# Grey water



## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Out of interest and as I am fairly new to all of this, what do you do with your grey water when on a site with nowhere to dispose of it?

Is it simply a question of either

- Catching it in a bucket and pouring it down a drain or sink/toilet if there are washing facilities?

- Storing it on board until you come to a suitable disposal place?

- Draining it from the MH at a 'normal' side of the road drain?

- All of the above?

Cheers

Graham


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

we have a large 100Ls grey water tank, so not had this problem, have you asked the owner of the site, a lot like to have it thrown over dry trees or hedgerows.

cabby


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## autostratus (May 9, 2005)

If we are on an aire with trees/bushes we always drain the water into a bucket and pour it off round the trees/bushes.

I'm sure the trees/bushes on some of the aires we have been on must have welcomed the water.


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## Bobthebass (Jun 30, 2014)

We asked the owner of the site we were staying at in France last week where we could drain our grey water and he looked astonished. "Why don't you just drive into the forest and open the tap at the side of the road like everyone else does?" was his reply, as if he had never been asked that question before!


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> Is it simply a question of either
> 
> - Catching it in a bucket and pouring it down a drain or sink/toilet if there are washing facilities?
> 
> ...


all of the above - plus leaving the tap open if on a suitable area where it will drain straight into the ground. if on a site with disposal facilities, then use them as a matter of courtesy.

grey waste is really only water, washing up liquid and waste foods/liquids (tea etc) so there's no harm in it and the food stuff is pretty biodegradable.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Thanks all

Very sensible stuff. As has been said its only the same stuff you would chuck on your garden anyway (1976 anyone?)

I gues draining under the MH would be better on a gravel hardstanding area than perhaps grass where the ground may get a bit soggy.

Graham


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## Cazzie (Feb 13, 2009)

Grey water can get a bit smelly so I would avoid letting it drain on your pitch. Maybe around different trees each time would be better but if there is no dedicated emptying point we would empty into a bucket and dispose of it down the chemical toilet emptying point.

Cazzie


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Just a little tip :!: 
We have been on a few places which have no water or have pay for 100litres. All you want to do, is dump. You can use the grey water to flush the cassette!
Costs nothing


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

Grath said:


> Just a little tip :!:
> We have been on a few places which have no water or have pay for 100litres. All you want to do, is dump. You can use the grey water to flush the cassette!
> Costs nothing


You would actually *clean* your cassette using *dirty* water ? Just to save a couple of euros ???? Seriously ? Please tell me this is a joke / wind up.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

salomon said:


> Grath said:
> 
> 
> > Just a little tip :!:
> ...


No joke, I certainly would NOT pay 1 Euro just for cassette water.
I have not used this method many times, but for an emergency it works!
I am certainly not alone 

incidentally, we don't put dirty greasy water down our sink drain.
The only water which goes down is body washing waste, which is not that dirty!
A damn sight cleaner than what has come out, unless someone $hit$ and pee$ royal gold leaf body waste :wink: :lol:


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

While we are talking about cleanliness and hygiene.
make sure you disinfect any tap you use on a French aire as frequently cassette toilet spouts are pushed up around the drinking water tap. Don't forget the tap handle as dirty hands would have operated them!
Don't rely on a two tap system where one is for the cassette and the other for drinking as they will use either!
This can also apply to other Countries, but not as much. I like the German system, where they have a shroud around the tap, making it nearly impossible to get the cassette to the tap. However some, do try!  
I must admit, that I am extremely fussy, where I get my drinking water from


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

Grey water smells nasty. Things that smell nasty generally are. I dont put any food waste into the tank either, just shower etc
I appreciate an emergency nature but a refusal to pay €1 astonishes me.

Do you take sacks of potatoes with you when you travel too ? 

:roll:


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

I have to ask - if you guys aren't putting any greasy water/food waste into your grey tanks if you're on an aire or wilding, where the hell are you doing your washing up??

if you say in a bowl - then what do you do with the waste water??

grey waste only smells if you leave it in the tank for too long, but even there you can mitigate smells by adding some bio wash liquid (the clothes stuff) as that has enzymes in it which will break the foodstuffs down.


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

salomon said:


> Grey water smells nasty. Things that smell nasty generally are. I dont put any food waste into the tank either, just shower etc
> I appreciate an emergency nature but a refusal to pay €1 astonishes me.
> 
> Do you take sacks of potatoes with you when you travel too ?
> ...


So living where you do in France have you not seen the French waiting for some one to fill up with water and rush over with their jerry cans to fill for free.
Now , that does astonish me, along with the total lack of hygiene!


