Car Wash Fund Raisers
Are Local Fish Paying The Price?
Car washes are a great way to raise
money for camp, school outings and other events.
BUT ...
In most areas of Seattle, the soapy, dirty even oily water enters a creek, lake
or Puget Sound without treatment. All soaps, even biodegradable ones, are
harmful to fish and other wildlife.
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) (formally DWU)wants to help you conduct an environmentally friendly car wash.
Sound Car Washing
Discharging soapy water to the storm drain violates local and state laws BUT...
Here's what you can do:
1. Borrow one of SPU's "sump & pump" kits. These kits collect soapy water at an inlet and pump it to a sanitary sewer. SPU will loan you the pump, catch basin insert, hose and extension cord FREE. These kits won't work at every site. Call (206) 684-7599 for more information. OR...
2. Wash cars on gravel
or grassy areas or areas which drain to them. OR...
3. Wash cars on parking lots which have drains connected to the sanitary sewer. (Sanitary sewers discharge to a treatment plant.) It's hard to tell from the street surface where the pipes go, so call (206) 684-7599 to find out. Most areas in Seattle do NOT have parking lot drains that lead to a treatment plant. OR...
4. Sell car wash coupons redeemable at local commercial car washes. Commercial facilities connect to the sanitary sewer and many recylce the wash water, too. Call the Puget Sound Car Wash Association, 789-1014, for more details. OR...
5. Consider alternative fund raising methods.
Please call a water quality specialist for a free consultation to figure out what will work best for you. Just dial (206) 684-7560.
CAR WASH TIPS:- Use a trigger nozzle on the hose. (It conserves water, too.)
- use as little soap as possible, please.
- Direct soapy water to a gravel lot, grassy area or sanitary sewer.
- Do NOT drain soapy water to a STORM DRAIN.
Seattle
Public Utilities (formally DWU)
710 2nd Avenue, Suite 660 Seattle, WA 98104
Partially funded by the WA Department of Ecology's Centennial Clean Water Grant.