Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Washington Department of Ecology issued guidance to cities and counties, making it clear there's no ban on residential car washing under state clean-water rules.
In a letter to cities and counties covered by the state's municipal storm water permit, Ecology Director Jay Manning said it has recently become apparent that there is significant confusion regarding how the storm water permits apply to residential car washing.
He made it clear that Ecology will emphasize informing and educating people about the problem of polluted runoff, and the precautions we can all take to keep our waters clean.
Manning urged local governments to also take a public education approach about proper car washing through education, not through tickets, fines or other penalties.
"Most people want to do the right thing for the environment. If they have the facts, they will act on them to solve a problem," Manning said. "For example, dumping used motor oil down the storm drain used to be common practice, but now we know better."
Ecology's guidance clarifies that, while the state's municipal storm water permits don't allow soap and detergents to enter a storm drain, there are simple precautions that we can all take when washing cars.
Soapy, dirty car wash water, carrying with it oils, grease and toxic metals is a serious pollution source when it occurs on a large scale. Since most storm drains run directly into local streams or marine waters - without treatment - storm drains are direct extensions of those local waters.
Ecology field inspectors have traced suds in creeks and bays back to car washing. Soaps and detergents are very toxic to fish and aquatic life. Ecology's toxicity test information on car wash runoff confirms that it is extremely toxic - much more toxic than treated pulp mill effluent or discharges from industries where the state requires toxicity testing. According to one toxicity study, 50 percent of test organisms (rainbow trout) die in a solution that consisted of only about three percent wash water - the same wash water that goes down the storm drain.
There are a number of simple ways to wash cars that don't result in soapy wash waters getting into our creeks and rivers. Wash your car over grass or any other surface where the wash water seeps into the ground. Or lay something on the ground to divert the wash water away from the storm drain. Another option is to use a commercial car wash.
In a letter to cities and counties covered by the state's municipal storm water permit, Ecology Director Jay Manning said it has recently become apparent that there is significant confusion regarding how the storm water permits apply to residential car washing.
He made it clear that Ecology will emphasize informing and educating people about the problem of polluted runoff, and the precautions we can all take to keep our waters clean.
Manning urged local governments to also take a public education approach about proper car washing through education, not through tickets, fines or other penalties.
"Most people want to do the right thing for the environment. If they have the facts, they will act on them to solve a problem," Manning said. "For example, dumping used motor oil down the storm drain used to be common practice, but now we know better."
Ecology's guidance clarifies that, while the state's municipal storm water permits don't allow soap and detergents to enter a storm drain, there are simple precautions that we can all take when washing cars.
Soapy, dirty car wash water, carrying with it oils, grease and toxic metals is a serious pollution source when it occurs on a large scale. Since most storm drains run directly into local streams or marine waters - without treatment - storm drains are direct extensions of those local waters.
Ecology field inspectors have traced suds in creeks and bays back to car washing. Soaps and detergents are very toxic to fish and aquatic life. Ecology's toxicity test information on car wash runoff confirms that it is extremely toxic - much more toxic than treated pulp mill effluent or discharges from industries where the state requires toxicity testing. According to one toxicity study, 50 percent of test organisms (rainbow trout) die in a solution that consisted of only about three percent wash water - the same wash water that goes down the storm drain.
There are a number of simple ways to wash cars that don't result in soapy wash waters getting into our creeks and rivers. Wash your car over grass or any other surface where the wash water seeps into the ground. Or lay something on the ground to divert the wash water away from the storm drain. Another option is to use a commercial car wash.
posted bykanth
@ 2:51 AM
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