Responsible Water Usage

Car Washes are Good for our Environment

You have probably noticed that a good portion of the country is experiencing much dryer weather than usual this year. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, the Midwest and the western parts of the US are experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions. Wildfires are running rampant, crops are struggling, and a lot of places are placing restrictions on their resident’s water usage.

An example of this is a southwestern Minnesota city. They have odd-even watering days, time of day restrictions (they aren’t allowed to water between the hours of 9am and 7pm), and a summer maximum outdoor usage of 30,000 gallons a month, usage outside of this restriction will be charged a higher 4th tier rate. People are more conscious than ever about their water usage.

But what does this have to do with washing your car? We touched on this topic in an earlier blog post, so here are some of highlights. You can check out the previous post here.

How is a professional car wash more environmentally friendly than washing-at-home?  

Driveway and parking lot washing can waste gallons of valuable water and pollute lakes, rivers and streams, as the runoff water contains harmful chemicals that will enter waterways through storm drains. 

In contrast, professional car washes manage water usage, collect and treat wastewater, route remaining effluent to treatment facilities, and utilize water recycling technologies to keep cars and the environment clean at the same time. 

As for the amount of water used, according to the International Car Wash Association, the average person washing a vehicle at home uses a whopping 80 to 140 gallons of water. This is opposed to the 45 gallons typically used at a car wash. And many car washes use a water reclaimation system. The water goes down the drain into holding tanks. After sediment is filtered, the water is reused on another car.

There are some operational changes that will make a wash more environmentally friendly. You can utilize bubbles instead of foam. The use of more up-to-date equipment is a very positive step: today’s manufacturers are focusing more on reducing water and power usage.

Educating your team and customers is the simplest and most cost-effective way to help promote change. The simple fact is, when it comes to water usage, car washes are better for the environment.