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Cost of emptying a holding tank


jddevel

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Just a personal point of view. Out of personal choice I`ve a holding tank on our boat which incurs a charge for emptying. Can be up to £25 I believe in some locationd.This would not occur if we had a Elsan. Although I recognise that there is a cost in both labour and fuel in emptying my tank do I not subsidize those who use a Elsan when it comes to the marinas tank cost to empty their tank? I feel I do. Flack expected.

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9 minutes ago, jddevel said:

Just a personal point of view. Out of personal choice I`ve a holding tank on our boat which incurs a charge for emptying. Can be up to £25 I believe in some locationd.This would not occur if we had a Elsan. Although I recognise that there is a cost in both labour and fuel in emptying my tank do I not subsidize those who use a Elsan when it comes to the marinas tank cost to empty their tank? I feel I do. Flack expected.

You probably do subsidise those who use proper boat bogs, but you have a choice and could use one yourself. This boat would cost me around four hundred pounds per year if we used the stupid pump out bog that is fitted but instead we use a proper boat porta potti. I havnt taken the daft macerator out as its a pain in the arse and have done it on previous boats, its also easier for house dwellers when they visit to use but the bathroom is big enough for both bogs so we use a porta potti.

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21 minutes ago, jddevel said:

I not subsidize those who use a Elsan when it comes to the marinas tank cost to empty their tank? I feel I do.

I'd suggest that in fact the majority of cassettes will be emptied at C&RT facilities, which are provided along with water, showers and bins as part of the licence fee.

 

You could argue that you are still subsidising the licence fee, or you could look at it as you are paying for something twice, or, not using something to which you are entitled to (bit like licencing your car and never taking it on the road)

 

Its your money, and still being a 'free country' you can empty your toilet in which ever way you choose.

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As I said expected flack but also said personal choice especially for family not necessarily use to porta pottis. I must admit I understand why they don`t want to stand in a smelly room having to first wash away the previous users "waste". It`s bad enough using a public loo that for some unknown reason some of the human race feel it unnecessary tto leave the loo in a "clean" state.

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I am not sure if I am right on this or not but ...

 

I thought the elsan points just flushed down the normal drainage system but the pump outs go into a big tank that then needs to get pumped out into a tanker.

I see a tanker appear every now and again at the marina where my boat is to empty their tank. I assume they pay for this and that is why they charge you.

I may be wrong on this so apologies in advance.

BMP

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21 minutes ago, jddevel said:

As I said expected flack but also said personal choice especially for family not necessarily use to porta pottis. I must admit I understand why they don`t want to stand in a smelly room having to first wash away the previous users "waste". It`s bad enough using a public loo that for some unknown reason some of the human race feel it unnecessary tto leave the loo in a "clean" state.

its part of license, I dont think you are subsidizing others just because you dont use it. My gym membership allow free classes but I have never been to one, does not mean am subsidising those who use those classes.

I hope CRT allows more bespoke licence in future but it will need additional infrastructure to stop people from using options they dont pay for.

Edited by restlessnomad
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6 minutes ago, jddevel said:

As I said expected flack but also said personal choice especially for family not necessarily use to porta pottis. I must admit I understand why they don`t want to stand in a smelly room having to first wash away the previous users "waste". It`s bad enough using a public loo that for some unknown reason some of the human race feel it unnecessary tto leave the loo in a "clean" state.

It's not flak  - merely folks expressing their strong views on the subject.

I fitted out boat with two loos - both pumpouts - and can get both emptied and flushed on one card. I'm content to pay  a reasonable fee for the reasonable comfort of a large china bowl and a decorated domestic sized seat and cover.

You're welcome to make your own arrangements.

In my youth I helped on a local farm at holiday time with duties ranging from filling and topping 1/2 pint milk bottles and afterwards chasing  the cows out of the milking parlour so that they dicn't soil the floor and runway (pushing them up the ramp -by pulling their tails and shoving their hind quarters. It often failed and there was muck everywhere.

