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Pressure Washing Pollution Solutions
The largest source of water pollution comes from city streets, neighborhoods, construction sites, and parking lots -- sometimes called "non-point source" pollution. And our pristine cityscapes are harboring a nighttime secret. Very dirty, very polluted wash water!
Clean businesses attract more customers. If we are going to reduce storm drain runoff pollution, high traffic areas need to be cleaned often. However, have you ever thought of what happens to all the wastewater generated by pressure washing?
Storm water and Urban Runoff Pollution
Storm water and urban runoff pollution merge in the open storm water drainage system to create a polluted cocktail.
- Aggressive cleaning agents aid in the cleaning process, but chemicals such as muriatic acid and degreasers are very toxic.
- Used motor oil contains lead, copper, cadmium and chromium, all toxic to humans and wildlife.
The wastewater from washing our pristine sidewalks and parking structures contains all the contaminants being removed from the surface, as well as the toxic cleaning agents. The effect is devastating to water quality and aquatic wildlife and habitat.
These toxic pollutants should NEVER be dumped into storm drains...or the sewers, either! But they often are because it is faster and cheaper...and can be hidden by the cover of darkness.
How Big a Problem is Non-Point Source Pollution?
There are over 235 million registered cars in the U.S. Vehicle engines make daily, one-drop-at-a-time "oil spills onto roads and parking lots. 80 percent of pollution in the marine environment comes from pollutants washing off of outdoor surfaces, during normal rainfall.
Environmental Power Washing and Risk Management
Most oil pollution in North American coastal waters comes not from leaking tankers or oil rigs, but rather from countless oil-streaked streets, sputtering lawn mowers and other dispersed sources on land, and so will be hard to prevent, a panel of the National Academy of Sciences said,
"Oil carried from runoff is particularly damaging, the report said, because it typically ends up discharged by rivers and streams into bays and estuaries that "are often some of the most sensitive ecological areas along the coast." That relentless runoff carries traces of a host of chemicals found in most fuels and can harm marine life, even in low concentrations." May 24, 2002 – New York Times
Our Community Wastewater Problem
The wastewater generated by pressure washers contains everything -- all the grime and oil and antifreeze and gasoline -- every unwanted pollutant on the dirty surface.
Outdoor high traffic and parking structures and lots are cleaned regularly, utilizing pressure washers for cosmetic, maintenance, safety and liability concerns. Pressure washers are very effective, inexpensive cleaning machines that remove oil, grease, gum, paints and dirt very quickly and efficiently. Anyone can buy and operate a pressure washer. Over 700,000 are sold each year.
The most common method for getting rid of the pressure washing wastewater is to simply hose it to the nearest storm drain -- which leads to our nearest creek, river, lakes and ultimately the ocean.
We all know that the streams and ocean provide us with food and drinking water. We might not know the solution.
Parking facilities are cleaned regularly for cosmetic reasons, as well as to meet safety and liability concerns.
- Prior to resealing, many surfaces need to be prepped, so the new seal coat will adhere better and last longer.
- Also, automotive fluids and corrosive salts need to be removed from concrete to prevent corrosion and expensive repair costs.
Parking facility maintenance guidelines from several industry sources recommend slab wash down on at least a semi-annual or annual basis.
Modular or Mobile Wastewater Treatment Systems as the Environmentally Friendly Pressure Washer Solution
Pressure washers are the most effective, cost efficient method for removing oil, grease, gum, salts, tire marks and dirt. Pressure washers are powerful cleaning machines that use hot or cold water under high pressure to make quick work of cleaning parking structures and lots. And not all pressure washers are made the same -- or managed with equal concern for the environment.
...and the Pressure Washer Waste Water Problem
Pressure washers generate approximately 10,000-20,000 gallons of wastewater for every 100,000-150,000 square feet of surface being cleaned.
