Stealth Grey Water Dumping: Dumping Grey Water On The Ground
It may not be illegal...everywhere. Dumping your grey water tank may be a bit difficult as you never know what the campground or state’s rules and regulations may be. Some say it is okay, while others frown on the act. You will have to check with each state or campground to make sure you know what to do with your grey water.
If you want to be a good neighbor, dump your grey tanks on your own property or in the grey tanks at the dumping stations. While it may not be illegal, grey water does contain food particles, etc., and can be considered black water if you are not careful
To learn more about this issue, just continue to read our article. It has important information you should know about before you open those valves and let the water run free. Take a few minutes to see what is a good habit to get into and what is not.
Dumping Grey Water 101
Can You Dump Grey Water on The Ground?
It will depend on the circumstances and the location of your trailer or RV. It will also depend on who you talk to as many RV owners openly admit that they find places to dump their grey water when they are boondocking.
They do not want to drive for a hundred or more miles to find a dump station that may be off their route. In some regions of the country, this act is very permissible and if there are regulations or laws, they are not enforced.
In some parks and forests, it is okay to do this as long as the water does not run into your neighbor’s camping spot. The problem comes in when there are different items in the grey water like food particles, grease, soap, and so on. These items can turn bad and cause a little damage to the ground or draw in the wrong bugs etc.
The best thing to do is check for local laws and play it by ear. You will see a lot of people doing this if they know they can get away with it.
Is Dumping Grey Water Illegal?
According to another website that has investigated this issue, almost all states have laws banning this practice. Unless you are dumping it into a drain that leads to a sewer.
Then some federal lands like national forests do not have strict regulations and often you are allowed to dump the tank when you are doing disperse camping. It has been said that federal organizations managing federal lands bow to state laws on this issue.
There is an organization called Leave No Trace that recommends that you do not dump your grey water tanks within 200 feet of a river, creek or lake, etc. Which is a good idea as you do not want to pollute the waters and ruin the fishing or other water activities that take place there.
The best thing to do is, as we said before, to check with the campgrounds you are going to stay at and the states you are going to be in to make sure you know their rules.
Stealth Grey Water Dumping
We are not going to recommend or suggest that you break the local laws. However, we will tell you that there are many boondockers who do dump their grey tanks on the ground before they break camp.
They have stated publicly that they do their dumping in the deep woods well away from everyone. Sometimes you do not have to find a hidden spot. You can just talk to different farmers to see if they would allow you to dump your grey water in their fields.
This has been done to the surprise of a few RVing people who are also avid environmentalists. If you are going to do stealth dumping, do it at night so the water has time to evaporate before the sunlight hits the area.
Then, find a very secluded spot away from humans and bodies of water and towns, cities, and villages. That is if you do not feel like hauling 160 plus pounds of waste along with you to your next destination or nearest dump station.
Dumping Grey Water on The Ground
Part of the reason this is looked down upon is the amount of grey water hitting the ground in one spot. Think about it for a moment. If your grey tank is 25 or 40 gallons or whatever, that is a lot of water to dump at one time. The ground may not be able to handle it all.
Then the food and other items will attract insects and other animals to the area who can bother you or those who come to the spot after you. This is not to mention the smell that will arise as those food particles & grease decompose.
You can see why many people would be upset at those who do dump their grey water directly onto the ground. They did not pay their high fees to smell your water or be bothered by bugs and rodents, etc.
But it is your call and if you are caught violating a state law, campground regulation, or even federal rules, the penalty you pay may be severe enough to cut your trip short.
Can You Dump Grey Water on Private Property?
This is a possibility and if you do not own that property, you should get permission from the owner first. Just do not drive onto their land and open up the valve. But there still may be some laws governing this option as well.
Those laws will not be the same from state to state so do not assume you can do it in one state just because you were allowed in a previous state. Some states consider grey water the same as black water although they recognize the fact that it is not as toxic, etc., as black water.
