Clean cars, dirty water

One of the items in my daily routine has inspired yet another blog. This past week I decided to treat my Toyota Camry to a much needed car wash. So, between classes I rushed over to Simoniz Car Wash located on Speedway Blvd. and Country Club Rd. As I watched the large scrub brushes covered in suds clean my car in a flash I started to think about water conservation. I went to the car wash on a Tuesday afternoon and I was one of three customers. But, the water kept on running. I decided to investigate what the car wash industry is doing to reduce water waste and encourage water conservation.

I called several car washes in the Tucson area and was unsuccessful. I attempted calling at 10:30 am and only one out of five even answered their phone. After being transferred from receptionist to manager to the corporate office I still didn’t have an answer about water conservation practices at local car washes. Instead, I found a report published by the International Carwash Association that answered my questions.

The report said that “Professional car washes typically use less than one percent of water used in a large or medium size municipality.” The report almost bragged about the “less than one percent of water” use, but I thought one percent was kind of high for just the car wash industry.

Fernando Molina, Conservation Program Manager for the City of Tucson said that the car wash industry uses a relatively small amount of water compared to one of the largest water users, the resort and hotel industry. Not including golf course water requirements, the resort and hotel industry in Tucson still ranks at the top when it comes to water usage.

“Most new carwashes do incorporate water recycling in their business because it pays off for them.” said Molina. “I know of only one that does not recycle their water, the Metro Car Wash on Oracle near Glenn.”

Although the City of Tucson does not currently have a program in place regulating the water usage at car washes, they are trying to find ways to encourage carwash owners to voluntarily make changes. But Molina says the carwashes with water conservation practices currently in place will be less likely to have restrictions on their hours of operation during a drought.

Despite not having official restrictions or certification programs, carwash owners can look to International Carwash Association for that certification.

There is a Carwash Conservation Certification Program that adds extra protection to carwash owners. The certification protects carwash owners from being shutdown during severe drought.

Here are some of the recommendations the association made in a report to carwash owners to reduce water waste and protect them from being shutdown:

Specific Measures for Reducing Water Consumption

• Install lower flow nozzles and run at lower pressure.
• Alignment of nozzles should be checked on a regular basis.
• Check for and repair all water leaks as they occur.
• Replace brass or plastic nozzles, which erode more quickly, with stainless steel or hard ceramic nozzles.
• Route reclaim water, or RO reject water to landscaping (be sure plants can tolerate first!).
• Use “water friendly” plants in the landscape.
• Time arches precisely in the conveyor to come on as car arrives and shut off as car moves out from under arches.
• Adjust weep systems to come on at 320 F.
• Install positive shut off valves in extractor sinks.
• Create a dwell time for water to run off the vehicle into the reclaim pit before vehicle can exit the bay.
• Install automatic high-level water cut-offs in all towel and chamois washing machines.
• Use less water in towel washing machines by doing fewer but fuller loads.
• Maintain all water using devices to original or improved specifications for the conservation of water.
• Replace all spray nozzles utilized at the vehicle wash regularly to assure maximum efficiency of water used.
• Utilize ultra-low flush toilets at the vehicle wash facility.
• Use positive shut off valves on all hoses or faucets.

Carwashes are so important even Jim Croce wrote a song about it!


Check out a new carwashing technique that reduces water use!