09/26/2008: "Stormwater -Ok To Wash The Car"

Ecology Director Jay Manning said it has recently become apparent that there is significant confusion regarding how the stormwater permits apply to residential car washing.

He made it clear that Ecology will emphasize informing and educating people about the problem of polluted runoff, and the precautions we can all take to keep our waters clean.

Manning urged local governments to also take a public education approach about proper car washing through education, not through tickets, fines or other penalties.

"Most people want to do the right thing for the environment. If they have the facts, they will act on them to solve a problem," Manning said. "For example, dumping used motor oil down the storm drain used to be common practice, but now we know better."

Ecology's guidance clarifies that, while the state's municipal stormwater permits don't allow soap and detergents to enter a storm drain, there are simple precautions that we can all take when washing cars.

"Armed with good information, many people already wash their cars in ways that prevent water pollution," said Manning.

"Washing our car or truck is as American as baseball and apple pie," he said. "Until we have the facts, it's hard to imagine that there is a connection between keeping your car clean and keeping our rivers, lakes and marine waters clean and healthy. It's harder still to believe that one person washing their car can really cause any harm. However, thousands of people washing their cars create a cumulative pollution effect for our waters that reside below our storm drains."

Soapy, dirty car wash water, carrying with it oils, grease and toxic metals is a serious pollution source when it occurs on a large scale. Since most storm drains run directly into local streams or marine waters - without treatment - storm drains are direct extensions of those local waters.

Ecology field inspectors have traced suds in creeks and bays back to car washing. Soaps and detergents are very toxic to fish and aquatic life. Ecology's toxicity test information on car wash runoff confirms that it is extremely toxic - much more toxic than treated pulp mill effluent or discharges from industries where the state requires toxicity testing. According to one toxicity study, 50 percent of test organisms (rainbow trout) die in a solution that consisted of only about three percent wash water - the same wash water that goes down the storm drain.

There are a number of simple ways to wash cars that don't result in soapy wash waters getting into our creeks and rivers. Wash your car over grass or any other surface where the wash water seeps into the ground. Or lay something on the ground to divert the wash water away from the storm drain. Another option is to use a commercial car wash.

Ecology will soon post additional guidance about car washing on its website at www.ecy.wa.gov under "Spotlight."

Also, see Ecology's Environment Education Guide: "Protecting Washington's Waters from Stormwater Pollution": http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0710058.pdf