On the average a mobile power wash contractor will generate in excess of 500 gallons of wastewater each day that he washes. As you can see the potential for polluting our Nation’s water resources is tremendous. As professionals and concerned citizens it is incumbent upon us to do everything within our power to preserve our natural resources. To this end I offer the following for your consideration.
pH (p ch ) a chemical symbol.
A measure of acidity or alkalinity of a solution numerically equal to 7 for neutral solutions, increasing with increasing alkalinity and decreasing with increasing acidity. The pH scale commonly in use ranges from 0 to 14.
[ p(otential of) h(ydrogen).]
People in the mobile power wash industry use a pH test kit for measuring the alkalinity or acidity of their wastewater. This is done prior to the discharge of this water to a sanitary sewer system where such is allowed. If the water to be discharged is not within the limits established by the authorities it can be brought into range by adding acid to a high pH or soda ash to low pH waste water which was captured for proper disposal. The most commonly used pH test kit consists of a small roll of red litmus paper and a color/number scale. To test the solution in question you tear off a small strip of the litmus paper and dip one end of the solution. Using the color/number scale provided with your kit you compare the color of the litmus paper that you have dipped in your test solution to the color/number scale and the color/number that matches is the pH value of the solution.
Environmental Impact:
A pH range of 6.0 to 9.0 appears to provide protection for the life of freshwater fish and bottom dwelling invertebrates
The most significant environmental impact of pH involves synergistic effects. Synergy involves the combination of two or more substances, which produce effects greater than their sum.
Synergy has special significance when considering water and wastewater treatment. The steps involved in water and wastewater treatment require specific pH levels. In order for coagulation [a treatment process] to occur, pH and alkalinity must fall within a limited range.
SEWER TYPES
Before discharging wastewater to any type of sewer you should check with the local authorities to determine the extent of their requirements.
{One source where this information may be found is on the internet at www.municode.com}
There are basically three types of sewers, they are: Sanitary, Storm, and Combined. Most cities have a Sanitary and a Storm Sewer System. The Sanitary Sewer System is what your home sewer is hooked up to. This system of pipes goes to the sewer treatment plant or Public Owned Treatment Works (POTW). At the POTW the sewage is treated and discharged to lakes, rivers or streams. This is where your wash water needs to go for treatment before being discharged to lakes, rivers and streams.
The Storm Sewer is where the rainwater goes into gutters along the streets and roads. This water is generally discharged directly to lakes, rivers and streams without treatment. Because this water is not remediated before discharge into the environment you should not discharge your wash water to a storm sewer.
Some cities have a combined sewer system where the sanitary and storm sewers are one system and all of the sewage and storm water is treated at the POTW. In these areas the wash water can be discharged to the storm sewer. You will need to call the Sewer Department in each area where you are washing, to determine which system you are discharging to.
Most outside drains are storm sewers and most inside drains are sanitary sewer drains but not always. Be sure to know which is which. If your customer does not know call the Sanitary Sewer Department you are hooked to and they will come out and determine which sewer system each drain is hooked to. In many areas this service is free.
The capacity and capabilities of POTWS vary greatly and so do their discharge limits. Discharge limits are determined by many factors including: the size of the body of water they are discharging to such as a lake, river, stream or ocean, what they are discharging, and the amount they are discharging. The larger the bodies of water the more relaxed are the discharge limits. Because discharge limits and POTW treatment abilities vary, the amount of treatment wash water needs before being discharged to sanitary sewer will also vary from POTW to POTW.
Disposal of Wash Water to a Sanitary Sewer
Because the discharge limits from POTWS vary so greatly so must the quality of water being discharged to them. Some POTWS will accept wash water without any pretreatment or very little pretreatment, such as filtering out the sludge. Some POTWS for cosmetic cleaning require only filtering with a 200 micron dirt and sand filter or a carbon filter. What POTWS will want to know is how much wash water you will be discharging and what contaminates will be in the water. A water analysis is generally required, this can cost $200 to $400 however some POTWS will do this test for free. Some POTWS will accept the wash water without any analysis and require an analysis only if a problem arises.
