Full Description

Frequent droughts in various parts of the United States have increased the scrutiny of particular water uses. Professional car washes receive a significant amount of attention from regulatory officials, politicians, and the general public. Some communities have proposed severely curtailing or even shutting down professional car washes during droughts. In response the International Carwash Association along with its members have sponsored a number of water conservation initiatives since the mid 1990s. The study which is reported upon in this paper is one part of the overall initiative. From 2000 to 2001, the International Carwash Association has sponsored several studies aimed at increasing the basic information on water use and impacts on wastewater discharge from professional car washes. In a study of 24 sites in Boston, Massachusetts and Orlando, Florida representing all types of car washes, the Association collected data on water use, evaporation and carryout and wastewater quality. Results of self- serve and in-bay automatic sites are reported in this paper. Self-serve car washers used approximately 15 gallons per vehicle (gpv) while in-bay automatics used approximately 32 gpv in the sites examined. Reclaim systems saved approximately 14 gpv in the in-bay sites where it was used. Geographic location was significant in the levels of oil and grease and zinc that were found. Greater weather impact on vehicles in the northeast is the most likely explanation. Includes 4 references.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 01/01/2002 Number of Pages: 7 File Size: 1 file , 180 KB