The issue of grey water comes up in this forum and others on a regular basis and has been concerning us for some time.A recent picture of a set up in the Caravan & Motor Home (Edition 203) gave me something to think about. After a couple of visits to the local plumbers, Plumbtec in Mildura, we have come up with the following.
1) PVC (sewer strength) 150ml x 1.85m plumbed into the kitchen sink and vanity. 2) PVC (sewer strength) 150ml x 1.85m plumbed into the shower only.
The tap end is fixed but the other end has a screw on cap to facilitate cleaning out with a hose. Each unit has a capacity of approx 32 litres.
Cost $230.
May help someone who has similar concerns with the issue of disposing of grey water and the need to be "self-contained".
We noted that some caravan parks - 80 mile beach for example - ask vanners to drop their grey water on the dirt road when leaving the park. We often see large vans draining grey water on to the road as they drive. Not sure what is legal.
Re your tanks - at a guess I'd imagine your grey water tanks should be the same size as the water tanks or maybe 10% less.
Please note we have a camper with 65 litre fresh water storage and use a 20l bucket for sullage so my comments are as an outsider.
We noted that some caravan parks - 80 mile beach for example - ask vanners to drop their grey water on the dirt road when leaving the park. We often see large vans draining grey water on to the road as they drive. Not sure what is legal.
Re your tanks - at a guess I'd imagine your grey water tanks should be the same size as the water tanks or maybe 10% less.
Please note we have a camper with 65 litre fresh water storage and use a 20l bucket for sullage so my comments are as an outsider.
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Question appears unanswered .. "is it legal to drain grey water on to the road whilst in motion" .... AND, "why would a caravan park ask vanners to drop their grey water "on the dirt road" when leaving" ??
My thoughts: First ... to drain grey water onto the road whilst in motion would have to be grossly illegal. Bloody dangerous.
Second .... No idea ... surely this is an illegal act ... Contaminating the environment??
Just imagine the effects on ground water, flora and fauna, ... imagine the state of the road surface ... grey water implies soap, fats, etc. .????
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[spoiler] May the Road rise up to meet you, May the Sun always shine upon your back, The Wind blow gently upon your face, And the Rain fall gently upon your fields.
Nomad, sorry but can I ask, do you store the water in those two pipes??
I've been looking hard at this system Doug. I don't have grey water tanks and can't fit one (40 liters) under my Iveco. JohnR states the pipes hold approx. 32 liters grey water. I think I can install this system and step up capacity to 40 liters. Yes the grey water is stored in the pipes until you release or empty them. I think it's a great idea.
If in a Caravan Park that has grey water drains, simply run your hose from one of the taps to the drain. In areas where you must hold the grey water, open the taps at a convenient location later or a hose from one tap to a Dump Point.
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
Seen it done like that on the jayco expanda website. Need to put a breather in. They had a tee at one end with the outlet in that so there was no way to break the valve off.
Pete
Question appears unanswered .. "is it legal to drain grey water on to the road whilst in motion" .... AND, "why would a caravan park ask vanners to drop their grey water "on the dirt road" when leaving" ??
My thoughts: First ... to drain grey water onto the road whilst in motion would have to be grossly illegal. Bloody dangerous.
Second .... No idea ... surely this is an illegal act ... Contaminating the environment??
Just imagine the effects on ground water, flora and fauna, ... imagine the state of the road surface ... grey water implies soap, fats, etc. .????
The van park which I mentioned has over 10km of dirt road to the highway, so in this case it keeps the dust down I'd guess.
My first attempt was utilizing 100ml x 1.75m sewer PVC.My good lady and son did the numbers that showed the holding capacity would only be 13 litres??? A quick mathematical calculation from both the better half and son resulted in moving the goal posts to 2 x 150ml x 1.85m piping to achieve 2/31litres holding. (Total 62 litres)
Methinks it's JohnR that has the pipes. Currently I use a hose to the sullage trap on site ... a bucket for one night stays. To date not stayed at a free camp ... Still looking, still learning the ropes ... Until recently not towed for over 30 years. Are looking at a 20litre drum ... We only have dish water waste ... No toilet, No shower ...