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

fatbuddha said:


> I have to ask - if you guys aren't putting any greasy water/food waste into your grey tanks if you're on an aire or wilding, where the hell are you doing your washing up??
> 
> if you say in a bowl - then what do you do with the waste water??
> 
> grey waste only smells if you leave it in the tank for too long, but even there you can mitigate smells by adding some bio wash liquid (the clothes stuff) as that has enzymes in it which will break the foodstuffs down.


We walk the bowl over to the waste grid


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

On a lead?!!

Walkies!!


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## The-Cookies (Nov 28, 2010)

we do exactly as Grath does, sometimes there is no option like if there is no water available to rinse out only a lift up lid like at Wissant, so if saloman will only put clean water into his toilet will he not poop in it either. after i have used ours it smells bad enough anyway :lol: 


John


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> We walk the bowl over to the waste grid


errm - why?? what's your beef with sticking it into the grey tank? that's what they are there for. and they can be cleaned


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

fatbuddha said:


> > We walk the bowl over to the waste grid
> 
> 
> errm - why?? what's your beef with sticking it into the grey tank? that's what they are there for. and they can be cleaned


Because, dirty greasy water will smell and as we know, waste tank smells, have a nasty habit of coming up the sink drain, even through the water trap into the M/H.
OK all waste smells, but to different degrees.

If I had to, it would go down the sink, but not first or second choice. :lol:


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## Morphology (Jul 23, 2010)

I'm with Grath. I'm not short of the odd Euro, but why bother just to rinse the cassette? personally if you have to pay for fresh water and i don't currently need any then I'll just empty the cassette and not rinse it. A good glop of bio washing up liquid followed by a generous flush once it is back in the 'van and it'll be fine for a few days until the next emptying opportunity.

We also try to avoid putting particularly greasy water down our sink (Cadac washing, for example) I'd much rather wash it in a bowl and dispose of it straight down the grey waste drain. we have a 100l grey tank, but it's not easy to clean.

+1 for whoever it was who first decided that cheap cola is a good way of cleaning your grey tank out. Each time we start getting nasty naffs, we empty it, then bung a couple of litres of cheap own brand cola down the sinks and shower - instant cure!

Morph


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> Because, dirty greasy water will smell and as we know, waste tank smells, have a nasty habit of coming up the sink drain, even through the water trap into the M/H.
> OK all waste smells, but to different degrees.


so stick some bio washing liquid into it - that reduces smells and breaks down fats etc which can cause smells. and it usually has it's own aroma which helps.

and emptying the tank more frequently also helps

it's NFRS


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

Washing up water goes in the bowl and thrown out separately when possible. With a 100l waste tank it takes a while to fill and does smell bad. 
And yes we do *use* the toilet. And no, i dont have any problem if you want to use grey water in the cassette ....I just dont understand that when you have a choice of clean water then its still not used, just because it cost €1. Why not fill a few jerry cans and take some with you . Maybe when you need a small amount of water then you can offer some to a fellow aire user...or, quelle horreur, everybody pays his euro to ensure the facilities are maintained.


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> Washing up water goes in the bowl and thrown out separately when possible. With a 100l waste tank it takes a while to fill and does smell bad.


aaagh - you don't have to fill the bugger before emptying!! doing so on a more regular basis helps prevent smells building up and if you flush out well, then it doesn't smell.


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## Jeannette (Aug 7, 2012)

I just drive everywhere with the waste tap open........ :lol:


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

To be quite honest Solomon, I don't mind paying for an aire and I don't mind paying for drinking water, or paying for the water to wash the cassette as long as I fill the water tank at the same time.
But I won't pay just for toilet rinsing water, and most certainly when I have frequently seen French Guys rushing over to get water which the previous user has paid for. I have even witnessed a queue of several Guys waiting for the paying person to finish filling.
My experience is, that the French will not pay, unless they have no other choice, therefore, I have adopted similar methods, but I draw the line at rushing the previous paying motorhomer.
Regarding, grey water into the cassette. I think in my 11 years of M/Hing, mainly wilding and using aire's, I have needed to do this very rarely and most certainly less than a dozen times, but it is an option that some newby's are not aware of!
I empty my wast tank daily, and yes it does smell, but no where near as bad as I have smelt when walking past some m/h's discharging a full tank, over the dump. So for me frequent emptying works.
You must do what works for you.


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> I just drive everywhere with the waste tap open........ Laughing


funny you should say that..... :wink:


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## blondel (Jun 12, 2005)

Leaving the waste tap open (after emptying it appropriately) does reduce the build up of 'aroma' A good airing helps everything. Another one in support of the cheap cola trick - this time drive with the waste closed :wink:


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Nice tip on the cola  

How long do you leave it in there to do its stuff? Do you then flush it out with a few gallons of clean water?

