Grey water disposal filter

[donkey]

So what do you do with the bag of soggy contaminated grass?

Geoff

 

[poppycamper]

So what do you do with the bag of soggy contaminated grass?

Geoff

Throw it under hedgerow

 

[hblewett]

It looks to me like they have invented something nobody needs in the hope that some people will realise they can’t manage without one and think they have to have one.

 

[Peregrinator]

Re:an advert seen in Camping and Caravanning Magazine May 2023.

Caravan Grey Water Disposal System | Mac Products

Mac Products bring you the Grey water disposal system that's easy to clean and with no need for a grey water container or caddy. find out more today.

www.greywaterdisposal.com

The essence is that you drain your grey water through a filter direct into the ground (not onto the ground). I'm not convinced, and would sites allow it? Anybody tried one?

Bit of a con really, I can see that blocking all the way up to the shower tray, then some very smelly over flowing.

 

[dabhand]

Empty into a bucket and wash wheels and windscreen, no probs

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[Guigsy]

Bit of a con really, I can see that blocking all the way up to the shower tray, then some very smelly over flowing.

Only if you fill your entire grey tank first. There's quite a bit of buffer.

 

[MisterB]

Food waste attracts rodents.

No more so than bin bags left outside motorhomes overnight and overflowing bins. It would also be in such a small quantity due to a filter. In comparison to the mountains of waste around the UK feeding urban foxes, rats etc I personally don't see a problem with filtered water being discharged into hedgerows.

A positive side though would be that field mice etc provide tasty breakfasts for birds of prey, so perhaps it's a bit like having a bug hotel to help feed wild birds.

 

[Pausim]

Grey water does not need filtering before going in a hedge. The tiny amounts of food waste are well diluted and compostable, they will either feed the ground or wildlife.

 

[Minxy]

There was a thread about this a while ago with similar comments.

 

[gpat]

Grey water does not need filtering before going in a hedge. The tiny amounts of food waste are well diluted and compostable, they will either feed the ground or wildlife.

I think this is correct up to a point. However it depends upon the volume and load that is applied to the hedge. For decomposition an area needs oxygen and time. Bug eats the organic matter. However, if you overload the hedge, then the bugs will not be able to do it fast enough because they will not be able to multiply quickly enough and/or they will run out of oxygen. The phenomena is known as biological oxygen demand and is a critical environmental measurement.

So. The odd bucket of grey waste in a hedge is fine. Too much and the area will become waterlogged and also the BOD will be too much. Once the BOD becomes too high then anaerobic (bugs that don't need oxygen) digestion will begin. This is bad and will lead to bad smells.

As is always the case, everything in moderation

Biochemical oxygen demand - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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[Peregrinator]

Grey water does not need filtering before going in a hedge. The tiny amounts of food waste are well diluted and compostable, they will either feed the ground or wildlife.

What about the oil & washing up liquid? most are not good for the environment.

 

[Pausim]

What about the oil & washing up liquid? most are not good for the environment.

We use cooking oil very sparingly but it is biodegradable and most will decompose within 28 days. We always use Ecover washing up liquid which has plant based ingredients and is again biodegradable. Neither will cause harm to the hedges. One CL we visited in Kent asked for all the grey water to be emptied on his newly planted fruit trees, he would not be doing this if it was going to harm them.

 

[Peregrinator]

We use cooking oil very sparingly but it is biodegradable and most will decompose within 28 days. We always use Ecover washing up liquid which has plant based ingredients and is again biodegradable. Neither will cause harm to the hedges. One CL we visited in Kent asked for all the grey water to be emptied on his newly planted fruit trees, he would not be doing this if it was going to harm them.

"he would not be doing this if it was going to harm them" well he see in twenty years time if it was a good idea, it is the degreasers that are the problem, they destroy the portective waxy coating on the leaves and roots.

 

[gpat]

We use cooking oil very sparingly but it is biodegradable and most will decompose within 28 days. We always use Ecover washing up liquid which has plant based ingredients and is again biodegradable. Neither will cause harm to the hedges. One CL we visited in Kent asked for all the grey water to be emptied on his newly planted fruit trees, he would not be doing this if it was going to harm them.

