ANALYSIS How to Wash in a Changing World By Jack Jackson I am sure all fleet managers strive to reduce their carbon footprint. But how do they reduce their
water footprint? Have they considered what the most efficient wash system is for their school bus fleet?
Te past has always allowed the outside pressure wash of vehicles with a chemical agent to try to
get a vehicle clean. Most companies resort to the mobile pressure spray company to arrive in the dark of night or on weekends, and, miraculously, the vehicles are clean and ready to go. For most, it is out of sight, out of mind, and, hopefully, all is well. Well, that world is changing quickly, and with
❝ Te simplest measure to help the environment
is to send the wash water into municipal drains to be processed at the city water works. ❞
most changes, it takes time for people to catch on and decide the next steps of washing efficiently, economically and in an environmentally friendly manner. Most people don’t realize that storm sewers deposit directly into the nearby stream, river, lake
or ocean. Tus, any chemical, metal or contaminant washed off the vehicle heads directly into the aquaculture of the local environment. Imagine the wildlife on the other side of that sewer pipe hav- ing to endure the wash water as it hits the stream? Not an ideal picture of environmental controls when it can easily be avoided. Today, it’s illegal to wash one’s own vehicle outside, let alone spray down an entire bus fleet in
the back of a parking lot, per the U.S. Clean Water Act (
www.epa.com/lawsregs/laws/cwa.html). Washington State is the first to levy a fine, to my knowledge, against a municipality for washing their public vehicles outside and allowing the water to flow directly into the storm sewer. Tis happened to Ben Franklin Transit in Richland, Wash., in late 2011. At the municipal level, laws or ordinances vary widely. In Canada, for example, the cities of Toronto and Calgary, have bylaws that prohibit citizens from
washing cars in their driveways without capturing the run-off wash water. Tese bylaws show that there is no tolerance for allowing wash water to go into storm sewers. Te simplest measure to help the environment is to send the wash water into municipal drains
to be processed at the city water works. Tis ensures the water is cleaned of contaminants before it is sent into the aquaculture. Te ability to recycle wash water for re-use at one’s facility also is becoming commonplace, as the cost of water is becoming another major expenditure. In fact, there are sewer charges on your water invoice. Most large corporations and image-conscious companies have already planned their strategies
to meet the environmental concerns. As a result, they have an advantage over the competition and can actually save money in the long run. So, if you reduce the amount of water you wash with by researching the most efficient wash
systems, as well as recycle the wash water, your water footprint will be reduced. ■ Jack Jackson is president of Awash Systems Corp. He can be contacted at
jjackson@awashsystems.com.
48 School Transportation News Magazine August 2012
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