Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:39pm

hello, could you please tell what happens to the waste water from the on board shower, washing up sink and from washing machines. Does it all go into the canal or is it pumped out like the toilet. Thankyou.

Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 9:24pm

We have a small narrowboat which doesn't have a shower or washing machine but the water from our sink and wash basin go straight into the canal.

Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 8:10am

All waste water apart from that from the toilet normally goes into the canal. We keep hearing rumours that the EU will force us to use grey water tanks and pump it out but as of yet it only appears to be discussion and rumours. I also think it will be very difficult to make such a requirement retrospective. Tony Brooks

Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 5:33pm

Thankyou tony b and flicks. I presume that means that bleach is out of the question as i would normally squirt around my home sink and shower tray. Could you please tell me if there is an alternative.

Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 5:49pm

Well, you could try looking at Ecover products or the supermarkets own "green" products but I am wondering what on earth you use bleach in a sink for. Yes, it will remove those horrid brown stains but will probably leave whatever formed them in place to get stained even faster. I find a Brillo pad soon sorts them out. The there is the expensive "pink" stuff advertised for laundry. That is an oxygen bleach. How much bleach do you pour down the sink at any one time? Think about the dilution rate once it gets into the canal. Half a tumbler of bleach mixed into half a million gallons of water - how much harm can that do? Especially as most of us drink chlorinated water every day and cheap bleach is one of things that can be used to sterilise the boat's water system. I think you are worrying unnecessarily but if you want to be "super green" then what you use in the washing machine etc. opens up a whole new set of problem. Not least the extra pollution caused by generating the electricity to run it. My advice is be sensible and keep your use of cleaning materials at a minimum level compatible with the working well. In the UK there are regulations that ensure all detergents etc. do minimal damage to the environment so using so called "green" products may not be as important as many people feel it is. Tony Brooks

Posted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 7:18pm

Thanks for that Tony.