A common method for dealing with wastewater discharge is to recover the wastewater and carry it to sand traps located at Truck Washes or Coin-op Car Washes. The problem with this is that most cities do not want you taking your wash water from the location where it was generated and disposing of it at another location. This is because if a problem arises there is not a clear path of whose fault it is. Most cities want the water discharged where it was generated in order to cover liability. If there is not a sand trap on location the wash water will probably have to be pretreated before being discharged to a sanitary sewer. Another problem is that there are no rules that clearly define the transportation of wash water from site to site. Sometimes the cities try to classify wash water haulers in the same category as sand trap (grit trap) services. But you are not cleaning out or hauling sand trap contaminates. And wash water almost always tests non-hazardous. Also the EPA considers wash water SPECIAL WASTE. This is a different category than sand trap containment. Caution: do not discharge to a sand trap without first getting written permission from the owner of the sand trap.
A misconception is that biodegradable soaps can be discharged to a Storm Sewer. Biodegradation takes time and biodegradable detergents may be quite toxic before they reach the stage where they are completely harmless. Also there is a problem with what the soap emulsifies, like oils, greases, fats, dirt, pesticides and insecticides. Also phosphates that are used in some detergents can cause some POTW problems. Phosphates cause a problem because they are good fertilizers and cause algae growth, which depletes the oxygen in the water killing the fish. And of course fish kills are very visible with dead fish floating on top of the water, which attracts TV cameras and this creates the type of publicity you do not need! In some areas phosphate free soaps are required.
Many POTWS will accept your waste directly. However, this creates an economic problem with Commercial Waste Disposal Facilities. They think you should bring your wash water to them. They see the POTWS as government organizations competing with them. They already have a professional association representing them, so it comes down to politics and political power. Basically, the Commercial Waste Disposal Facilities will pass your waste on to the POTWS and charge you a fee for this service.
In some areas Commercial Waste Disposal Facilities are your best economic alternative. Their yellow pages heading is: WASTE REDUCTION, DISPOSAL & RECYCLING SERVICE, INDUSTRIAL. Typical costs for wastewater discharge range from 5 cents to 70 cents per gallon.
You will need to check with each POTW you are discharging to for their discharge limits. Normally these discharge limits will fall within these ranges: pH--(5 to 6) to (10 to 12); Fats, Oils, and Greases (FOG) or Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH)--less than (100 to 400) milligrams per liter (mg/l); Total Suspended Solids (TSS)--less than 200 mg\l to no limit; Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)--less than 200 mg/l to no limit; Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)--less than 450 mg/l to no limit. Heavy Metals Limit Ranges are: Arsenic (As)--less than (0.05 to 0.1) mg/l; Barium (Ba)--less than 5.0 mg/l; Boron (B)--less than 3.0 mg/l; Cadmium (Cd)--less than (0.3 to 0.7) mg/l; Chromium (Cr)--less than 5.0 mg/l; Copper (Cu)--less than (3.0 to 4.5) mg/l; Lead (Pb)--less than (0.1 to 2.9) mg/l; Manganese (Mn)--less than 1.0 mg/l; Mercury (Hg)--less than (0.005 to 0.01) mg/l; Nickel (Ni)--less than (1.0 to 2.0) mg/l; Selenium (Se)--less than 0.4 mg/l; Silver (Ag)--less than (0.1 to 1.0) mg/l; and Zinc (Zn)--less than 5.0 mg/l. If your wash water is outside the sanitary sewer discharge limits, you may still be able to discharge to the sanitary sewer but have to pay a surcharge.
Some companies have gotten permits to discharge to Leech Fields, Septic Tanks, and Injection Wells. Recently the Health Departments in some areas have been going out and testing these sites. Depending on what is found the companies may be required to stop using these sites or remediate the discharge areas. The safest technique is to discharge to Sanitary Sewer wherever possible.
Most POTWS do not require any pretreatment of the Wash Water when discharging to the Sanitary Sewer through a Truck Wash or Car Wash Bay as these sand traps are designed to for this purpose.
DISPOSAL OF WASH WATER TO STORM SEWER
Normally you should never dispose of wash water to a storm drain. However, there are common exceptions to this rule. They are: house washing of a home by the owner, vehicle washing at residences, and vehicle washing by charities. Municipalities will generally overlook these transgressions.