Will you visit again in 20 years and report back to FUN

"he would not be doing this if it was going to harm them" well he see in twenty years time if it was a good idea, it is the degreasers that are the problem, they destroy the portective waxy coating on the leaves and roots.

I agree. The odd bit wont harm but it would not be good to use water with detergents in for any sustained period or in great volume. The degreasers have an element of biodegradability. It will be very slow though, like it is with oil.

 

[Pausim]

There are many serious environmental issues that need resolving but grey water in hedgerows is not one of them.

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[Peregrinator]

It's the acceptance of such issues that make it so serious.

 

[Helgamobil]

Oops just found this thread - but have just posted exactly the same question again about these filters!
Some research: Apparently the filter itself is the same as used in fishtanks to filter out food/fishpoo/other debris. They do supply a longer pipe, to disperse grey water into adjacent hedgerow or ditch (although a bit grumpy about it)
Pity the supplier isn't more communicative, doesn't give an address (they are in Suffolk) and more detail about the filtration system.
I agree with others who wipe plates and pots/pans out before washing up onboard, best practice, and as we all had to chuck our washing up and bathwater into the garden during the drought years, I am not squeamish about filtered grey water in hedgerows - just not directly on to pitches.

 

[Guigsy]

We've got some big planters and potted plants on our home driveway. We frequently dump a couple of Wastemasters of grey water into them when we arrive home. Don't have issues with smell (even when the water is pretty soupy and flagrant). Greener than dumping it in the drain. Hydrangeas are thriving.

 

[BusyBuilder]

Ours goes on grass and beech hedge, being doing the same for 8 years, it's all doing very well.

 

[HugoBNB]

That's not easy on a cl where there isn't one.

I thought they had to have waste facilities to qualify as a CL. Is this not so?

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[Nigel Crompton]

The output from our domestic bio-digester irrigates our olive & fruit trees ...

 

[Pausim]

I thought they had to have waste facilities to qualify as a CL. Is this not so?

The minimum requirements are drinking water, chemical waste disposal and dry rubbish disposal. No mention of grey water on CAMC web site that I can see. One or two we have visited have drive over grey water disposal but not many. Those on main drainage may not mind it going in the chemical dump but most of those with cess pits and septic tanks would rather it went anywhere but in there. More than once we have been asked to specifically water fruit trees or newly planted hedges with our grey water.

 

[hja]

The minimum requirements are drinking water, chemical waste disposal and dry rubbish disposal. No mention of grey water on CAMC web site that I can see. One or two we have visited have drive over grey water disposal but not many. Those on main drainage may not mind it going in the chemical dump but most of those with cess pits and septic tanks would rather it went anywhere but in there. More than once we have been asked to specifically water fruit trees or newly planted hedges with our grey water.

On a CS now , grey water into the hedge. Some CLs and CSs have a specific drain for grey waste which with a van can be a bit of a pain if you can’t get close enough to put a pipe across. The vast majority we visit put it in the hedge. I prefer to attach our pipes and leave connected except when we take the van out, so we get a gradual drain rather tha a lot at once. But CLs and CSs must have fresh drinkable water and elsan point.

 

[scotzsue]

Into hedgerows is usually ok but imagine all the vans at a massive rally trying to get their waste water into the ground. Bad enough having to be towed off because of rain without making it worse

 

[CherylnMick]

We have been on rallies and seen people use a 6 inch piece of plastic pipe filled with grass that does the same thing. Nothing new really

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[cyberyacht]

I always ask at CL's what the 'grey waste policy' is. Have about 6M of hose to redirect as required.

 

[Reallyretired]

At home our coffee grounds always dumped in a flower bed apparently its great for the plants and also discourages slugs.

 

[Pausim]

At home our coffee grounds always dumped in a flower bed apparently its great for the plants and also discourages slugs.

Yes slugs are tea drinkers.

 

[Phill D]

Yes slugs are tea drinkers.

Our slugs are beer drinkers

 

[OldAgeTravellers]

got wheels & an engine

Is that why it cost so much?

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