Title 32
Parks and Recreational Areas

Chapter 7
Recreational Vehicle Parks and Campgrounds Act

R.I. Gen. Laws § 32-7-11

§ 32-7-11. Sanitary conveniences.

The following standards shall apply to recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds. All sanitary conveniences shall be installed in accordance with this code:

(1) Sewage facility approval: Each sewage disposal system material and design layout shall be approved by the authority having jurisdiction.

(2) Material and design: Flow rates shall be calculated at a rate of sixty (60) gallons per site per day for individually sewered sites.

(3) Sewer inlet connections at individual recreational vehicle unit sites:

(i) When provided, the sewer connections for individual recreational vehicle sites shall be located so as to minimize damage by the parking of recreational vehicles or automobiles.

(ii) The connection shall consist of an inlet extending vertically to grade. The minimum diameter of the sewer inlet shall be four (4) inches and shall be provided with a four-inch (4) inlet or a minimum three-inch (3) fitting.

(iii) The sewer inlet pipe shall be firmly imbedded in the ground and be protected against damage from heaving or shifting and the entrance of surface water. It shall be provided with a tight-fitting plug or cap to be used when the site is vacant.

(iv) The sewer inlet pipe shall not be required to be individually vented, regardless of the use of the traps at each inlet.

(v) A drain connector shall be sealed and fitted to the camping unit inlet connector.

(4) Recreational vehicle sanitary disposal stations:

(i) One recreational vehicle sanitary disposal station shall be provided for each one hundred (100) recreational vehicle sites, or parts thereof, that are not equipped with individual sewer connections.

(ii) Each station, where provided, shall be convenient to access from the service driveway and shall provide easy ingress and egress for recreational vehicles.

(iii) Unless other approved means are used, each station shall have a concrete slab with a center drain inlet located so as to be on the driveway (left) side of the recreational vehicle.

(iv) The slab shall be not less than three (3) feet by three (3) feet, at least three and one-half (3½) inches thick, and properly reinforced, the surface of which is trowelled to a smooth finish and sloped from each side inward to a sewer inlet.

(v) The sewer inlet shall consist of a four-inch (4), self-closing, foot-operated hatch of approved material with a tight-fitting cover. The hatch body shall be set in the concrete of the slab with the lip of the opening flush with its surface to facilitate the cleansing of the slab with water. The hatch shall be properly connected to a sewer inlet that shall discharge to an approved sanitary sewage disposal facility constructed in accordance with ANSI A119.4 section 4-8.1.

(5) Holding tank flushing facilities: Where holding tank flushing facilities are provided by the operator, the following standards shall apply:

(i) Holding tank flushing facilities shall consist of piped supply of water under pressure, terminating in a valved outlet located and installed to minimize damage by automobiles or recreational vehicles. The flushing device shall consist of a properly supported riser terminating at least two (2) feet above the ground surface with a three-quarter (¾) inch valved outlet to which is attached a flexible hose.

(ii) The water supply to the flushing device shall be protected from backflow by means of a listed vacuum breaker located downstream from the last shutoff valve.

(iii) Adjacent to the flushing arrangement there shall be posted a sign of durable material, not less than two (2) feet by two (2) feet in size, and inscribed in clearly legible letters with the following: “DANGER — NOT TO BE USED FOR DRINKING OR DOMESTIC PURPOSES” or other similar warning.

(iv) There shall not be any cross-connection between the holding tank flushing facilities and the potable water system. If the flushing facilities do not have a separate water source entirely, such facilities shall be separated from any potable system by an air gap or a backflow device.

(6) Sanitary facilities:

(i) Toilets shall be provided at one or more locations in every recreational vehicle park or campground, except at primitive and semi-primitive campgrounds.

(ii) In recreational vehicle parks and semi-developed and developed campgrounds, a minimum of one toilet shall be provided for each sex up to the first twenty-five (25) dependent sites. For each additional twenty-five (25) dependent sites, not provided with sewer connections, an additional toilet for each sex shall be provided. No public toilets are required if all sites serve only self-contained recreational vehicles.

