh Water*

Dont understand why you would want to dump fresh water. Its difficult enough to find it FOC when your touring


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## bognormike (May 10, 2005)

The OP did say it was when going home, not on to another site. 

Some people may also have a very tight payload and carrying too much water may take them over the max weight.


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## Chaarlie (Feb 19, 2010)

Hi All, and thank-you for your replies. 

I'm definitely only talking about fresh water. I wouldn't dream about dumping anything else. 

I think I'll start to run off as much fresh as I can into the grey tank, which I leave the tape open to run off into an aquaroll beside the van. 

Then wait until I'm home and water the garden with what's left.

Saves any bad feelings that way.

Learning all the time!
Regards, Charlie.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Clean fresh water or clean waste water, you DONT empty it onto your pitch, nor should you leave your waste tap open when travelling.

Dave, water is water, WET and not the ideal thing to pitch a tent or awning on. The newcomers to your pitch dont know whither it is clean or not.

I'm just waiting now for someone to come along and post, "What about rain" I know it's wet, but it doesn't come from a motorhome!

I have a solenoid valve fitted to my motorhome waste pipe, after removing the drain cover on the road, I drive over the drain, open the solenoid valve from the cab and empty the contents of the tank, remembering to close the valve before driving off. On most occasions there is always a fair amount of waste water left in your tank that tends to drain when you climb a hill, i.e. if your waste valve has been left open. Hence the reason for always keeping it closed. 

We motorhomers must lead by example.

Drew


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## an99uk (May 12, 2005)

Once whilst in France our fresh water tank sprang a leak. The French women who shouted at us as we left a supermarket carpark something about dirty British,( they were the only English words I caught) was not too pleased even though it was clean water. I shouted "potable" but she was not convinced.

People will always assume the worst.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I would say that the emptying of any tank on a pitch is definately not done.
Fresh water and clean waste can be dumped down a drain in a layby should the need arise.
But the countryside rules are "take your rubbish home with you"


cabby.


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## brianamelia (Mar 17, 2008)

cabby said:


> I would say that the emptying of any tank on a pitch is definately not done.
> Fresh water and clean waste can be dumped down a drain in a layby should the need arise.
> But the countryside rules are "take your rubbish home with you"
> 
> cabby.


I dont see clean water as rubbish. Just last week on a site in France the guy next door to us dumped his grey in the hedge and his fresh on the pitch all done with the advice of the campsite owner.I wasnt to sure about the idea of the grey but the evidence of the fresh had gone in 30 mins and the grey we didnt smell or see at all. At least he was polite enough to explain his actions.
Bri


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## Caggsie (Aug 19, 2008)

caravan did this on CC site 2 wks ago, their hot water, as steam was coming from underneath. so not just us poor MH owner should get the blame. Also seen earlier this year caravan emptying fresh water barrel on pitch whilst finishing normal jobs. both pitches were hardstanding.


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## Jented (Jan 12, 2010)

Hi Caggsie.
The c/van club a very aware about,"Whoever?" empties their hot water onto the pitches,as there was a comment on this in the Mag,and as said in a post already,it kills the grass. 
As for the post on dumping the fresh water,very nice,all you need is a wet patch on your pitch when you arrive,imagine if every user of that pitch dumped their water it would have to be taken out of use,"One less to book"lol. With the doors on C/van/M/homes being in all sorts of positions,the odds are the wet patch will be by someones door. Bucket and chuck it?
Ted.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

My personal view is simple, any water that we regard as waste - i.e. that we don't require any more, goes into the grey water tank and then is dumped into the waste water point provided.  

That way we are rinsing out the grey water tank so few smellies will remain inside it, and even though we may be dumping perfectly drinkable clean water it is still waste (for us).  

The image of it being seen running onto a pitch will be noticed by many, and possibly even reported as "bad behaviour".  If the valves are left open on the road drivers following cannot tell what is being dumped, even if it is only on sharp bends or hills, and motorcyclists may find it slippery.....  

Pedestrians walking along the side of the road may suddenly find they are sprayed with water of unknown quality if the following vehicles drives through a puddle left at a point where the vehicle has stopped - e.g. stop lines or traffic lights........ their comment at being sprayed is likely to be less than complementary.....  

So dump on site in correct place or take it with you and dump on your garden to keep the plants going!

As fars as I am concerned such a point represents the "end of discussion" for me - although I am sure others will have other points to add. :? 

Dave


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Penquin said:


> As fars as I am concerned such a point represents the "end of discussion" for me - although I am sure others will have other points to add. :?
> Dave


Hi Dave

Only to extend your thesis a little. :wink:

Every so often, just before we leave for home, I run all the hot water down the sink and throw in a good dollop of Bio washing liquid (or whatever).

Then all the way home the grey tank is being washed out with warm soapy water - which must help remove any accumulated grease and other nasties, even though we always wipe our plates clean(ish) before washing them. :wink:

Dave


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## Gazzer (May 1, 2005)

Yes always dispose of it with consideration to others.
Carrying it home howeve5r will increase your fuel consumption somewhat and thus increase your carbon emissions :wink: 

This subject always evokes a good response when raised, but a much bigger crime to my mind are the vast number of dog owners who ignore notices onsite to keep their pets on a lead and the ever increasing number who let their pets use sitea as a toilet! :evil:


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Gazzer said:


> This subject always evokes a good response when raised,


You just have to admire the subtle approach employed in this post !

:roll:

G


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