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Old 04-19-2015, 08:56 AM   #1
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Campgrounds that require sewer hookups

We are lookng to stay at a different CG in or near Naples, FL this Christmas break. Our current one has too many biting bugs that find my wife a good snack. The new CG we like doesn't have a trailer age or size requirement, but does require a black water tank direct hookup to the sewer on site. Our VT has never had a black water tank, so I've looked into installing one. My question, though, is why the direct hookup requirement? No dump station? They don't want to see me empty our Porta Potti every other day? The lady on duty couldn't answer my questions, just saying it was a requirement.
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Old 04-19-2015, 09:01 AM   #2
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Sounds like just a way to make sure you are self contained. Eliminates a lot of small rigs.
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Old 04-19-2015, 09:23 AM   #3
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I agree, I'd bet that their desired customer base is larger/newer and more expensive rigs and they set that as a firewall to keep out what they think of as riff-raff.


Most Campgrounds(?) that impose these requirements have the word "Resort" in their name, aka a code word for $$$$$.



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Old 04-19-2015, 09:37 AM   #4
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Could be-

- dump stations take up site space.

- they don't want to see your gray water tank.

- guests don't usually have to pay for dump station use but sewer hook ups usually cost more.

- they don't want you dumping in the campground bathrooms or on the ground.
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Old 04-19-2015, 10:15 AM   #5
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These are all things that could be true. It isn't high $$$$ or a resort, but the rigs were typically larger. I may just put in a tank this summer and give them a try. Maybe the age and size questions come after the black water tank question! LOL!
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Old 04-19-2015, 10:31 AM   #6
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My bet is that you will not escape the bugs at the different campground anyway.
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Old 04-19-2015, 12:24 PM   #7
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I


Most Campgrounds(?) that impose these requirements have the word "Resort" in their name, aka a code word for $$$$$.
Not entirely true.... there are back country sites that you must have your own self contained grey and black water tanks at as well. They want you to pack what ever you brought in out with you and not dump it on the ground.
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Old 04-19-2015, 12:30 PM   #8
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The P.O.'s campgrounds requirement wasn't to be "Self Contained" but to have a sewer drain to hook up. Can't say I have seen many back country sites with that requirement.


In this case "Self Contained" wasn't sufficient to make the acceptable cut.


Silver Strand State Beach in SoCal requires complete self-containment, but they will accept a porta-potty and allow the grey tank to be external to the rig, as long as it is a closed circuit drain (i.e., not into a bucket.)



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Old 04-20-2015, 09:52 AM   #9
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I thought you are supposed to wait until the black water tank is 75% full to ensure a better flush (???). We never heard of of that requirement.
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Old 04-20-2015, 10:01 AM   #10
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It may be that they just want to avoid dealing with the occasional porta potty user who handles them carelessly or irresponsibly.

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Old 04-20-2015, 10:05 AM   #11
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Biting Bugs

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Originally Posted by Kevin A View Post
We are lookng to stay at a different CG in or near Naples, FL this Christmas break. Our current one has too many biting bugs that find my wife a good snack. The new CG we like doesn't have a trailer age or size requirement, but does require a black water tank direct hookup to the sewer on site. Our VT has never had a black water tank, so I've looked into installing one. My question, though, is why the direct hookup requirement? No dump station? They don't want to see me empty our Porta Potti every other day? The lady on duty couldn't answer my questions, just saying it was a requirement.
Kevin,

I hadn't thought about it before your post but our campground has few biting bugs. The worse offenders and those with the worse bites are tiny fire ants.

Most people in our campground have their lots sprayed for fire ants a few times a year. My guess is that generally keeps all kinds of bugs down.

As well we have a huge gecko population, I'm sure at least 10 can be found on our lot at any one time occasionally one will enter the house. They are rocket fast and virtually uncatchable with the human hand.

What ever the case mosquitoes, small gnats and the like are rare. Since the park does not spray, about the only place to find fire ants is on the common areas of our park. One year while painting some poles I got 5 bites, it's taken two years for the bite marks to disappear.

A park where they spray for fire ants may reduce the bug exposure.
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Old 04-20-2015, 10:05 AM   #12
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Right.... But how do they deal with the even more frequent stinky slinky user that drips effluent when disconnecting and then leaves that for the next occupant??



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Old 04-20-2015, 10:09 AM   #13
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The P.O.'s campgrounds requirement wasn't to be "Self Contained" but to have a sewer drain to hook up. Can't say I have seen many back country sites with that requirement.