Used motor oil contains lead, copper, cadmium and chromium, all toxic to humans and wildlife. Additional pollutants include antifreeze and air conditioning condensate. Aggressive cleaning agents aid in the cleaning process, but chemicals such as muriatic acid and degreasers are very toxic. These toxic pollutants should NEVER be dumped into storm drains...or the sewers, either!
Polluted runoff via the storm drains is one our nation's most predominant water quality control problems.
Seventy six percent of our waterways are too polluted to fish or even swim in safely.
Forty percent of water pollution is from automotive fluids washing off paved surfaces from normal rainfall and from cleaning activities.
It just makes common sense that property and facility managers be responsible for preventing this toxic time bomb by diligently instructing their service providers to not discharge wastewater into the storm drains.
The Risk of Wastewater Treatment Systems for Property Managers
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the principle law governing pollution control and water quality of the US's waterways. The objective of this Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation's waters (33 U.S.C. 1251).
The part of the Act that facility and property managers are responsible for and must manage the risk of is the penalty section.
"On March 15, 2004, the Clean Water Act civil administrative penalties were increased to $32,500. for Class I penalties and $157,000 for Class II penalties. The maximum administrative penalty per violation remains at $11,000 per day" (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website www.epa.gov
Among discharges prohibited to the Storm Drains listed in Section 301 of the CWA is waste water from a "Power (pressure) washer that cleans such things as equipment, a restaurant's solid waste storage areas, or a parking lot and discharges the process water into a storm drain."
Also, even though a company providing pressure washing services may have a Sanitary Sewer discharge permit from the local jurisdiction they are providing the service, it does not mean they can discharge untreated wastewater to the on-site sewer.
"Remember, compliance with a sewer discharge permit does not relieve the permit-tee of its obligation to comply with any or all applicable pretreatment regulations, standards or requirements under local, State and Federal laws," explains Cathleen Parker of Parker West.
"If the wastewater generated contains any significant levels of oil, grease and metals, the wastewater must be pretreated prior to discharging to the on-site sewer or it must be hauled by a licensed waste hauler."
Compliant Disposal of Wash Water to Meet Environmental Codes
Any person who conducts cleaning operations which generate wash water must perform their cleaning operations, based on best management practices (BMP's) established by the local Water Quality Control Agency.
With permission from the sanitary district and the property owner, wash water from pressure washers can be discharged into a:
- Floor, Utility or Mop Sink
- Toilet
- Drain connected to the sanitary sewer system (never the storm drain or manhole)
Why does the wastewater have to be pretreated if it going to be treated by the Sanitary Sewer System?
Grease can build up in the intake pipes and sewers, creating blockages, which then can create wastewater overflows into businesses, homes or storm drains. If toxic wastewater enters the sewer it can upset the biological treatment processes at the treatment plant or even pass through to our waterways.
How do you eliminate the risk of improper wastewater management?
"The only effective way to protect your company against the potential exposure created by traditional parking facility pressure washing is to analyze and understand your company's risks and take ongoing steps to eliminate those risks," states Parker.
Until recently, the only way to legally handle contaminated wastewater generated by pressure washing was to collect, store, haul, dispose and manifest it, which is costly and time consuming.
Fortunately, new technologies are now available which enable pressure washers to properly manage their wastewater very cost effectively.
Environmental Pressure Washing and Mobile Wastewater Recovery Systems
Mobile, remote controlled and robotic equipment enable environmentally compliant pressure washers to compete against standard pressure washing companies because these new generation machines clean much better and faster than standard, inexpensive pressure washing equipment.
"By investing in new technologies, environmentally compliant pressure washing companies are protecting and eliminating risks for their clients," says Parker. "By providing clients with a complete service that incorporates the use of industrial vacuums and waste water recovery and processing systems, you meet both compliance and social responsibility goals.
Identifying Environmentally Compliant Pressure Washing Companies
First of all, well managed companies are not operating out of the back of a pickup with a small pressure washer and some hose wands. An environmentally compliant pressure washer has invested in additional equipment that makes it efficient to catch wash water before it enters storm water and sewer drains. | 