(iii) Chemical and recirculating toilets shall be of an approved type.

(iv) Where provided, porta-johns shall be an approved type.

(v) Toilet facilities shall have convenient access and shall be located within a five-hundred-foot (500) radius from any camping units not provided with individual sewer connections.

(vi) If water flush toilets are provided, an equal number of lavatories shall be provided for each two (2) toilets, when more than six (6) toilets are required. Each lavatory basin shall have a piped supply of potable water and shall drain into the sewage system.

(vii) If separate facilities are provided for men and women, urinals shall be acceptable for no more than one-third (⅓) of the toilets required in the men’s facilities.

(viii) Each female toilet room shall be provided with a receptacle for sanitary napkins. The receptacle shall be durable, nonpervious, and readily cleanable material and should be provided with a lid.

(ix) Toilets shall be of a listed type and shall be provided with seats with open fronts.

(x) Each toilet shall be in a separate compartment and shall be provided with a door and latch for privacy and a holder or dispenser for toilet paper. Dividing walls or partitions shall be at least five (5) feet high and, if separated from the floor, shall be by a space of no more than twelve (12) inches.

(xi) Toilet compartments shall be not less than thirty (30) inches in width and there shall be not less than thirty (30) inches of clear space in front of each toilet.

(xii) Each toilet building shall have a minimum ceiling height of seven (7) feet.

(xiii) Facilities for males and females shall be appropriately marked, including “unisex” facilities, where provided.

(xiv) Unless artificial light is provided, the total window or skylight area shall be equal to at least ten percent (10%) of the floor area.

(xv) Unless provided with a listed mechanical ventilation system, every toilet room shall have permanent, nonclosable, screened opening(s) with a total area of not less than five percent (5%) of the floor area, opening directly to the exterior in order to provide proper ventilation. Listed exhaust fan(s), vented to the exterior, the rating of which in cubic foot per minute is at least twenty-five percent of the total volume of the toilet room(s) served, shall be considered as meeting the requirements of this subsection.

(xvi) All windows and vents opening to the outside shall be provided with fly-proof screens of not less than No. 16 mesh.

(xvii) All doors to the exterior shall open outward, shall be self-closing, and shall be visually screened by means of a vestibule or wall to prevent direct view of the interior when the exterior doors are open. Such screening shall not be required on single-toilet units.

(xviii) The interior finish of walls shall be moisture resistant to a height of four (4) feet to facilitate washing and cleaning.

(xix) The floors shall be constructed of materials impervious to water and shall be easily cleanable. Any toilet building having flush toilets shall be provided with a floor drain in the toilet room. This drain shall be provided with a means to protect the trap seal as required by this code.

(7) Showers: Showers and shower dressing areas shall be built to code. All shower compartments, regardless of shape, shall have a minimum finished interior of one thousand twenty-four (1,024) square inches (0.66m2) and shall be capable of encompassing a thirty-inch (30) (762mm) circle. The minimum required area and dimensions shall be measured at a height equal to the top of the threshold and at a point tangent to its centerline. Each shower shall be designed to minimize the flow of water into the dressing area and shall be properly connected to the sewage system by means of a trapped inlet.

(i) If showers are provided, an individual dressing area, visually screened from view, shall also be provided with a minimum floor area of thirty-six (36) inches by thirty-six (36) inches (0.9m by 0.9m) and such dressing areas shall be equipped with a minimum of one clothing hook and one stool (or equivalent bench area).

(ii) The floor of showers and dressing areas shall have an impervious, skid-resistant surface.

(iii) Open showers provided exclusively for the removal of sand, etc., following beach activities, need not comply with the provisions of this subsection.

History of Section.
P.L. 2001, ch. 275, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 511, art. 2, § 56.