Hello, I am new to the forum. Mr. Dragonfly and I LOVE our boat, we just love it, but it's probably not nearly as classy as what most folks have on this forum - it's more of a really big, glorified, modified party barge than one of those big sexy sleek houseboats. But we love it.

What I wonder, if any one here could give me some ideas, is a solution to our problem. There are a lot of wonderful lakes close to us, within two hours away, that have great marinas -with a boat dump station - but we live literally 5 minutes away from Wright Patman Lake. Which seems to be working as hard as possible to reduce it's services and amenities down to nothing - seriously - it only has one actual marina, and that marina doesn't have a dump station!!!

This is not really a houseboat lake - actually, it's not a houseboat lake at all . (it used to be, it had a real marina with houseboats, but there was a storm some years ago that tore it up and I guess they just shut it down. Boo.) But we would love to use it for overnights once in a while - except, with no dump station, we can't really use the potty because it fills up pretty quick. (I think it's 20 gallons?)

Is there any way we could legally and sanitarily modify a camper dump station? Or some other way we can empty our holding tank? It's so frustrating to have a lake less than 5 miles away and not really be able to use it other than just for afternoon. Well, we could, but if we had to "go" we'd be having to, uh, improvise, and I'm spoiled, I like having facilities on board!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!



edited to add: we are very much novices: there is no dumping of waste in any of the waters in Texas or Arkansas, which is where we are: and all I really know about our little privy is that it's similar to the kind of toilet you find on a camper, and that if there is a proper marina dump station, it sucks out the holding tank just fine and dandy. It uses intake water from the lake, and it goes into the holding tank. Thanks for your patience with my newbie-ness!
dragonfly38886.7034606481

In your situation, there really isn't much you can do with the existing holding tank as far as emptying it. What I'd suggest, is to get a Porta-Potty from any good marine distributor or camping/RV supplier, and use that, rather than using the existing toilet and holding tank that are on the boat. The larger ones have a 5 gallon detatchable tank that can be carried onshore and emptied into a toilet, septic system, etc.

However, if your onboard holding tank is already full - you're in a tough spot!

thanks for the reply!

Our tank is pretty much empty right now, we emptied it right before we took it out of the big lake we had it slipped at until a couple months ago.

That's a good idea about the little potty - I hadn't even thought of that. In fact, that's the kind of potty that originally came with this particular boat, but the first owner modified it and put in this other bigger potty. We would rather use the one that's on it, of course, but - a five gallon would work for little overnights out on this local lake, I think.

For long weekends we plan to just drive to a bigger and nicer lake with REAL marinas anyway, but when you have a lake five miles down the road you want to use it at least once in a while!

thanks again.

I assumed someone with a better answer would respond but here's my guesses.  I dont see why you couldnt get a camper dumping station to work but I've never seen a camper dumping station.  I take it that you'll be pulling the boat out regularly and taking it home.  If it were me, in that case I wouldnt pay a dumping station anyways.  I'd get a drill pump or something similar, rig up dedicated hoses just for this purpose, and just pump your tank into your home sewage system.  My boat still doesnt run so instead of towing it to a dumping station, that's how I emptied my tank when I bought it, worked fine.  

Dragonfly, to further your edited comment on your original posting - there is no dumping of UNTREATED toilet waste from a boat ANYWHERE in the United States. It's a Federal Law, and it went into effect March 31, 1980. If you get caught, there's a $2000.00 federal fine.

However, many areas, particularly both coastlines and the Gulf of Mexico (also Lake Cumberland and a few other Corps. or Engineers lakes in the Kentucky/Tennessee heartland) DO allow waste to be treated via an onboard treatment system, then returned to the water in most areas. Most other popular houseboating Lakes (Lake Powell, Lake Meade, Lake Lanier among them), do not allow the use of treatment systems; they are holding tank-only.

There are certain No Discharge Zones, which are areas where toilet waste may not be returned to the water, whether it's beenTREATED OR NOT. These areas are listed by state, on the following EPA website:

http://www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/regulatory/vessel_sewage/vsdn ozone.html

Generally speaking, any impoundment (lake or reservoir) that cannot be navigated all the way out to salt water (ocean or Gulf) is, by definition, a No Discharge Zone. In addition, most of southern California is a No Discharge Zone. The Florida Keys, the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway and all of Eastern Canada are all No Discharge Zones. Areas along the Massachusetts coastline, portions of Connecticut's coastline, some of New Jersey's coastal areas, all of Maryland's Atlantic coast, Destin Harbor in the Florida panhandle, and the entire state of Rhode Island and its offshore islands are all No Discharge Zones. Chesapeake Bay IS NOT a No Discharge Zone, with the one exception of Herrington Harbor (Herring Bay) on the west bank, south of Annapolis.

All that having been said, in individual marinas, the dockmaster is king! If he says no Lectra/Sans or Purasans in my marina - his word is law. But outside the marina, the federal or state law will apply, and you can use treatment systems there, provided the laws permit them. A prime example is Long Island Sound, between Long Island and Connecticut. Treatment systems ARE legal on Long Island Sound, but most marinas on both shores don't allow them, especially municipal marinas. Holding tanks are legal everywhere, but treatment systems - at least at the present time - aren't. They're only allowed in specified areas.
Vic Willman38911.5533680556

You should be able to connect a macerator pump, like Jabsco unit. These are available from West Marine or any large marine or RV supplier for $100-150 dollars. They can pump over a 100 feet thru a 3/4" garden hose. I use one with my motorhome to dump at home. I use a clean-out trap in a sewer line. Just open it and put hose in to dump. These unit will also pump upward from a holding tank, 4-6 feet I believe.

I just purchased a houseboat. We live on a lake. Will keep houseboat at our dock. I plan to use the macerator pump to empty it.
Old Boater38925.0792708333

They make wheeled carts that are made for duping holding tanks in.

RV store are cheap the boat store

hxxp://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/category g/10001/-1/10001/699/209/11/man/asc/15/grid

hxxp://www.campingworld.com/browse/categories/index.cfm/Outd oor-and-RV-Accessories/Maintaining-Your-RV/Sanitation/Drain- -Flush-Systems/deptID=3:catID=250ubOf=19

hxxp://www.campingworld.com/browse/products/index.cfm/Outdoo r-and-RV-Accessories/Maintaining-Your-RV/Sanitation/Drain--F lush-Systems/ToteAlong-Tanks/prodID=1571

Smiling Jack suggested what I was going to suggest. I have a 35 foot motor homw with a 40 gallon grey water tank and a 35 gallon black water tank. Some RV parks simply don't have sewage at every site, but they do have a central dump site. If you are staying for a long time it's a pain to get the motorhome underway to travel 100 feet to the dumpsite. I went to camping world and bought a 22 gal tank with wheels made just for this purpose. I have found if I fill the 22 gal tank about every other day I only have to make one trip. I can actually tow this tank behind my car so it's easy. These tanks come in aeveral sizes. I bought the small one because it fits in my cars trunk. ANyway I suppose if you hooked up a pump you could pump your holding tank into the portable tank and take it to the nearest place with a dump station.