Some Cities are allowing cold water washing with no chemicals (other cities hot water washing with no chemicals where there is no oil and grease, dirt only) to go into the storm sewer if these areas contain no hydrocarbons, pesticides, insecticides, or antifreeze. Hot water washing is considered to be PROCESSED WATER because hot water will emulsify oil and greases. Cold water washing is considered no worse than a rain event. The oil and grease spots should be pre-cleaned with absorbent clay (kitty litter) and disposed of in the dumpster. Leaves, debris, and dirt should be cleaned up before washing so this contamination does not enter the storm sewer. Storm Sewer entrances should be screened to catch leaves and debris and the wash water should pass through an oil absorbent boom or pad to absorb the hydrocarbons. No oil sheen should be present after passing through the oil absorbent filter. The lack of chemicals can be compensated for, by using a zero degree rotating nozzle such as a Turbo Nozzle or a Rotomax Zero Degree Rotating Nozzle. Typical washing examples are: Vehicles on Dealer Lots (dust only), sidewalks, shopping malls, parking lots, buildings, and homes.
Some cities will allow building washing with acid cleaners if the acid is neutralized before entering the storm sewer. Typical neutralization is with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), soda ash (sodium carbonate), or an alkaline detergent instead of a clear water rinse. In other cities the cleaning is done with cold water, no chemicals, and rotating zero degree nozzles.
The information offered in this article is intended to give you a springboard from which you can begin your search for information. This is not intended to be the final word on the subject. You should continue your search for information. “Knowledge is Power”.
Friday, January 15, 2010
CLEAN GREEN
Did you know?
Doctors have concluded that there is a definite connection between our health and the use of everyday common household cleaning chemicals.
Did you know?
Childhood asthma has nearly doubled in the last 20 years and some cleaners may be triggers to asthma attacks. (American Lung Association)
How does this relate to the power washing industry?
Many different types of chemicals are used in the cleaning of commercial and residential areas. Some of these chemicals are poison some are known carcinogens others are corrosive. If you have been handling these chemicals for very long the chances are great that you have been subjected to over exposure of one or more of these hazardous materials. You may have exposed your employees your customers their employees, customers or even their families to these same hazards.
Know the chemicals that you use.
Educate yourself about the hazards involved in exposure to the cleaning chemicals that you have chosen to use in the performance of your job.
Your employees have the “Right to Know”.
The law requires that you educate your employees regarding the hazards of their jobs including chemicals being used. You must also make the MSDS available to them at all times.
Your customers should be protected.
Your customers will seldom question the dangers involved in the chemicals that you use. You must choose chemicals wisely and use them correctly to protect all people involved.
Don’t use chemicals unless you have to. If you have to use chemicals don’t use chemicals that are any more aggressive than what is required to do the job. Avoid the use of hazardous materials where others may be affected by their use.
Be Safe! Be Careful! Be Advised! Be Aware!
Think Green
Doctors have concluded that there is a definite connection between our health and the use of everyday common household cleaning chemicals.
Did you know?
Childhood asthma has nearly doubled in the last 20 years and some cleaners may be triggers to asthma attacks. (American Lung Association)
How does this relate to the power washing industry?
Many different types of chemicals are used in the cleaning of commercial and residential areas. Some of these chemicals are poison some are known carcinogens others are corrosive. If you have been handling these chemicals for very long the chances are great that you have been subjected to over exposure of one or more of these hazardous materials. You may have exposed your employees your customers their employees, customers or even their families to these same hazards.
Know the chemicals that you use.
Educate yourself about the hazards involved in exposure to the cleaning chemicals that you have chosen to use in the performance of your job.
Your employees have the “Right to Know”.
The law requires that you educate your employees regarding the hazards of their jobs including chemicals being used. You must also make the MSDS available to them at all times.
Your customers should be protected.
Your customers will seldom question the dangers involved in the chemicals that you use. You must choose chemicals wisely and use them correctly to protect all people involved.
Don’t use chemicals unless you have to. If you have to use chemicals don’t use chemicals that are any more aggressive than what is required to do the job. Avoid the use of hazardous materials where others may be affected by their use.
Be Safe! Be Careful! Be Advised! Be Aware!
Think Green
TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT
As a business owner you should have a vision. This vision should encapsulate the total desires you have for the success of your business and your plan for achieving this. A successful plan will be structured on total customer satisfaction based on zero quality complaints. This must be achieved through 100% employee commitment. The employees closest to the problems must be the ones to solve them. The term quality as used in this article means providing customers with services and products that meet their expectations and needs, the first time and every time. It is of paramount importance that you define and meet your customer’s needs, being ever conscious of the fact that different customers have different needs. Remember that the drive for Quality requires continuous improvement, which is the responsibility of every employee.
