Campground sanitation - could not beleive my eyes!

NWTFHunter

Past Missouri Chapter Leaders
Last weekend as we were pulling out of a Kentucky State Park I glanced over at the dump station - we did not need to stop. There were two people with a stack of pots and dishes and they were washing them and rinsing them with the hose for flushing out sewer hoses. The usual waring signs were posted but I guess these folks could not read. Hope they do not get sick! :(
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
Michael, it amazes me too that people do this. I have "gently" explained to I don't know how many people how they are putting themselves in harms way by 'washing their dishes' at the duky station. Often it is tent campers who have no idea what the station is for. Just a couple of weeks ago I shooed an Indian family away from doing this. I just wish I could show them what kinda pigs were there before them. The worse I saw was some idiot who didn't have a dump hose pull his valves and 'HOPE' most of his dump would go into the sloped hole... He said to me "What can I do, I don't have a hose?" I told him Walmart is 20 minutes away and they cost eight bucks ! Signs, what signs, nobody reads them ! As it says " NO POTABLE WATER USE "
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
And how many people have you seen use their white drinking hose to rinse out their sewer hose. Yuk...
 

dieselsweetheart

Well-known member
There's the problem..."potable" water. Hmmmmm....what does THAT mean? I guess I shouldn't take it anywhere so I'll just use it here. Maybe the correct signage would be "POISON"...not for drinking or washing dishes, laundry, etc. It's spelled "E Coli" people~
 

TXBobcat

Fulltime
I was just wondering.. I have lived in the country and used well water.. I have lived in the city and used city water. If you are in a campground and the water faucet at the dump station indicates the water is not potable where did the water come from?

In the country the water in your family well should be drinkable. I know some wells that are drilled and the water is not good or very good and you have to have water hauled in. I found this in some campgrounds in Florida in the keys. They have to have water hauled in. All of the well water is heavy salt water and non useable.

In a city I have never seen water that was not drinkable. Maybe from a fire hydrant but not sure about that. As much as I know the water in all the city's I have lived in is all drinkable.

So is the water at a dump considered non potable because of the location, the hose being used or is the water coming from somewhere other than the city supply.

Now I am not trying to cause an argument or debate. I just want to know where non potable water comes from.

FWIW
BC
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Bob, it's possible that they use reclaimed water like some cities do to water lawns only.
 

dieselsweetheart

Well-known member
and because it's in close proximity of what that area is used for....the chance for the spread of fecal and other bacteria (E coli and such) is relatively high. So it should be considered contaminated water no matter where it came from...it's in the area where human waste is dumped.
 

NWTFHunter

Past Missouri Chapter Leaders
I am sure the non-potable water supply at dump stations is the same water supply as the rest of the campground. It is labled as non-potable due to the close proximity to the dump station. In Ogden, Utah they do have 2 water sources at homes. One is potable in the home, the other is outside and is untreated water for use watering gardens, washing cars, ect... I doubt if any campgrounds in other parts of the country have that.
 

RollingHome

Well-known member
I think Cherly's explanation is the clearest. But here's the test... If you drink the water and 3 days later your name is in the alphabetical list in the obits... ya shouldn't outghta done that BoBo ... By the way, it's the dammest thing. have ya noticed ? We always die in alphabetical order ? How do ya explain that ? One more thing, I was told by a sage old woman, when ya go, ya can't take it with you... If by golly that's true... Then dammit, I ain't going ! Smile folks, it's the weekend, happy RV'ing... n enjoy your summer. T&P
 

Delaine and Lindy

Well-known member
We have seen some very strange things at dump stations. We were in line to use a dump station one time in our first month of RVing but after viewing what takes place. We went on down the road. I have never used a dump station. We don't do any Boondocking or Wally Docking. Always use RV parks, and I dump all tanks before moving and therefore we have no need for a dump station. Holding tanks are just that holding tanks. I have noticed that some are begining to see were some places are charging so hopefully that will eliminate to who have no respect for others. We also take bottled water and very seldom use water while on the road except to do laundry, shower, etc. But again its a choice. Good Luck.. GBY...
 

Cimriver

Well-known member
I am sure the non-potable water supply at dump stations is the same water supply as the rest of the campground. It is labled as non-potable due to the close proximity to the dump station. In Ogden, Utah they do have 2 water sources at homes. One is potable in the home, the other is outside and is untreated water for use watering gardens, washing cars, ect... I doubt if any campgrounds in other parts of the country have that.

Some communities here in Colorado dual systems. It's not common, but some do.

I think it likely that most dump sites have non-potable water is it's proximity to nasty things. It's likely the same water found in other parts of the campground. I know I'm not drinking or washing with it!
 

jayc

Texas-South Chapter Leaders
One of the parks that we stayed in (Colorado) had two water spigots, one with city water or well water and the other with non-potable water. I later learned that they pumped water from the river running in the park to the non-potable lines. It was fine for washing the truck and trailer, but a friend's dog went into the water chasing a stick and got sick after.
 
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