Some people use a screen when they dump to trap food particles and grease, etc. There may be a possibility that dumping grey water on the ground is permissible if the grey water is dripped out at a rate that is immediately soaked up by the ground and there are no foreign objects in it.
Check the state and local laws first but if you get permission, there should be nothing stopping you from doing it.
Can You Dump Grey Water in The Sewer?
Again, we will advise you to check with the state and local communities you are camping in before proceeding with the following information. It seems, according to our research, that it is okay in many states to dump your grey water tanks in a sewer system.
However, it is not okay to dump your tanks in what are designated as storm drains. There is a difference between these two items and you need to identify which is which before you open those valves.
But, again, and we cannot stress this enough, not all states may be on board with this plan and you do need to check the government agencies in your area if it is legal or not. Some people have been fined up to $1000 or more when caught dumping in the wrong area.
We should mention, BLM properties are an example, regulations may not clearly define the terms grey water, wash water, and other types of water. There is a lot of grey area on this topic and wording is very important if you want to stay out of trouble.
Where Can I Dump Grey Water?
There are a lot of legal and approved places to dump your grey water tanks. You just have to be close to one to use one of these locations efficiently and without going too far off your route.
The following list should give you a very good idea and lots of places to go to so that you are not going on long time-consuming detours:
- RV parks and campgrounds. Many facilities that allow RVs to camp also have areas for dumping waste
- Gas stations
- RV dealerships
- Sporting goods stores
- Wastewater treatment plants
- Recycling centers
- Provincial and national parks
- Marinas
There are plenty of websites to help you get the exact locations of these places. They may also have long lists of where you can dump your tanks. Do your research to make sure you can stay on the legal side of RVing life and have a good holiday at the same time.
The fines and penalties you have to pay when caught dumping in the wrong spot, are not worth the convenience. Do your homework to stay out of trouble and have a great holiday
What To do With Grey Water While Camping
The consensus of the owners we read during our research was that you be a nice neighbor and do not dump at your campground or near bodies of water. They felt that hauling your water out to a dump station is the best way to go.
If you do not want to commit an illegal act, then it is best to plan your route where a legal dump station is located and nearby. You do have lots of options if you look at that list so it is better to haul your full grey water tanks to one of those places and be a good example to your kids and others.
Other people do not care where they dump it as they do not like carrying around 160 to 200 pounds of water, approx. when they are fighting to get good gas mileage every time they move to their next destination.
How do You Dump RV Grey Water at Home?
It should be legal to do this at your home but again double-check with your city, county, and state agencies first to make sure they have not passed new laws while you were away making it illegal to do so.
Most states seem to allow you to dump both your grey water and your black water tanks into your home’s septic systems. Now some states may even allow you to dump your grey water on your lawn.
However, they also have rules about how much water can be dumped each day, how fast the flow can be, and so on. You will need to check with those same agencies to find out about those regulations as well.
If you have a very large property, and we are not recommending that you do this, you can pull your RV or trailer somewhere it cannot be seen and dump the grey water tank.
Honey Wagons
They are not sweet nor are they wagons but they are a very good service. These trucks seem to come regularly and go around different campsites looking for RVers willing to pay them to haul away your black and gray water.
It is a good option, if you are lucky enough to be in the campground they service at the time your tanks are full. Their fees are reasonable and it saves you from having to make a tough decision.
Plus, they will save you a lot of money if you pass on their service and try to find a secluded, yet illegal spot to dump. If you are caught, the fines or penalties should be a lot stiffer than a $10 to $30 fee.
Some Final Words
When it is time to dump your grey water tank, be a good neighbor. Find one of the accepted dumping stations and do it there. Or get a portable tank on wheels and haul it by your car to the nearest dump station.
Dumping too much on the ground may be illegal and it sets a bad example for your kids. Be nice to your neighbors and do not do it nearby. You won’t like it if someone did it to you.
