Car wash
A car wash,[1] or auto wash, is a facility used to clean the exterior,[2] and in some cases the interior, of cars. Car washes can be self-service, full-service (with attendants who wash the vehicle), or fully automated (possibly connected to a filling station). Car washes may also be events where people pay to have their cars washed by volunteers, often using less specialized equipment, as a fundraiser.[3]
For other uses, see Car wash (disambiguation).
The primary environmental considerations for car washing are:
The use of water supplies and energy is self-evident since car washes are users of such resources. The professional car wash industry has made strides in reducing its environmental footprint, a trend that will continue accelerating due to regulation and consumer demand. Many car washes use water reclamation systems to significantly reduce water usage and a variety of energy usage reduction technologies.[20] These systems may be mandatory where water restrictions are in place.
Contamination of surface waters may arise from the rinse discharging to storm drains, which eventually drain to rivers and lakes. Chief pollutants in such wash-water include phosphates; oil and grease; and lead. This is almost exclusively an issue for home/driveway washing and parking lot-style charity washes. Professional carwashing is a point source of discharge that can capture these contaminants, generally in interceptor drains, so the contaminants can be removed before the water enters sanitary systems. (Water and contaminants that enter stormwater drains are not treated and released directly into rivers, lakes, and streams.)
Soil contamination is sometimes related to such surface runoff and is associated with soil contamination from underground fuel tanks or auto servicing operations which commonly are ancillary uses of car wash sites — but not an issue for car washing.
For these reasons, countries like Switzerland and Germany have banned citizens from washing their cars at home.[21] In the US, some state and local environmental groups (the most notable being the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) have begun campaigns to encourage consumers to use professional car washes as opposed to driveway washing, including moving charity car wash fundraisers from parking lots to professional car washes. Poland, Portugal, Italy, and many other countries have no regulations regarding wastewater from car washing.[21]