With that childhood experience in mind I settled for  pumpouts on the boat. Much more refined than the cow byre procedure, which equates to bucket-and-chuckit.....

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12 minutes ago, bmp said:

I am not sure if I am right on this or not but ...

 

I thought the elsan points just flushed down the normal drainage system but the pump outs go into a big tank that then needs to get pumped out into a tanker.

I see a tanker appear every now and again at the marina where my boat is to empty their tank. I assume they pay for this and that is why they charge you.

I may be wrong on this so apologies in advance.

BMP

 

Some elsan points are on mains drainage and some drain to a tank which needs to be emptied periodically. Likewise pumpouts, although the larger quantities of effluent which need to be handled at once may mean that a tank is neded where the mains drainage capacity is limited (but an elsan point at the same location would not).

 

At a pump out facility the charge is in part to cover the cost of providing and maintaining the pumpout equipment, and the time of the boatyard staff who do the pumpout, neither of which arises as at DIY elsan point.

Edited by David Mack
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So am I to assume that the marina or boat yard that has both pump out and Elasan facilities have the CRT empty their Elsan facilities free but the holding tank "container" is emptied and charged for? I think you`ll find that both disposal points go into the same collecting tank.

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5 minutes ago, jddevel said:

So am I to assume that the marina or boat yard that has both pump out and Elasan facilities have the CRT empty their Elsan facilities free but the holding tank "container" is emptied and charged for? I think you`ll find that both disposal points go into the same collecting tank.

 

I think that the majority of marinas will be on 'mains drainage' although some of the more remote may not be.

 

Pollution Prevention Guidelines Marinas and Craft: PPG14
 

Sewage effluent must not discharge from onshore installations into controlled waters without the consent of the Agency. Discharges to British Waterways canals will also require British Waterways consent. Discharges to watercourses, the ground or soakaways will require the prior permission of the Agencies.

5. Sewage disposal at marinas
• Where possible, and with prior permission of the local Sewer Provider, connect sanitary stations to the public foul sewer. In remote situations, this may not be possible and an alternative method of sewage disposal (e.g. a septic tank, package sewage treatment plant or cess pit) will have to be considered. These options will require careful attention. Consultation with your local Agency office is recommended.  

• Any sewage disposal facilities will need adequate maintenance to ensure correct operation and to prevent overflows to the environment.  

Do not allow chemical toilet waste to be accepted at stations served by septic tanks and package sewage treatment plants because the chemicals can harm the micro-organisms responsible for treating the sewage.  

• Collect chemical toilet waste separately and tanker it away for disposal to the public foul sewer with the prior permission of the local Sewer Provider. For further guidance on sewage disposal, see PPG4 (Reference 12).
 

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Prices are creeping up but £18 to £20 looks to be the going rate though there are still a few really cheap ones about. Some go into the main sewer, some into a septic tank so the costs for the supplier are variable There is also the cost of stripping the pump to remove blockages when boaters to silly things.

 

A big factor is value for money, some pumpouts do a good job, some are terrible. I much prefer the ones where I go do the job myself.

Assuming a once per month cycle then the cost is about £25 per year which is not a big part of the total cost of boating.

 

I believe CRT are looking at the future at their pumpout machines. A good alernative would be to provide a standard BSP fitting to the sewer so that boaters can do an easy and clean (and I assume free) self pumpout.

 

and tell smelly that a Pumpout is a Proper bog, anything else is pooing into a plastic "boaters briefcase" :)

 

.................Dave

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27 minutes ago, jddevel said:

So am I to assume that the marina or boat yard that has both pump out and Elasan facilities have the CRT empty their Elsan facilities free but the holding tank "container" is emptied and charged for? I think you`ll find that both disposal points go into the same collecting tank.

No. Boatyard facilities are nothing to do with CRT. Boatyards will either be paying the appropriate commercial drainage charges for mains drainage, or paying a contractor to take the effluent away if on a tank system. 

