Just because a Mobile Fleet Truck Washing company uses environmentally friendly products does not mean they are allowed to let the wash wastewater affluent enter a storm drain, run off the property or get into the ground water. The wash water affluent, cannot go into a storm drain or water way in the US, that includes, ditches, rivers, streams, oceans, lakes, whether there is water in them or not.
Most folks think that if they use some special bio-degradable soap, organic cleaner, emulsifiers or "green products" that such procedures will enable them to allow run-off, but it simply is not so. Please, do not pollute the water - the fines are huge, sometimes include jail time (as they should if you are willfully polluting) and your are putting people and the environment in danger. One gallon of diesel fuel can pollute 1 million gallons of water, so be thinking here and please pay attention to your wash water affluent.
Then take the water to the local municipal sewer treatment plant, where most likely they will have either a small fee to dump or a permit? Another idea is to trade a "coin-op carwash" to dump and trade for pressure washing their facility - that also works well. Your BMPs "Best Management Practices" must be similar to the NPDES permits for the local agencies, city, county, state, etc. What region do you live in? What region will you be washing in - have you checked the local ordinances, rule or environmental laws? I think you better.
You should be using "Green" car washing soap products anyway, but you still have to pick up the water that does not evaporate. This is not as difficult as you may think. There are many systems you can buy or you can build your own systems to collect and reclaim the water. We use a series of systems to collect the affluent: http://www.truckwashguy.com/reclamation.shtml
----------
L. Winslow is an Economic Advisor to the Online Think Tank, a Futurist and retired entrepreneur http://www.worldthinktank.net . Currently he is planning a bicycle ride across the US to raise money for charity and is sponsored by http://www.Calling-Plans.com and all the proceeds will go to various charities who sign up.
