UPDATED 4/17/96

                          BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR

                           VEHICLE WASHING FACILITIES

     

Best management practices can be thought of as using "good     

housekeeping" practices.  Listed below are several procedures to

operate your facility and minimize the risk of contamination to the

environment.may not be done over open ground.

 

a.   Pressure cleaning, steam cleaning and/or washing must be

           done in an area designed to collect and contain the washing

           and rinse water or effluent.  A system may recycle, collect

           or treat the effluent prior to discharge to the sanitary

           sewer system.

 

           (i)          If detergents or surfactants are not used, an oil

                       and water separator connected to sanitary sewers or

                       a holding tank, will usually allow effluent to meet

                       sanitary sewer standards.

     

      (ii)  If detergents, surfactants, solvents or hot water

                       are used, the oils, waxes and greases are

                       emulsified and an oil and water separator would no

                       longer function properly.  In these cases, further

                       treatment or recycling systems must be used.  If

                       the treated water meets sanitary sewer standards,

                       it can be discharged to the sanitary sewer.  For

                       existing facilities approved on septic tank

                       (grandfathered), it can be stored in a holding

                       tank, where it can be collected and hauled to a

                       sewage treatment plant by a permitted septic tank

                       hauler (if the wastewater meets the sanitary sewer

                       discharge standards of 24-11(a)), after prior

                       written approval from DERM.  NO WASTE, OTHER THAN

                       DOMESTIC SEWAGE MAY BE DISCHARGED INTO SEPTIC

                       TANKS.

     

      (iii)       No steam cleaning, pressure cleaning, nor

                       degreasing of engines or undercarriages is allowed

                       inside the average pumpage wellfield protection

                       area of any public water supply wellfield.

 

 

      ***  PLANS FOR VEHICLE WASHING FACILITIES, PRESSURE   CLEANING, STEAM CLEANING AND/OR RECYCLING SYSTEMS     MUST BE SUBMITTED TO DERM FOR APPROVAL BEFORE     CONSTRUCTION.

 

2.   Special attention should be paid to storm drain locations (also

           known as storm sewers).  Storm drains are designed to help

           alleviate rainwater build up.  These drains are not connected to

           the sanitary sewer system, but rather assist in allowing

           rainwater to drain directly into the ground, groundwater or to

           surface bodies of water.  Therefore, only stormwater discharges

           are to go to these storm drains.  Areas near storm drains must

           be kept free of contaminants such as oil, grease, antifreeze and

           detergents so that rainwater does not wash these materials into

           the storm drains.

     

3.   On properties served by any source of potable water supply and

           septic tank, the only car wash facilities that may be approved

           are those equipped with a self-contained water recycling system,

           provided the facility does not back wash the filters.

     

4.   Spills of contaminants must be immediately picked up, liquids

           may be absorbed with "spill dry" or other absorbent materials,

           residues from solid spills may be vacuumed.

 

5.   No discharges to surface waters are allowed.

     

6.   All facilities must abide by all water use restrictions as may

           be imposed by the Department of Environmental Resources

           Management (DERM) or the South Florida Water Management District

           (SFWMD).  Water recycling and reuse systems are strongly

           encouraged.

     

*****In all aforementioned situations where the waste is deemed to be

       hazardous, a permitted hazardous waste transporter must be used

       to transport the waste to a federally approved hazardous waste

       treatment or disposal facility.  Hazardous waste manifests,

       receipts and exception reports must be maintained at your

       facility.  The facility generating the hazardous waste is

        required to obtain an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

        identification number, by contacting: Notification Coordinator

                    

Bureau of Waste Planning and Regulation

Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection

Two Towers Office Building Room 471

 2600 Blair Stone Road

 Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400

  (904) 488-4805

     

For facilities storing chemicals and/or fuels:

 

      a.   All liquids (drums, aboveground tanks etc.) stored indoors

                  must be away from all floor drains and doorways.  Any

                  containers stored near floor drains or doorways must have

                  secondary containment capable of holding 110% of the

                  largest container stored in the area.

 

      b.   All chemicals and/or fuels stored outdoors must have

                  secondary containment.  This containment area should be

                  able to hold 110% of the largest single tank to be stored

                  in this area and have an approved method to properly

                  dispose of the accumulated stormwater.

          

      c.   Chemical storage areas must be on an impervious surface

                  with secondary containment or a bermed and covered area

                  away from drainage structures (e.g. floor drains or storm

                  drains).

 

      If you have any questions on these matters, please contact the

      Industrial Facilities Section of DERM at (305)372-6600.