Reading JohnR's post it sounds a good way to go. BUT, returning to the questions .... Surely it is illegal to dump grey water from tanks, etc whilst in motion, and surely it's also illegal to "empty your grey water on the dirt road" as per "Hako's" post?
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[spoiler] May the Road rise up to meet you, May the Sun always shine upon your back, The Wind blow gently upon your face, And the Rain fall gently upon your fields.
Methinks it's JohnR that has the pipes. Currently I use a hose to the sullage trap on site ... a bucket for one night stays. To date not stayed at a free camp ... Still looking, still learning the ropes ... Until recently not towed for over 30 years. Are looking at a 20litre drum ... We only have dish water waste ... No toilet, No shower ...
Reading JohnR's post it sounds a good way to go. BUT, returning to the questions .... Surely it is illegal to dump grey water from tanks, etc whilst in motion, and surely it's also illegal to "empty your grey water on the dirt road" as per "Hako's" post?
Then are all those CP's that have no sullage traps and ask you to water the grass also illegal? Are all those people who run grey water on the lawn at home during droughts also illegal?
I don't think so.
frank
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Avagreatday.
Kathy and Frank currently at Home near Quirindi NSW
Hi there, I free camp all the time , its a rare occasion I go into a cp......I have quite a large GW tank but never close it. I put a bucket under the outlet when I pull up and empty it on vegetation around where I'm camped at least 3 times a day. the only chemicals that leave my MH are ALL environmentally friendly...nothing greasy/ smelly,or yucky goes out my grey water outlet, I have never had an issue anywhere over the last 15 months of travel..... easy! cheers Jamille
Yes, (pipes) are sewer grade PVC the first outlet covers kitchen sink & wash basin.The second pipe outlet covers the shower.
John
I've decided to go ahead and install this system on my Iveco MH John. I think it's very simple and it will work. There will be a few minor variations, one will be to put a breather in one of the pipes, also a TEE in each pipe and join them together. My reasoning here is that the pipe accommodating the shower water will fill up before the second pipe servicing the sink and wash basin. By joining the pipes together, the grey water can be more evenly distributed.
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
A breather is definitely required - ours became blocked and water wouldn't flow into the tank because of the air lock. The other thing needed are non-return valves on each of the source points or at a minimum on the inlet to the storage tanks - stops the odour coming into the RV.
During the drought many South Australians kept their gardens alive using grey water. Provided you ensure your detergent does not contain potassium you're fine. In fact there were wheelie bins manufactured to hold grey water. All was perfectly legal.
The basic idea seems to us to be superb. I am working on a system for our van and at present have adopted an old plastic 20L jerry can which had been damaged and is currently modified to be used as a container we can dump our GW into and then seal it to take to a dump point. 20L will just make it for two days to contain all our GW (that is shower, hand basin and kitchen sink.)
The need for a breather is seen, but what about some internal baffling to prevent surging / slopping movement of 20 - 30 Litres (that is 20 - 30 kilograms mass) and possible effects on driving?
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Cheers - Ian
I slowly realise as I get older that I am definitely NOT the fastest rat in the race.
Also the older I get the more I realise I do not know.
Yes, breather holes have been placed in close proximity to the entry inlets etc. The weight in water is transferred from the fresh water tanks to the grey water holding pipes.However there is no great klms travelled while holding grey water. Last week we were at Murray Bridge that had showgrounds and allowed FULLY SELF CONTAINED RVs only. At the railway station there was a Public Dump Point about 6/7klm away. Powered site cost (electricity only) $10pn. Situation from what I am being told is that National Parks/Metro areas are forcing a policy of "Leave NO Trace". Already paying dividends.
