Only if the RV is located within 200 feet of a stream or waterway.

Of course, the rivers of pig excretements kept in retention ponds flowing into those same watersheds from farms are totally ignored, even though they're most of the problem.

A bit of pedantry here over Pruss' comment, but mobile home parks don't contain RVs, they contain "mobile homes" which are just houses that were manufactured off-site and the financial reality for most of their owners is that their homes aren't at all actually mobile. RV parks are an entirely different beast, and I don't know of any that aren't short-term.

Anyhow yes to requiring pump-out facilities. Of course enforcement will still be an issue but at least it will be there to incentive rather than just punish.

I kinda like trailer parks. We should have more of them. They're so Americana.

Seattle Public Utilities is well aware of the waste problem and, while I don't know the details, I know they're working to provide services to address it. Criminalizing and fining people who already have too little is ridiculous; making low cost shelter cleaner, safer, and more humane is an excellent goal.

The "poor"?

That's what we call tweakers and junkies these days? Kind of insulting to the actual poor.

If ya cain't shit on the Homeless, whotf Can ya shit on?!
Takin' away all the hard-earned Joy here, Libs...

Thanks for that 'rivers of pig excretements' (excretions + excrementings?) comment, Will, which're 'free' to invade our Waterways, anytime we get a '10-year' flood. Private Enterprise, in Action, always wanting to do What's Right.

Unless, of course, it costs a damn dime.
Not to worry, Free Marketeering Enterprisers --
Mr. Impeached Ass is on Your ($$$) (and the Pig's!) Side.

If there are a little over 2000 RVs being used by homeless, and of that only a few are dumping waste (according to Press, at least), then whoever came up with that estimate of 1 million gallons of waste a year is pulling that number out of their ass. Just how much do these "business leaders" think a few hundred people shit in a year? They "guess" a million gallons? That just defies basic math and physics.

Sure, it's gross when homeless people have no viable options than to piss in the streets. Sure, we should have a pumping station for homeless RVers. But there is no way that a few hundred people can create a million gallons of waste a year, and cause any kind of significant environmental impact. That's just made up bullshit scaremongering.

Not just the poop water, but all of the meth chemicals, misc garbage including car batteries, rusting bike frames, paint and other VOCs... You get the picture. And yeah, it's bad for the environment.

@10 -- one might factor in also, trump's Base, and their (boss's) incessant need to flush five ten fifteen! times, so it could start to Really add up.... And don't even get me started on those filthy Dishwahers...

Or -- what would we do, if we happened to live somewhere, somewhere where the Gov't was Pragmatic (no, we're NOT gonna shoot 'em); might we see if there were an answer, somewhere lurking -- like handing out composting toilets with Save the Whales embossed/emblazoned on the side?

a Gardener's delight!
perfect for herb/s

@11 -- Public restroom$?!
I can hear it now:
'Fuck that shit!
Let 'em shit
inna street!'

If Amazon dumped raw sewage into Lake Union you would call it "poop water". King County requires a quarter acre drain field and two tanks the size of small apartments for a rural home. (No, I'm not bitter, not bitter at all...)

wouldn't... I meant. You would also demand that Bezos bathe in it :).

I don'y demonize the homeless but, I sure do the worthless fucks that call themselves city counselors. If you let people rv provide dump stations or collection trucks you fucks.

I like that some delusional fuck can blame Republicans for something in Washington state. Sure. It's Republicans... crazy asshole. Then you all bitch about the companies keeping you liberal morons wealthy. Truly you must be mad that you were too stupid to learn to code.

Yes, we have to provide access to public utilities for people without houses. Mobile parks and tiny house villages are obvious temporary solutions to concentrate services until we can increase low income/public housing up to the demand and in general, undo the conditions that generate poverty and exclusion. Resolving/greatly reducing homelessness is going to demand dismantling 40 years of neoliberal policies responsible for record inequalities combined with defunding public housing, defunding public mental health services, and any other part of the safety net dedicated to offsetting inequalities.

I agree with the writers assertion that a humane solution should be provided. However, this journalist seems to have done very biased research. This issue came about after scientists tested the water and storm drains in Sodo. There’s no mention of that in the article. It’s science.
Also, I’m no Republican but I find it distasteful that the journalist shreds politicians and glorifies the homeless people without actually having interviewed any homeless people for this article. Why not get up off your ass from behind your cubicle and go down to Sotto in interview some people?

"The truth is nobody really knows"

So maybe they are having an effect. No, they don't deserve to be demonized but if they are part of the problem it needs to be addressed.

And you immediately defend homeless slobs at every opportunity. People living in RVs are ruining it for us normals. Yes i just said that! Vacationers and seasonal travellers are losing their ability to see the world because you lefties protect even the most egregious examples of anti social behavior. Living in dilapitated RVs in public space is not cool. And if their broken down rv doesn't run, where are they dumping their poo?

Yeah, whattabout the normals?! It's so hard for us normals to be normal these days.

Thanks Rich for the heads up on this ridiculous legislative proposal. It would be interesting to see if the jerks proposing it have ever supported legislation that addresses stormwater impacts, which are a far greater threat to water quality in Puget Sound, and lakes, rivers and streams throughout our state. It would be helpful if you could mention the Senate and House bill numbers so people can comment on these bills.

@5 "Americana"? Clearly, you've not seen "Sex Education."

I'm all for RV waste killing off the entire GOP, their lawyers, lobbyists, fixers, Russian yes-men, trophy bimbos & bitches, snot-nosed brats, as well as every MAGA rube stupid enough to cheer about losing affordable healthcare, sufficient housing and education, clean tap water and breathable air, the right to vote, and Constitutional rights and civil liberties, such as freedom of reproductive choice.

Thank you, Rich, for another informative article.

Having a space to park vehicles seems like the answer. I live in Vancouver BC and reside in one of two "campgrounds" (trailer parks) in the metro area. It's on First Nations land which is how it stays open despite the land under us being worth millions to a developer. It's a great option for temporary workers (we're a two income professional house hold, but whose contracts are 6-8mo.) Here in BC boat pump out is free (an effort to clean the waterways) and it works. But if you believe "if you can't afford the city get out" then there's no hope.

Why do Stranger writers love having homeless people living in filthy tents and RVs so much? I don't get it.