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| River Friendly Carwashing |
Carwashing at home
It is always best to go to a professional car washing facility. However, if you choose to wash your car at home, please do so in the most environmentally-friendly way as possible. Residents often don't realize that washing cars in our driveways is one of the most environmentally un-friendly things we can do around the house. Soapy runoff from washing your car picks up other pollutants and goes right into storm drains and eventually into the river...untreated. This poisons aquatic life and destroys the natural ecosystem.
Environentally Friendly Carwashing
If you choose to wash your car at home, use a biodegradable soap specifically formulated for automotive parts, such as Simple Green’s Car Wash or make your own car wash by mixing a couple tablespoons of eco-friendly liquid dishwashing detergent with three gallons of water and use sparingly over exterior car surfaces.
Rather than washing your car on your driveway, washing your car on your lawn. The grass will help capture the runoff and filtrate pollutants prior to reaching the aquifer.
Also, be sure to use a hose with a nozzle so water isn't wasted while it's not being used. This saves our water and helps prevent polluted runoff from going into the gutter, stormdrains and eventually our river.
Commercial Car Washes
At a professional car wash facility, the waste water is treated. Federal laws require commercial carwash facilities to drain their wastewater into sewer systems, so it gets treated before it is discharged back into the the environment. Commercial car washes also use computer controlled systems and high-pressure nozzles and pumps that minimize water usage. Many also recycle and re-use the rinse water.
Raise Funds for Your Organization with a River Friendly Car Wash!
The Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership’s (SSQP) has an active River-Friendly Fundraiser Carwash Program.
The River-Friendly Fundraiser Carwash Program was developed to provide guidance and help facilitate successful fundraiser carwashes while protecting local creeks and rivers from the pollution that can be carried in the wastewater from carwashing activities.
Find a River-Friendly Car Wash Partner for your next fundraiser car wash.
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