Graham


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## salomon (Apr 20, 2011)

fatbuddha said:


> > Washing up water goes in the bowl and thrown out separately when possible. With a 100l waste tank it takes a while to fill and does smell bad.
> 
> 
> aaagh - you don't have to fill the bugger before emptying!! doing so on a more regular basis helps prevent smells building up and if you flush out well, then it doesn't smell.


Our long trips are in winter. Just opening the waste tap often just gets jce everywhere as it freezes as soon as it hits the bucket, floor, whatever. So we choose our dumping wisely. Not knowing when it could be - 20 degrees makes you a little but more particular . Many a time we have been in a situation where you cant really move the van due to snow and ice so get the bucket out...only to find it frozen by the time you get to the grid. So we wait. Until we are full. Then we move the van 8)


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## Agilityman (Aug 17, 2009)

I'm with Grath and Morphology. I'm not paying for 2 Litres of water to rinse my cassette, it's put back in the van with no rinse. That's ok as we have a PONGO unit.

As for 1 Euro, I wish it was only 1 Euro. On our French trip this year a 100 Litres of water (well any water, whatever quantity) was a minimum of 2 Euros and a maximum of 4.5 Euros.

Paul.


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## Morphology (Jul 23, 2010)

> Nice tip on the cola
> 
> How long do you leave it in there to do its stuff? Do you then flush it out with a few gallons of clean water?
> 
> Graham


Not sure there are any specific do's or don'ts - whenever we have had smelly 'belches' from the grey tank, we have emptied it at the nearest opportunity, bunged a couple of bottles of cola in it, then driven to the next stop (thereby giving it a chance to swill about), then, without emptying it, we've then just carried on using the grey tank as normal and. Lo!, the smells have stopped.

Doubtless somebody will be along to set me straight, but I'm presuming it's the phosphoric acid in the cola which is the active ingredient? Cheap cola being a cheap source of phosphoric acid, and what we're seeing is some sort of redox reaction causing the sulphides released by the bacteria in the grey tank to be reduced to sulphur and water??

Agree with @Fatbuddha - it's probably better to empty the grey frequently, but it's not often easy to do so depending on where we're staying and I, for one, don't like to just empty it anywhere as I hate being frowned upon by the cleanliness police.

I'll happily dump it on my own lawn when I get home.

Morph


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## peribro (Sep 6, 2009)

I have a 30 odd foot length of fish pond flexible piping that I connect up to the waste pipe and run into the hedge, ditch or whatever there is at the back of the pitch. Sometimes it's not practical to do it and sometimes I only do it at dusk rather than leaving the pipe connected all day. But usually, one way or the other the waste tank is emptied daily.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Top Tip!

Newbies! When emptying your grey on arrival at the Aire at Dinan in France when you park up on the sloping aire DO remember to close your grey water valve otherwise when you reverse out in the morning you will end up spewing the stuff all over the otherside of the Aire all over that nice French Family who are sat eating Le Petit Dinner.

8O


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Cheers all - as usual there seems to be a multitude of different views none of which seem too outlandish. 

Thus far we have

- Emptied at the back of a picth which has run off into bushes
- Used an on pitch drain point which was under our MH on the pitch we were at. I have a 10 foot piece of flexible pipe for this [interestingly the chap I bought the NM off didnt know what it was or what it was for after 3 years of ownership].

I empty the tanks whever we use them (extra weight = extra fuel to lug it around) and run with the valve open. Thus far we have had no smells.

I like the suggestions on what t do to keep smells down though - eco washing up/eco hadwash stuff/cheap cola...all useful ideas - cheers 

Graham


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## Jeannette (Aug 7, 2012)

I just put tank clean in mine. A product made for the job.......


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

Fair point  

Graham


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

> GMJ said:- I empty the tanks whever we use them (extra weight = extra fuel to lug it around)


In theory I agree Graham, but in practice it's so insignificant as to be a waste of effort. What's a few kilograms extra on top of 3500kg!

An increase in speed of one or two mph will make far more difference to your fuel consumption, as will any perceptible headwind. Several of us on here have done the comparison tests (_aimed more at fresh water tanks than waste_) and concluded that travelling with full tanks makes so little difference, if it can be measured at all, that we now just fill up at home before we set out.

Saves some hassle when we arrive on site, and for a short 3 or 4 day break there's no further nee to consider the water supply.

My suggestion therefore would be to do the same _(thus adding relaxation to your vacation :roll: )_ and empty your waste tank when it's convenient.

