Camping 101: Dos and don’ts with toilet cassettes and dump points

By Michelle Gilmore
August 8, 2023
Camping, Camping Tips, RV Travel & Know How

“Hello Camps

Thanks for your regular updates and particularly the one on Camping 101- Dos and Don’ts.

Can I suggest you add another item to the list: toilet cassette etiquette:

We have been travelling for 3 months now most of that time has been spent in the NT.

A couple of weeks ago we witnessed a women prepare her toilet cassette resting it on the power and water pillar shared by 4 sites in a caravan park. She then proceeded to fill a water bottle from a point on the pillar that was not hers and put the bottle down the neck the outlet from the cassette, ie touching the cassette with the bottle that had just touched the tap. This action and likely cross contamination is how illness and disease get spread but she had no idea what she was doing even after we pointed this out to her (although that doesn’t explain why she wasn’t doing the prep at her own van).

Other things we have witnessed are a lot of people put the hose down the neck of cassette outlet when rinsing the cassettes at dump points. The next person comes along and touches the end of the hose unaware of where it’s been.

We also saw a hire campervan filling its water tank from the hose at a dump point.

It would seem there is a fair bit of education required in this area for some campers?

Thanks and keep up the good work enjoying your travels.”

Narelle

Thanks Narelle – that is a lot of “no-nos”. If anyone is unfamiliar this article explains ‘What is a dump point?’ and the difference between grey water and black water.

There is a list of all the public dump points in Australia in the back of our guides, and on the CAMPS AUSTRALIA WIDE App. Note – although the majority are free, some have a donation or fee attached. For instance at a caravan park, guests might not need to pay, but management may ask non-patrons to contribute.

Tips for emptying cassettes and using dump points:

Park as closely as possible, especially if you have a holding tank. If you have a holding tank, aim the hose at the dump point and drain your tank.
Often there is a hose or tap located at a dump point. Rinse your cassette after draining contents.
After each emptying use a chemical treatment to minimise odours (you don’t want that permeating your RV).

Do keep any hose or outlet away from each other so they are not touching at the dump point.
Rinse the dump point so there is no residue.
Follow any signs.

The golden rule is ‘leave no trace’.
Wash your hands with soap thoroughly afterwards. Consider using gloves and boots – and rinse them off, too!
IMPORTANT, don’t put Wet Wipes or any other non biodegradable material down the Dump Point. These will block the Dump Point and make it unusable.

Following these tips will not only please other campers, they may also keep you healthy!