Not many boatyards will allow you to use their elsan point for free unless you are either one of their moorers or are spending money on other things with them.

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1 hour ago, dmr said:

 

and tell smelly that a Pumpout is a Proper bog, anything else is pooing into a plastic "boaters briefcase" :)

 

.................Dave

Best description I've heard for years!:)

A pumpout is so much easier. I'd hate to have to drag my briefcase full of poo along the towpath every few days.

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7 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

Best description I've heard for years!:)

A pumpout is so much easier. I'd hate to have to drag my briefcase full of poo along the towpath every few days.

Let me yet again explain ? You dont have to drag yer poo along the towpath every few days why would you? What happens is you pull up at the elsan mooring, much the same as pulling up at a pumpout mooring and after the quick easy disposal move off boating again whilst the pump out brigade are still unraveling hoses and hoping they work. Simples.

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2 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Let me yet again explain ? You dont have to drag yer poo along the towpath every few days why would you? What happens is you pull up at the elsan mooring, much the same as pulling up at a pumpout mooring and after the quick easy disposal move off boating again whilst the pump out brigade are still unraveling hoses and hoping they work. Simples.

 

Its amazing how many forget that boats can move.

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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

Its amazing how many forget that boats can move.

Yeah. apparently though they only move to pumpout stations, not to elsan points. This is said time after time by the pump out brigade. However of course when frozen in which many full time boaters have been, yes, you can carry yer cassette or barrow it to an elsan point. However you have no chance carry twenty tons of boat under your arm to the frozen up pumpout machine lol.

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43 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

Don't sit so close to the machinery then! :giggles:

A man traveling by plane and in urgent need to use the mens room is nervously tapping his foot on the floor of the aircraft. Each time he tried the mens room door, it was "OCCUPIED".

The stewardess, aware of his predicament suggested that he go ahead and use the ladies room, but cautioned him against using any of the buttons inside.

The buttons were marked "WW, WA, PP and ATR".

Making the mistake that so many men make in disregarding the importance of what a woman says, the man let his curiosity get the best of him and decided to try the buttons anyway.

He carefully pressed the first button marked "WW" and immediately warm water sprayed all over his entire bottom.

He thought, "WOW, the women really have it made!".

Still curious, he pressed the button marked "WA" and a gentle breeze of warm air quickly dried his hind quarters.

He thought that was out of this world! The button marked "PP" yielded a large powder puff which delicately applied a soft talc to his rear.

Well, naturally he couldn't resist the last button marked "ATR".

When he woke up in the hospital he panicked and buzzed for the nurse.

When she appeared, he cried out, "What happened to me?! The last thing I remember is I was in the ladies room on a business trip!"

The nurse replied, "Yes, you were having a great time until you pressed the 'ATR' button which stands for Automatic Tampon Remover... Your penis is under your pillow!"

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1 hour ago, system 4-50 said:

???

The "0" key on my keyboard does not work too well anymoor, it seems sad to get a new laptop due to just one dodgy key, but I do use that "0" quite a lot.

 

.................Dave

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3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

You probably do subsidise those who use proper boat bogs, but you have a choice and could use one yourself. This boat would cost me around four hundred pounds per year if we used the stupid pump out bog that is fitted but instead we use a proper boat porta potti. I havnt taken the daft macerator out as its a pain in the arse and have done it on previous boats, its also easier for house dwellers when they visit to use but the bathroom is big enough for both bogs so we use a porta potti.

It costs us an average of 45p per night for pumpouts Some marinas charge a different rate for boats with pumpouts to take it into account, I feel sure Kings Bromley does

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1 hour ago, Dr Bob said:

Best description I've heard for years!:)

A pumpout is so much easier. I'd hate to have to drag my briefcase full of poo along the towpath every few days.

If your embarrassed about carrying the cassette along to the sanny I wouldn't be. Its really only boaters and campers that know what they are.  As you say just pretend its a briefcase and your off to work at the office with your lunch in it, in a way it has.

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