Power Washing An Issue?

In San Diego County, power washers and carpet cleaners are on every agency's radar, thanks, in part, to cooperative efforts of business associations getting the word out to their members and tips from businesses that want to do the right thing, as well as agency enforcement. Some agencies allow disposal of carpet cleaning residue into the sanitary sewer, but it is also appropriately disposed of in landscape areas that do not drain to the storm drain system. Power washers can discharge into landscape areas, but many are now capturing, filtering, and re-using their wash waters.

Kirk Ammerman
Principal Civil Engineer
City of Chula Vista

Michael,

The Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association (BASMAA) has a surface cleaner training and 'recognized' list of companies who have taken the training. (info at: http://www.basmaa.org/recognition/ ) The training video and materials are available in both English and Spanish, and the English version is available for cleaners to take and use online at their convenience. This effort targets the service providers (the power washers); though it lacks the funding to effectively target the population that utilizes power washing services. So as a CBSM model it isn't complete, but the groundwork has been laid. Feel free to contact me if you'd like more info on this project.

Mary Morse

Environmental Services Specialist
City of San Jos Watershed Protection
170 W San Carlos Street,
San Jos CA 95113
phone 408-277-2767
fax 408-277-5775
email [email protected]
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/esd/stormwater

One of the real problems with water waste in power wash has been in the automated paint line industry - most typically in the production of automobiles but also in the production of all types of metal and plastic casings for consumer products. Certain UV and other jet-ion applications seem to be promising, but I wonder whether the industries will make the capital investment change in conjunction with retooling for hybrid and more energy-saving production.

I've had a lurking concern about such operations ever since I had my carpet steam-cleaned and the guy wanted to dump the wastewater outside when he was done. I've been trying to convince localities I work with to come up with a campaign for mobile cleaning businesses like this. I can't explain why the lack of interest.... It seems to me far more effective to change the behavior of a few companies that are causing untold pollution EVERY DAY and whose JOB is involved than to try to change behaviors for much larger groups of the public that they may only engage in only occasionally if ever. It seems the local governments are hesitant to tackle the "little guys" - ie small business owners, but it seems to me that a program could be designed in such a way that would not increase costs appreciably, or maybe even there is a way to save them money.

Michael

Where do pollutants in urban storm water originate? I think we will all agree that motor vehicles and motor vehicle fuels are a major source of non-point source pollution both through wet and dry deposition. Toxics include organic by-products of combustion as well as leaks, drips and spills that contain toxic hydrocarbons and heavy metals. Rather than focus on power washing, which is a symptom of non-point source pollution, why not focus on the sources of this non-point source pollution? Petroleum fuels and the operation of automobiles are exempt from enforcement of regulations created under the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 that have significantly reduced sources of toxic pollution in the workplace and homes. Given the long list of well-documented harm caused by gasoline and diesel powered machines why should they be exempt from regulations that have been so successful in cleaning up the workplace, not to mention homes and garages? Build a case to remove this exemption and thus remove one major barrier to widespread use of cleaner, safer non-hazardous alternative fuels for motor vehicles. Clean up motor vehicles and eliminate toxic motor fuels and a major source of non-point source pollution will be eliminated.

David E. Bruderly, PE

Bruderly Engineering Associates, Inc.
920 SW 57th Drive
Gainesville, Florida 32607-3838
352-377-0932
www.cleanpowerengineering.com
http://www.bruderly.com/about.php