Environmental Cleaning
We are continually expanding our company and remain recognized with BASMAA – Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association. We are trained to prevent pollution of our local creeks, the Bay and the Delta.
We take special pride in being specialists who provide an environmentally safe on-site mobile washing system that is accepted by the Environmental Protection Agency. This is most important because in the State of California, storm drain pollution is against the law. Liability is shared by the property owner and the actual discharger. We will do the job right and provide you with a voucher declaring that your premises have been cleaned by a recognized mobile cleaner.
Our wash method is environmentally safe and accepted by Environmental Protection Agencies.
Discharge of vehicle wash waters to a Water of the United States, even if via a separate storm sewer system, does legally require a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. In addition, section 402(p) of the Clean Water Act requires NPDES permits for the discharge of storm water associated with industrial activity.
As an extra precautionary measure, we will block the storm drains with Portable Sewer Covers. The trucks/vehicles are washed on a fleet mat in order to contain all of the wash water on-site.
The wash water is then collected and disposed of off the client’s property in compliance with the city’s code. Because there won’t be a point source discharge at the wash site, an NPDES permit will not be necessary.
If your company already has a permit and we are allowed to let the wash water drain into the drains made available, then no additional equipment will be necessary to block the drains. We will review the best method of draining and collecting wash water when we do an initial on-site evaluation.
The definition of “discharge of storm water associated with industrial activity” at 40 CFR 122.26 (b) (14) includes Post Offices, certain motor freight, most manufacturing facilities, etc.
The facility operator is typically required to address storm water runoff from vehicle maintenance (including washing) areas at the facility (United States Environmental Protection Agency).
Most cities will not allow any wash water to go down the sewer drains unless it has been tested by a lab and approved by the city to dispose into the sewer drains.
Four-Step Water Recovery Process
Water Recovery Process consist of four steps:
- Isolation: In order to pick up the waste water, it has to first be channeled and pooled using booms or dikes. Drain seals are extremely critical to a successful recovery operation. We use the Latimat® Portable Sewer Cover System. These mats completely seal off storm drains, eliminating the possibility of contaminated water entering the sewers and waterways.
- We use the fleet mat wash pad system, which allows us to wash planes, trains, automobiles, trucks, trailer fleets and machinery, while containing potentially hazardous materials. During wash cycles, harmful pollutants and chemicals are removed from transport vehicles and machinery. The fleet mat wash pad system holds these pollutants until they are removed by our sump pumps and purified by our water treatment system.
- Collection: We use an advanced filtration technology offered in the “Little Sucker” Wash Water Recovery System. The “Little Sucker” collects all of the wash water from the fleet mat. This recovery system offers an economical solution for most wash water filtration problems.
- Water Recycling: The vacuum system collects all the wash water in a tank mounted on the wash truck. The wash water is then treated in our water treatment system and recycled back into the pressure washer.
- Transportation: The recycled water will be removed after each mobile washing in our wash truck tanks. Supervisors are responsible for the collection of wash water and removal of the recycled water, in addition to inspecting the quality of work.