I can't find any info on the web about this. Does any HAMB member know the water handling system works in car washes? We all know that the world will end if a drop of (you name it) gets into the environment according to the radical environmental activists. Car washes use thousands of gallons of water every hour that are contaminated with dirt of all sorts, detergents, waxes, other?, and they seem to stay out of the crosshairs of the enviro-watchers. How do they clean the several water streams with the various contaminants to recycle thru the car wash for the next car while keeping the eagle-eyes happy?
I built a car wash in the late 80's. We had three staged underground settlement tanks that captured the solids and oils in the runoff water. That water was then used for initial rinses and undercarriage, wheel sprays etc. Then fresh water was used for the final rinse. The settlement in the tanks had to be collected every 90 days (by law) by a septic tank service. We actually used septic tanks for this. This was about '89. Don't know about now but this system worked pretty well.
Thanx, makes sense. Then what happens to the soap and detergents? Do they just go into the initial rinses and not cause problems with the process? Is that gray water used more than once or is it disposed after one use? Did they use any sock filters or such? How did they dispose of the too-contaminated water? Are the detergents and chemicals bio-degradable so they can go into the city sewer? Sorry for all the questions but the technology has always fascinated me. I know how many hoops we have to jump through in disposing of our oilfield produced water, really want to know how those guys do it.
The car wash I work at uses a water recycling system which prevents any contamination of the local water supply. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Stop at a local car wash. The owner is probably there at some point most days. I have had friends that owned them. Most of them were proud of how it worked and were glad to share details. Including all the problems (lots) and even how much money was to be made. One guy told me that a 5 gallon plastic bucket will hold $5k in quarters before it breaks and a good weekend each bay could fill 2.
I have no idea. That's why I choose car washes with boobs. Sent from my SM-G930T using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
3 stage clarifier, solids drop off then pushed through a filter/screen and either recycled or dumped and fresh water in. The car wash at work is plumbed up to the treatment plant to dump off and fresh water in. Detergents, left over dirt all go to the plant and treated into recycled water which then is used by cities to water greenery and some buildings in the toilets only (dual plumbed).
My grandfater developed the first commercially available cars was systems, as we know them today. https://www.carwash.org/news-landin...nddaughter-accept-the-2014-hall-of-fame-award
Way-on before the end of last century, when I were a young un in the pre-disco era, I had one my first jobs at one of them "automated" car washes. Y'all know the kind with a conveyor doohickey and brushes and what-not. One day we run plum out of hot wax treatment the well heeled folks paid extra fer. Boss man says to me refill it, with what says I, the only drum we stock says he...same one as the carpet shampoo, same as the spray foam, hot wax, lunch room coffee, etc. I'm not knowin if the water is recycled these days cuz I ain't been back to one since.
There are normally three (3) stages in car wash water treatment & recycling systems: Primary separation & settlement; Secondary separation & filtration; and Final filtration & disinfection Best practice technology car washes recycle 100% of their water. Every jurisdiction will have their own compliance requirements
We have... er... HAD 2 car washes in town. One burned about 5 years ago. How does a car wash burn down?
this link gives a general run down and specs on water filtration "This system is the ideal solution for reverse osmosis water and spot free rinse service in extreme high performance express car wash tunnels. The all new Tommy RO system takes pre-treated water and forces it through a sediment filter to the RO pump which generates the flow and pressure needed to produce truly spot free rinse water. This RO system has been engineered for years of trouble-free operation and low life cycle cost while minimizing required backroom space and installation complexity." http://shop.tommycarwash.com/Tommy-Store/RO-Units/E-SE-RO-A
Yep, sediment traps. 5 gallon buckets hold WAY more $$ than you initially think Weekends are profitable. Lots of nice young ladies forget to wear underpants when they bend over and vacuum their cars out. Being a carwash attendant as a young 20 something is a pretty fun job
The recycled water goes through a few tank process, the sediment tank is first normally, then OWS oily water separator, then a final clarifier where its normally blended with a binder agent to skim off sludge that happens with the binder and things to be removed, Finally then through filter separators before reuse. 90% of the recycled water never gets disposed of due to losses, evaporation, and filtration process losses in the sludge in final clarification. This is the normal in the big operations in major cities due to regulations. In lesser areas, they may just not reuse any and dispose it all to the local WWTU facility to be disposed of and pay the local fee worked out by the two companies.
The one I use is total recycle. I'm sure it add for evaporation. Only my 2015 and 2018 vehicles see it especially after a trip to El Mirage..
The Jalopy Journal
