Grey Waste Emptying

Mtbcol

Full Member

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72
Morning all.

Just staying on a small field site. First one we've been on that only has an elsan emptying point, but no grey waste Emptying point. Is it ok to empty our grey waste (99.9% washing up water) into the elsan emptying point?
Cheers
Colin.
 
Possibly, but please check with the campsite operator first. The reason is that the elsan point could be hooked up to a septic tank of limited capacity. FWIW, a friend had such a system and it cost him a small fortune to have the septic tank emptied every few weeks because people kept tipping grey waste into it (think 25 to 40 litres per unit per day grey vs maybe 20 litres per unit every three days black). So he dug a trench at one end of the site and filled it with coarse gravel to form a soakaway that he asked campers to empty their grey into. Some small sites have asked us to just tip the grey waste into the nearest hedge.

Bottom line is that campsites need to have arrangements to handle both black and grey waste, and should tell you how they prefer you to dispose of these if asked.
 
Our septic tank had a soak away as part of the system although it was probably bigger than small camp sites as it served 12 houses. I always let it go on the grass when I am in a field, its only water coming out, no nasties
 
We usually bring ours back empty it into buckets and then down our combined waste manhole .

But if we’re on a site that we know we can get rid of the grey water we empty it then.
 
Those of us who remember 1976 will recall the Government (so they should know!) telling us to water our gardens with our bath (once a month, to be shared between the family) water and washing up water. Since then I have seen no reason not to water the grass or hedge with the grey water.
 
You could fill a plastic carrier with a few handfuls of grass, poke holes in the carrier and then tie it onto the open grey waste pipe. The grass/bag affair filters the waste and when you leave you take it off and bin it.
But always ask the site owners which option they prefer.
 
Norfolk NewBoy said:
There are SOME environmentally sensitive sites where emptying grey water would be a breach of the regulations. Please CHECK before doing anything.

Gordon
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While what you say is perfectly correct the water companies themselves to not care one bit. They are doing more to pollute water courses than we could ever do.
 
nabsim said:
While what you say is perfectly correct the water companies themselves to not care one bit. They are doing more to pollute water courses than we could ever do.
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It doesn't have to be the water companies who object. FWIW, one festival venue I didn't attend (because of the grey waste issue) had no facilities to take grey waste and banned letting it go to ground as any fluid dropped on the ground would eventually find its way into the nearby fishing lakes. I'm not saying I agree with the landowner's analysis, but nonetheless they make the rules and we implicitly accept them if we camp there...
 
gasgas said:
Those of us who remember 1976 will recall the Government (so they should know!) telling us to water our gardens with our bath (once a month, to be shared between the family) water and washing up water. Since then I have seen no reason not to water the grass or hedge with the grey water.
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What the whole familey in the bath together once a mth, thats far to often. 😂
 
GeoffL said:
It doesn't have to be the water companies who object. FWIW, one festival venue I didn't attend (because of the grey waste issue) had no facilities to take grey waste and banned letting it go to ground as any fluid dropped on the ground would eventually find its way into the nearby fishing lakes. I'm not saying I agree with the landowner's analysis, but nonetheless they make the rules and we implicitly accept them if we camp there...
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If I was somewhere that specifically asked not to let the grey go then I wouldn't. I used a CL outside Chesterfield a lot and they were fine with it going on the ground. If I go on a campsite with hardstanding I close the drain tap as well. If a site had rules I didnt like I just wouldn't use it, they are quite entitled to make most of them :)
 
If I recall correctly I think it was at the Cuckoo's Corner campsite near Hereford where the owner actively encouraged campers to pour their grey water under the bushes, shrubs etc.
 
The only proviso for letting the grey waste drain, would be to make sure you get as much food off of cutlery, crockery and cooking pans as possible with paper towels. Not that the food waste would harm anything, but we have seen some outlets with flies, wasps and other bugs around them on the floor where the water drops. Food waste is like a luxury dinner to bugs and they don't have to chase it! Better, if you don't scrape, empty it away from habitations.
 
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