Selling Pressure Washing
Selling pressure washing is like selling anything else. You should approach your prospects with a list of advantages to using your service. It helps to have a book of before and after pictures. If you don't currently have one you can put one together by washing things for people at a discounted rate or washing for tax exempt organizations and using it as a tax exemption. You can wash for friends, relatives and even for yourself to give you a larger picture portfolio. When you approach someone to sell him or her on your service you should be ready to demonstrate how this service can be financially beneficial. Examples: " If you hire me to clean your parking areas your floors will stay cleaner because people won't be tracking grease in on your freshly cleaned carpets and there will be a lesser chance of someone slipping on a grease spot and suing you as a result.” "When I finish cleaning your awnings your store will have greater eye appeal and the awnings will last longer.” "To attract more customers you should hire me to give your store front a facelift." "Face it, nobody wants to enter a place of business that looks dirty from the outside."
I'm sure that you can see where I'm going with this line of thinking. Each statement tells the potential customer that he has a problem and offers a solution to that problem. If you will approach your potential customers from this angle you will be successful. Remember like many other things that you do in life selling is a numbers game. The more people you approach, the better your chances of closing a sale.
Remember when you are making sales calls at a place of business the receptionist is the first line of defense. This person is being paid to keep sales people from bothering other people who work there. You will need to figure a way to bypass this person unless they know you and will let you through. One way to do this is to find out ahead of time who you need to see {such as the warehouse foreman} and enter by the warehouse door instead of the front door.
As a business owner you need to take advantage of every opportunity to increase your sales volume, doing this will sometimes require that you merge your professional and your personal lives to take advantage of these opportunities as they arise. An opportunity to make a sale may present itself in church, or at the theater. Just be prepared to rise to the occasion.
In your preparedness kit you should always have business cards. Your cards should tell who you are, what you do and how you may be reached. When designing your business card be sure that you include your mailing address and your area code along with your phone number. This will give the potential customer enough information to contact you when the need arises. Another item for your preparedness kit would be a list of references and a “Before and after” photo album.
Your photo album should consist of before and after pictures of the different types of work that you have done. You will also want to include any letters of recommendation that you may have. {Don’t be afraid to solicit these letters.} Other good items to have in your album are proof of insurance, and any training certificates that you may have. Don’t discount the value of training certificates. To many people this is proof that you know what you are doing. It’s like having a Diploma; it will open doors for you. What you do once you get in is up to you. Certification in some fields will also help you to get better insurance rates. You can contact organizations such as the Power Washers of North America and the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association for help in this area or you may call Powerwash.com for help in this area 1-800-433-2113.
I'm sure that you can see where I'm going with this line of thinking. Each statement tells the potential customer that he has a problem and offers a solution to that problem. If you will approach your potential customers from this angle you will be successful. Remember like many other things that you do in life selling is a numbers game. The more people you approach, the better your chances of closing a sale.
Remember when you are making sales calls at a place of business the receptionist is the first line of defense. This person is being paid to keep sales people from bothering other people who work there. You will need to figure a way to bypass this person unless they know you and will let you through. One way to do this is to find out ahead of time who you need to see {such as the warehouse foreman} and enter by the warehouse door instead of the front door.
As a business owner you need to take advantage of every opportunity to increase your sales volume, doing this will sometimes require that you merge your professional and your personal lives to take advantage of these opportunities as they arise. An opportunity to make a sale may present itself in church, or at the theater. Just be prepared to rise to the occasion.
In your preparedness kit you should always have business cards. Your cards should tell who you are, what you do and how you may be reached. When designing your business card be sure that you include your mailing address and your area code along with your phone number. This will give the potential customer enough information to contact you when the need arises. Another item for your preparedness kit would be a list of references and a “Before and after” photo album.
Your photo album should consist of before and after pictures of the different types of work that you have done. You will also want to include any letters of recommendation that you may have. {Don’t be afraid to solicit these letters.} Other good items to have in your album are proof of insurance, and any training certificates that you may have. Don’t discount the value of training certificates. To many people this is proof that you know what you are doing. It’s like having a Diploma; it will open doors for you. What you do once you get in is up to you. Certification in some fields will also help you to get better insurance rates. You can contact organizations such as the Power Washers of North America and the International Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning Association for help in this area or you may call Powerwash.com for help in this area 1-800-433-2113.
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