Montana’s waters are exceptional. Many lakes and streams are crystal clear, with nearly litter free shores and streamsides with healthy riparian areas.
To keep Montana’s waters sparkling, laws regulate the storage and disposal of waste materials from boats and recreational vehicles. The laws are administered in part by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, charged with enforcing the Montana Water Quality Act; Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, responsible for the quality of fish and wildlife habitat, and county authorities.
"It is illegal for an RV to dispose of the waste from their sinks, showers, and toilets by allowing it to drain onto parking lots, camp sites, or while driving on roadways," said Renai Hill, of the DEQ permitting and compliance division. "RV owners and users should ensure that all valves and drain plugs for sinks, showers, and toilets are closed."
Pit toilets and sealed vault toilets such as those found at campgrounds are not approved dump sites.
Nearly 300 RV dump sites are located throughout Montana to make legal waste disposal easy. Some are free, and others are free if you purchase products, or you stay at the site. Contact the facility where you plan to stay ahead of time to be aware of current policy. For a list of RV dump sites in Montana go the FWP web site at fwp.mt.gov on the State Parks page and select Visit a State Park to find the web link.
Boats equipped with toilets or porta-potties must also take extra care to dispose of waste properly. It is illegal to discharge garbage, refuse, waste, grey water or sewage into or near state waters, including irrigation and drainage systems. Because there are so few marine pumpout stations in Montana, boaters should check on the local availability of waste disposal stations before setting out on a trip.
If you observe what you believe to be violations of the Montana Water Quality Act, please try to take photographs of the violation in a safe manner, note any boat registration, RV or vehicle license plate numbers, and then contact DEQ’s enforcement division at 406-444-0379, or call TIP-MONT, Montana’s outdoor crime stopper number, at 1-800-TIP-MONT, that is 1-800-847-6668.
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