Another trick we have used is to run all your remaining hot water down the sink just before you set out for home, preceded by a good slug of non-foaming clothes washing liquid. Then your waste tank will get a good washing out with warm soapy water on the way home, and you can drain down at your leisure after a restoring cuppa. :wink:

Dave


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Orange squash also helps get rid of tank smells. Used in the same way as coke  
Regarding emptying the tank. There is no right or wrong way as long as a person is environmentally friendly (ish
Just do what suits you!


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## Jimbost (Aug 25, 2012)

I use all of the methods used. Choice is by circumstances. I have a Long flexi pipe as I have found some empting points 'fun' to gain access or parking over the grate means the tank is sloping the wrong way. I tend to travel with empty waste or at least until the next frequent tea break stop anyway.  I have a bucket and a bowl and use them for washing up emptying waste etc.

If I have to pay for flushing water then no biggie it must mean that revenue is needed to keep the Aire open. Some villages that have Aires are very small and it is a small price to pay for free overnight parking. 

I have two rules:

1. I will not drain down on a hard surface or pitch. If its in a dry period it will stink sooner than later. We make sure that very little solid food waste/oil goes into the tank as if you have to drain out onto grass, trees, plants it can leave a small pile of food bits than can attract vermin. Started using the cheap coke two years ago and it works 8) 

2. Toilet cassettes only get emptied in the proper place. We have two toilet cassettes, been using the bio tabs for a while and will continue to do so, Always wipe down taps and filling connections with anti-septic wipes. Get the odd funny look especially when the last person to use it is still putting their hoses etc away. 

An Observation: You get far less dirty looks, if any, if you empty out a bucket onto grass than connecting a pipe to the tank to drain it.


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## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

Our sink wastes are segregated, shower and hand sink on one side and kitchen sink on the other.

If the ground is bone dry and grass is brown, we let the shower water go straight on the ground, and patches of green elsewhere show that others do the same.

Kitchen sink waste we collect in a Wastemaster and empty at the drain by the site water tap, we have also used a road culvert/drain in a layby before as well.

Peter


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Don't forget the Watering Can  It fits most taps  
We top up daily, and empty daily


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## fatbuddha (Aug 7, 2006)

> Doubtless somebody will be along to set me straight, but I'm presuming it's the phosphoric acid in the cola which is the active ingredient? Cheap cola being a cheap source of phosphoric acid, and what we're seeing is some sort of redox reaction causing the sulphides released by the bacteria in the grey tank to be reduced to sulphur and water??


probably not too far wrong there although it may take some time to work as the concentration of phosphoric acid in coke is quite low but still has a pH of around 3. probably doesn't kill any bugs but reduces smell as you say

there's an old urban myth of coke being good for killing any bugs ingested when open water swimming in lakes, rivers or sea. frankly it's nonsense as your gut has hydrochloric acid at at pH 2 so is much stronger than any phosphoric acid from coke


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Jimbost: You wrote: "I have a bucket and a bowel"

I really hope that empty your bowel into a bucket rather than the other way round  :lol:


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Don't be silly Pippin.

If the bucket is full of Leffe there's no confusion at all! :lol:


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## robbosps (Mar 10, 2014)

We are newbies too and I read in the April edition of MMM a letter about dumping waste on the roads ( grey tanks ) and how dirty it is. 

Reading 5 pages of this, we will keep to our way...

When it rains, open the valve and let it add into the drain. 

When it's dry, leave it on drip/tickle to help the water into the ground.

On a site, empty either into the bushes or the supplied waste area. 


Toilet: never empty into your own or a friend/families toilet. I've emptied into a public loo, but had to pay to pee there anyway! 

As for the MPG thing, I agree. I have 140l of clean water, and I keep it full, it's more convienient, and like travelling with one other person weight wise. It's no difference for my van.


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## blondel (Jun 12, 2005)

robbosps said:


> Toilet: never empty into your own or a friend/families toilet.


Why not? :? :?


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## robbosps (Mar 10, 2014)

blondel said:


> robbosps said:
> 
> 
> > Toilet: never empty into your own or a friend/families toilet.
> ...


After three days of wild camping, and not emptying, the cassette stench filled my aunties house for a while. It's was embarrassing.


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## blondel (Jun 12, 2005)

I see.


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## Mrplodd (Mar 4, 2008)

Cheap Lidl bleach, half a cup down the sink (after!) each time I empty the waste tank. Kills all nasty niffs and much cheaper than tank cleaner/bio washing liquid/cheap cola etc.


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## GMJ (Jun 24, 2014)

robbosps said:


> As for the MPG thing, I agree. I have 140l of clean water, and I keep it full, it's more convienient, and like travelling with one other person weight wise...


Thats a big person at 140kg = 308lbs = 22 stone :!:



Graham


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

Graham - that expensive education has at long last paid off.

All that maths/phys/chem - wow!


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