03/21/2026
Next week is National Car Wash Day, and to celebrate we'll be posting best practices to maintain your vehicle.
According to the EPA, Municipal vehicle and equipment washing can generate runoff that is contaminated with sediment, detergents, oils, grease and heavy metals. Both commercial and residential vehicle wash water can contain contaminants from vehicle fluid leaks, typical vehicle wear and the cleaning process itself.
A study in a single city in Washington (City of Federal Way, 2009) estimated that vehicle washing had an annual contribution of:
โฝ๏ธ 190 gallons of gasoline, diesel and motor oil
๐งช 14 pounds of dissolved copper
โ๏ธ 400 pounds of phosphorus and nitrogen
๐ 60 pounds of ammonia
๐ซ 2,200 pounds of surfactants
๐ฉ 3,000 pounds of solids
The impacts of these constituents discharging to downstream waterbodies can include increased toxicity to living organisms, increased eutrophication and reduced oxygen levels. Therefore, properly addressing these non-stormwater sources using pollution prevention/good housekeeping and other practices is an important component of a stormwater program to eliminate the impacts of these discharges.
Properly implemented vehicle and equipment washing practices can reduce wash water impacts by minimizing or preventing contaminated wash water discharges to downstream waters. They can also help municipalities meet general sustainability goals. For instance, incorporating water recycling systems reduces overall water usageโespecially important in dry areas or during periods of drought. Sail Thru Car Wash both recycles/reuses โป๏ธ and discharges any unrecyclable water into the sewer system, which is treated prior to re-introduction into the water table.
Furthermore, the EPA states "Commercial car wash facilities minimize stormwater impacts and are safer than residential washing, as they often recycle their water or must treat their wash water before release into the sanitary sewer system." When you visit Sail Thru, we have multiple tanks of water which is our recycled water that is used in various stages of cleaning your car, and as you exit the wash tunnel and enter the vacuum area there are three humongous(!) underground storage tanks that catch the water and begin the treatment process before being passed along to the sewer system. Most mobile detailers and home carwashers do not capture their water at all, thus contaminating the water table. We bet you didn't know that washing your car at Sail Thru Car Wash was so cutting edge and protecting the Earth! ๐
