EPA and Wash Water Issues - Summary

The EPA deals with a variety of environmental issues with their main purpose being to protect the environment. Those issues that are pertinent to the washing industry as a whole are quite simple.

Wash Water is considered a source of Industrial Waste.
If for any reason "wash water" is allowed to soak into the ground, go into a storm drain or drain into any surface water such as a river or a lake, it must meet the "CLEAN WATER ACT'S" contamination requirements, which simply states that it must be as clean as drinking water.
To avoid any conflicts, all the water used needs to be picked up and disposed of properly. Since this is not always practical, then "ZERO DISCHARGE" reclamation is required. This means all the water is picked up, cleaned and reused so as not to pollute any ground or surface waters. Left-over water must be hauled away or cleaned for discharge to local sanitary sewer standards.
Any cleaning, maintenance or other service that does not follow a practice that prevents ground or surface water contamination during its operation is typically in violation of the "CLEAN WATER ACT" and both the owner of the property and the operator could be liable and face legal penalties and be responsible for damages and clean-up costs.

Today, technologies and equipment are available to enable the cleaning industry to be compliant. It is, therefore, in the best interest of the industry at large and in the interest of public health and safety to work towards the goal of 100% compliance.

To this goal, operators utilizing equipment in the washing process which clean and reuse wash water and/or pick up wash water and remove it from the site or process it to meet sanitary sewer discharge requirements are typically compliant in that they are utilizing "best management practices" to control contamination to ground and surface water. Those, who utilize these "best management practices", limit their own and their clients' exposure and risk of running afoul of EPA regulations relating to this matter.

EPA and Industrial Waste - Detail

Why does the US EPA regulate the discharge of industrial wastewaters?

The Threat to Public Health & Environment: Many businesses generate waste and wastewater during daily operations. If these wastewaters are disposed of into shallow injection wells, such as septic drain fields, dry wells, cesspools or pits, constituents from these wastewaters pass through septic systems and discharge to ground water unchanged.

If these wastewaters are disposed into storm drains or sewers, they may endanger surface water such as streams, lakes and estuaries.

The Safe Drinking Water Act: EPA and State Underground Injection Control (UIC) programs are established to protect underground sources of drinking water from contamination by injection wells.

EPA has found that contaminant concentrations in ground-water resulting from industrial discharges may exceed the maximum contaminant levels (MCL's) identified in the EPA primary drinking water standards. EPA prohibits the injection or run-off of fluids that will endanger ground water that is or could be and underground source of drinking water.

The Clean Water Act: EPA prohibits the discharge of wastewater into storm drains or sewers under the authority of the Clean Water Act.

The Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA): EPA has recently added 20 new chemicals to the list defining toxic waste (March 29, 1990). Industrial wastewaters contain many of these toxic chemicals.

If you discharge RCRA-regulated wastes into a septic system, drain field, drywell, cesspool, pit or other injection well, you may be operating an unauthorized, hazardous, waste disposal site.

What should you do?

You must stop discharging industrial wastes to your septic system, drain fields, dry wells, cesspools, pits or separate story drains or sewers.

Stop using the well for these wastes!

Facilities that use these types of disposal systems may be in violation of federal, state or local requirements and subject to monetary penalties.

First:

Temporarily seal the floor drains or other means of wastewater entry to the injection wells and surface waters. If the floor drains are necessary to comply with state or local laws, the discharge point to the injection well should be blocked or disconnected. You should then use one of the following plans for alternate disposal:

Eliminate the wastewater, if possible, through recycling, improved housekeeping, waste minimization or other means.
Route all wastewater to a municipal wastewater treatment facility, if available, and if it will accept your waste.
If a municipal treatment plant is not available, or it will not accept your waste, route the waste to a tank or container for proper accumulation and disposal.

Second:

Initiate a waste minimization and pollution prevention program. Even if you cannot eliminate the waste entirely, you may be able to reduce the volume and toxicity. This may reduce your costs, liabilities and the regulatory burden of hazardous waste management, while preserving the environment and precious ground-water resources.

Minimize wastes by recycling wherever and whenever possible.

Third:

Implement clean-up. In many states you will need to contact the appropriate EPA, state and local agencies regarding their closure and permit requirements.

In most instances, you will need to:

Pressure wash any discharge lines or piping leading to the septic system, cesspool or drywell.
Clean out liquids and solids from all lines and tanks, dry wells or pits. Dispose of the contents by acceptable methods for waste disposal.
Fill the dry well, cesspool of pit with an inert material, seal with asphalt or cement, or as otherwise required by state and local authorities.