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Definition
Grey water
Grey water is the waste water from both the sink(s) and the shower.
Black water
This is the water that comes specifically from your toilet
How much do I need to hold?
A common question for first timers is “What is grey water?” and “What is black water?” While this is an excellent question, and one I will answer shortly, the real question is “How much waste water will I need to hold?”
When traveling you want to make sure you have enough tank space for your adventure, for us we like the ability to have the kids use the restroom while driving, that way there is literally no need to stop, we can take one long trip from one destination to the other. For our purpose we opted for a larger fresh water tank and larger waste tanks in our RV. If you plan on boondocking more then you will want larger tanks (and maybe an external tank) as well because you will be completely self sufficient while at your destination. On the other hand if you think you will spend more time at the paid parks then you will not need to have larger holding tanks, because you will have sewer hookups just outside your rig.
Grey water
Like in the definition Grey water is the water used for washing dishes, taking showers and using the sink in the bathroom. This water is normally very oily due to dishes being cleaned in the sink, although not toxic, it can have a very pungent smell, this is not water that you would want to empty just any where.
There are many different ways to dispose of your grey water. believe it or not but there are some bloggers out there that have used grey water for their gardens and even gone as far as using it with fertilizer, I personally haven’t tried this method but with enough research I don’t see why its not possible.
Grey water is really the same water that would come out of the drain of your kitchen sink. When we are dumping our tanks we normally dump the black water first, then when we empty the grey water afterwards. Doing it in this order allows us to clean the waste hose out of all the fluids that comes from the black water tank.
Black water
Black water is the fluid held in your black water tank and contains the waste from your toilet. Naturally this is the water you don’t want to have over flow on you. The only way to properly dispose of black water is by the use of a dump station or by calling a septic tank company that can come to you to have it disposed, either method normally has a cost.
While traveling we use the app “RV parky” as well as a website called campendium.com both are free and have a wealth of locations to not only camp, but find water and dump sites. We found several dump sites ranging from gas stations to rest stops, on average we spent $8-$15 when we had to dump our waste water. There were a few instances where we found free dump sites, but those were few and far between, if you find one just think of it as a bonus.
When at a paid campground they normally have water and sewer hook up right next to your parking pad and then you can use as much as you want.
When traveling you may have some waste water sitting in your tank, while driving that water does slosh around and you may even notice a smell, well like everything else there is a product for that. While traveling in our motor-home we have had been in the situation where we were on the road and had to deal with this smell, and let me tell you we all noticed it. When we first started Rving we had no idea that this would even be an issue, but we learned quickly that we need to use a product that helps eliminate the smell.
When using any kind of cleaning product you want to make sure you are using the correct amount, again we have tried and failed in this avenue, at first we used too much and just wasted a fairly expensive item, then we used to little and it didn’t make much difference, but when we actually read the label and used it properly, we were very happy with the results, this again is one of those things you “wish you had it when you need it.” It comes in both liquid and tablet form (we have used them both and were happy with the results), easy to use and saves your nose while traveling.
How to dump your waste water
When setting up your hoses you want to have a few things in place before you decide to empty the tanks.
1. Make sure your hoses are properly connected. On your waste discharge port there are 2 small plastic points that stick out (see picture below) make sure your hose is properly secured to the waste port by turning the cap till fully locked, you will feel a snap when it is properly secured.
2. Make sure your hose is not crimped and has a straight shot to your dump site.
3. Make sure the end of the dump hose is properly secured to the sewer (dump site). most sites have a screw on pipe that allows you to properly secure your hose to the dump site. But I HIGHLY recommend getting a hose holder for the situation where the waste hose just sits on the dump site. I have had an experience where I didn’t have the hose secured and when I pulled the drain plug from my black water tank the hose popped off and there was fluid everywhere, there is nothing worse than a dump hose coming loose while the fluids are being ejected from your RV, Trust me I have been there, it wasn’t pretty.
Always make sure you have the proper hose for your needs. When choosing a hose make sure you get one that has an extension (like the one pictured Right). The reason is you never know if your going to be 5 feet from your sewer or have to stretch out to 15′ to 20′ away, when deciding on any purchase for a trip a great rule to remember is, get more and or longer than you think. We made this mistake in the beginning when we purchased a 10′ waste hose and weren’t able to reach the dump station at a park we stayed at.
Although not completely necessary we found that having a nice gradual decline form our RV to the dump station made things much easier when using our hose. You can place your hose directly on the ground and dump, but just know that in most cases the pipe that sticks out of the ground that goes to the sewer normally isn’t flush with the ground and you may have to lift up your hose to get all of the waste out. We purchased the sewer hose support and have used it every time we have to empty the tanks. It’s the little things that make Rving easy and more enjoyable.
During our travels I learned the hard way what happens when you don’t have your hose properly secured, long story short, it was messy. Afterwards I made sure to get something that would hold the end of the hose to the ground drain pipe. We found this cool little guy, its a pig that fills with water to weigh down the end of the hose if there is no threads to secure it to, kinda cool, comes in many colors and a great conversation starter for other Rvers
A great thing to have if you have a few extra bucks, is a back up external holding tank for black water. Having extra gallons as a back up is always a good idea, this will help you in the rare occasion that your tank is full. Keep in mind if your tanks are beyond capacity the only place for the fluid to go is up, you may have read horror stories of people having their black water tank overflow and having it all over the RV, not a pretty picture, this comes from lack of understanding of how the system works, but now that you know how it all works you are in for a much better experience.
Cleaning your tanks
There are two ways to clean and treat your black water tank. After you empty your waste I would recommend flushing the tank to remove anything that is still sticking around. This can be done a few different ways, if you have a newer RV this can be done with the flush adapter like ours pictured below, you simply hook up a water hose and there is a nozzle that is mounted inside your tank, when water pressure is applied the nozzle sprays in multiple directions and cleans out the tank. Always make sure your waste hose is connected to a dump site before flushing out your tank. The advantage of having a hose with clear ends (like the one above) is you can actually see when the water comes out clear, it takes the guess work out of the equation.
If you do not have a built in nozzle for cleaning out your tank you can purchase a tank sprayer that connects to a water hose, with this type you can clean your tank from the inside of your RV.
I would recommend cleaning out your tanks with water whenever you get a chance, we do it every time we flush if the park or site allows, at some locations they do not allow you to flush your tanks. There is always going to be that one person that over uses the dump site and causes the tanks to over flow, some places have made it a policy to not allow flushing, always follow camp rules on flushing.
When flushing your tank NEVER use your fresh water hose! When cleaning your tank you will be feeding directly into your black water tank, you never want to have water flow back into your clean hose you use for washing your body and cleaning the dishes. We use a simple flex hose that takes up little storage and works great for cleaning the tanks.
What we do to help keep the water flowing
I use screens in my sinks to keep anything solid from going into my grey and I always wipe out my greasy pans with paper towels to get all the grease out of them before I wash them.
Also, we never put tissue paper in our toilet , ( black tank) we throw it in the trash.
After we dump the black tank we pour a gallon of water down the toilet and an enzyme tablet to help kep it clean (little things like this helps save thousands in the long run)
If your black tank sensors are not reading proper levels, then pour some fabric softener in it as well, it will clean your sensors then flush the tank for a through cleaning.
I truly hope that this has helped you better understand what Grey and Black water is, as well as how to use and dispose of it, If you have any questions let me know in the comment box below, till next time!
Products mentioned in this blog
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