In this case "Self Contained" wasn't sufficient to make the acceptable cut.

Silver Strand State Beach in SoCal requires complete self-containment, but they will accept a porta-potty and allow the grey tank to be external to the rig, as long as it is a closed circuit drain (i.e., not into a bucket.)
LOL semantics Bob. What the OP indicated is that the campground "require a black water tank direct hookup to the sewer on site." Pretty hard to be able to direct connect to a sewer dump without a black water tank.

As with all things there are various ways that the operator of an area may choose to define self contained.

As has been reported by other members here in the past, there are state and national parks as well as private campgrounds both in the US and Canada that do not consider a trailer with a porta potty to be self-contained.

In my experience camping in the US and Canada it is far more probable you will be turned away from a location due to having an external grey water system as you described before you will be turned away for only having a porta potty, particularly if there is a lot of wild life in the area.

Most state and national parks have dish washing stations or dish water dumping drains for use by those who are camping in tents - they want those in trailers that do not have fixed grey water tanks to wash their dishes as a tent camper would and dispose of the dirty water at the tent campers washing station or drains set up for such, rather than using their own external holding system.

Most back country locations do not have dish washing stations which is why they want people to have a fixed grey water tank on their trailers or truck campers thus reducing the amount of grey water being dumped around the area.

And yes I have stayed in back country location where a neither a portable grey water system or a porta potty were permitted by the folks responsible for overseeing the area. Fear is that if either is a portable tank their is a greater risk of it being dumped inappropriately in the area and that the volume dumped will be much higher than the volume one would expect from someone who is back packing/tenting.
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Old 04-20-2015, 10:22 AM   #14
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Right.... But how do they deal with the even more frequent stinky slinky user that drips effluent when disconnecting and then leaves that for the next occupant??
Well as we all know you can't fix stupid.

One would hope though that a campground that does have actual sewer hook ups at site also has a staff that checks and cleans up such messes before the next camper arrives. Thats harder for them to do in campgrounds that do not have dumps at each campsite (which is more often than not the case when camping at State and Provincial parks outside of large urban areas) and people simple dump their tanks or washing basins in the bush beside the campsite.

I have found the later situation far more common than it has been to arrive at a campsite with an on site sewer dump that has been left a mess.
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Old 04-20-2015, 10:33 AM   #15
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Well, the opening issue on this thread was black water, not grey, but since we've broadened it...
In some states they actually want you to dump dishwater on the ground.
I think it was an Ohio state park recently where they had a metal ring placed in each campsite where you were directed to dump dishwater to water the plantlife. Presumedly they moved it around periodically.

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Old 04-20-2015, 11:07 AM   #16
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Those metal (or concrete) rings are often built on top of gravel pits installed to improve drainage and prevent ground water from collecting. Same thing is usually done at water faucets in camp sites.



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Old 04-20-2015, 11:17 AM   #17
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Thanks Bob. Maybe so, but I don't recall it looking like that.

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Old 04-20-2015, 11:29 AM   #18
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The rings are usually 12"-18" wide and all you see is the top few inches. There is often soil and/or sand on top to cover the gravel but the water can quickly drain through that. There are untold soaps and detergents that will do significant damage to local plants if just dumped and allowed to soak into adjoining soil.


But then, in some areas the natural plants may be so far gone that grey water isn't an environmental concern.



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Old 04-20-2015, 11:51 AM   #19
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Sounds like you are very familiar with them, so I'm guessing you are right. Seems odd to set that system up when there's a dump station nearby, but I guess it adds convenience for those in a site for an extended period (or small holding tanks).

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Old 04-20-2015, 12:33 PM   #20
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Most state and national parks have dish washing stations or dish water dumping drains for use by those who are camping in tents - they want those in trailers that do not have fixed grey water tanks to wash their dishes as a tent camper would and dispose of the dirty water at the tent campers washing station or drains set up for such, rather than using their own external holding system.
I have never found any state park in the Midwest [Mn,Wi ,Mi] that had a station for washing dishes and very few with laundry facilities. The problem is that you are not allowed to dump grey water on the ground ,in the pit privies ,in the shower house sinks or toilets or use it to put out campfires. They want you to dispose of grey water at the dump station which is often a 1/2 mile from the campsites /campgrounds . I understand the rules but why do they make it so difficult to comply?
How many people are going to carry a pan of dishwater 6 blocks to dispose of it.?!
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