Toilet Chemicals

RV enthusiasts have used a variety of chemical products over the years to help decompose effluent in the waste holding tanks of our RVs. Used primarily to help control odors and to assist with the breakdown of solid waste, these holding tank agents have traditionally been based on different chemical compounds. In this age of environmental awareness, it was only a matter of time until bio-friendly alternatives began appearing on RV dealers’ shelves.

For many years, Environment Canada and other groups have expressed concern over holding tank chemical treatments that stop or inhibit biological action in septic tank systems, and which may eventually find their way into ground water and run-off. When waste from the RV is pumped out at a campground’s facilities, it goes directly into the campground’s septic system. Any chemical additives used to control odor in the holding tanks are also flushed into the septic system. Some products have the potential to kill the useful aerobic bacteria working to break down waste in the septic tank, and seriously impede or even stop the action all together. To increase problems further, some of these chemicals may not be destroyed in municipal sewage treatment facilities and thus, ultimately find their way into lakes, rivers and streams.

Most problems stem from dumping too much, too soon. Many RVers dose their tanks with the recommended amount of chemical for the total size of the tank, then pump out the tank before it is full, therefore discharging a larger concentration of the chemical than intended. When everyone at a large rally leaves a camping facility on the same day, and they all dump their full tanks prior to departure, the septic system can become overloaded. Some sources suggest campgrounds can protect against this situation by installing an additional holding tank before the septic system. RV wastes discharged into this holding tank could be introduced into the septic system gradually, thus preventing too much effluent from entering the septic system at once and overloading it. But few campgrounds are set up in this manner, and the cost to install another tank and pumps is significant.

The simpler answer is to look at the chemicals themselves. Enzyme-type holding tank treatments have attracted considerable attention because they do not negatively impact septic systems, even when introduced in large doses (such as when everyone pumps out at the end of a large rally). Enzymes act as a waste digester, and thus will not upset waste treatment systems. Enzymes work in both black and gray water tanks to decompose solids. They are designed to become a feedstock for good bacteria that will help break down the effluent in the tanks.

New biodegradable products that utilize natural enzyme action to control waste odors are now offered by several manufacturers. Many of these products carry a special Camp Green Canada certification. The Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS), the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, and the Environmental Protection Branch of Environment Canada, have co-operated to form Camp Green Canada as a logo to indicate to consumers that a product is environmentally non-threatening. Manufacturers interested in receiving this certification, and therefore be able to use the Camp Green Canada logo in their advertising and on packaging, submit their products to Environment Canada’s partner testing agency (Terra Choice Environmental Services) for evaluation. If the product meets the program’s criteria, certification is awarded. It is an expensive process, with an additional annual fee to maintain certification status once awarded, so not all manufacturers choose to participate in the program.

Environmentally-friendly holding tank chemicals are liquids or powders that typically contain enzymes and beneficial bacteria that decompose and liquefy organic waste, oils, greases and toilet tissue. These beneficial bacteria make their own enzymes to decompose human waste safely and effectively. Because the decomposition process is efficient, there should be no unpleasant odors in the RV to worry about. The beneficial bacteria thrive because harmful chemicals are...

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