Home

AboutUs

Products

Technical

Links

WaterAndWasteWaterSolutionsProvider

GuidetoWashwaterReuse

ComingCleanonCarwashReclaimWater

AGuidetoWaterReuseintheCarwashIndustry
ReclaimingorreusingwaterintheCarwashIndustryoftengetsbadpressbecauseofmisconceptionsinthetechnologyandthe
process.Themostcommoncomplaintfromwashownersandtheircustomersisthequalityofthewater.Typicalreclaim
systemsincludeundergroundsettlingtanksandeitheranautomaticbackwashingfilteroraCentrifugalseparatorsystem.In
centrifugalseparation,centrifugalforceisusedtoseparatesolidsfromtheliquidstreamSeparatorsareoftenusedtogetherwith
afilterasapretreatmenttoremovelargerparticlesfromthewaterstreamAutomaticBackwashingFiltersaredesignedfor
applicationsthatneedaconstantqualityofwaterdeliveringthisstyleoffiltrationwillensurethatthequalityofwaterwill
remainconstantnomatterwhattypeofparticlesarepassedthroughthefilter.

Thesesystemsweredesignedtoreducetotalsuspendedsolids.Thetreatedwateristhenreusedintheinitialwashcyclesinthe
processwithnoharmtothecarsbeingwashedordownstreamequipment.Thewaterhoweverisstillvisiblydirtyandcontains
oils/detergents/dissolvedsolidsandothercontaminantsmakingthewaterunusableorundesirableintherestofthewash
process.
Thetruthismostprocesswater(carwashandothers)canbetreatedandreused.Itsknowingwhatisinthewaterandhowto
getitout.Differenttechnologiesexistforreclaimingandreusingprocesswater.Thisarticlewillhelpinunderstanding
reclaimwaterinacarwashandoptionstoachievethewaterqualitygoals.

Keepthesefewpointsinmindasyoureadthroughthisarticle:
1.LookattherecoveryandreuseofCarwashwaterasaprocess.Therearedifferenttechnologiesthatwillbeapplied
dependingontheconditionsofthefeedwaterandthequalityoftheprocesswaterdesired.
2.EachCarwashisdifferent.Manyfactorsgointothedesignofasolutionthatworksforeachwash.Factorstoconsiderin
thedesignotherthanthefeedconditionsorqualityofwaterdesiredmaybespaceconstraints,chemicalsused,processflow,
flowratesandpressurestonameafew.
3.Insomecasesothertechnologiesexistthatcanbeappliedtocertainwaterqualityproblems,forthepurposesofthisarticle
wehavelimitedthemtotheequipmentdiscussedbelow.
4.Dontbeintimidated!Thereuseandreclaimofwatermayseemdifficult,howevertheprocessissimple.Identifywhatis
inthewatertobetreatedandthenapplyingtherighttechnologiestoremoveit.
Knowtheproblem
Knowtheproblem.Identifywhatyouwanttoachievewithyourreclaimprocess.Maybeyouhaveusagerestrictionsor
dischargeissues,orrisingwaterandsewagecosts.Maybeyouarenothappywiththewaterquality,oryouhavedownstream
equipmentmaintenanceissues.Theimportancehereisthattherearedifferentlevelsofwatertreatmentdependingontheusage
ordischarge.Whateverthereasons,understandingwhatyouaretryingtoaccomplishhasanimpactontheapproachtothe
processanddesign.
TheWater
CarwashProcessWaterisuniqueinthatitwillbedifferentineachlocation.Generallywhatisinthewaterissimilarinall
Professionalwashes,howmuchofeachistheproblem.Environmentaldifferences,ownerspreferencetosoaps/conditioners,
andfeedwaterqualityaresomeofthereasonstheyaredifferent.Animproperlyinstalledorthelackofmaintenanceofthe
settlingtanksystemfurthererodesthequalityofthewatertoreclaim.
Awateranalysisshouldbetakenofthewatertobetreated.Additionallyitshouldbenotedatwhatpointthesampleisdrawn.
Wasthesettlingtankjustpumped?Isitwinter,whenroadsaltsareused?Thesequestionsandothershelpinidentifyingthe

technologiesthatshouldbeappliedtothedesign.Anotherimportantconsiderationistheproductsusedinthewash.Once
somethingisidentifiedinthewater,itspossiblethatitisintroducedviatheproductsused.Findingalternativescaneliminate
havingtotreattoremovethem.
TheProcess
Inunderstandingthedesignofthecarwashreclaimprocessithelpstoknowthewashequipmentandhowitoperates.
Differencesinthewashequipmentandthequalityofwaterthatcanbeusedineachstepofthewashwillhelpindesigninga
balancedandefficientsystem.Inadditionyouwillalsowanttoconsidertheotherusesofthewateratthecarwash.Chemical
mixing,irrigation,andfacilitymaintenancecanhaveanimpactonoptionsinthedesignanduseforthereclaimedwater.
Thefiltrationprocesstoreclaimcarwashwaterstartsatthefloordrainsordrainagesystempriortothesettlingtanks.Thisis
wherelargedebrisiscapturedandremovedpriortodischargetotheundergroundsettlingtanks.Theundergroundsettling
tanksrelyongravityandnaturallyoccurringbiologicalactivityandimprovesthewatertobereclaimed.Propertank
maintenancegoesalongwaytoachievingthebestresultsinrecoveringandreusingwaterataCarwash.Ithelpstoregulate
whatisgoingintotherestofthereclaimprocessandshouldbeperiodicallypumpedtomaintainperformance.
Volumescanbewrittenaboutthedesignonthedrainageandtanks,butwewillleavethatforanotherdiscussionandjumpto
theprocessandequipmentusedinreclaimingwater.Thedesignofthereclaimprocesscanbedecidedbasedoncustomer
preferenceonthewaterqualityateachapplicationofthecarwash.Dependingonthesefactors,appropriatetechnologies
appliedinthepropersequencewillbeneededtomeetthecriteria.
TheTechnologies
Therearemanytechnologiesthatcanbeappliedintherecoveryandreuseofcarwashwater.Eachtechnologyhasprosand
constotheiruseandsomecanevenbeappliedatdifferentstagesintheprocess.
Abriefoverviewofsomeoftheequipment(technology)appliedinthecarwashwaterreclaimprocessfollows.Otherchoices
intechnologiesexist,andcanbeaddressedinthedesign.
.AutomaticBackwashingFiltersorParticleSeparatorsUsedtoreducesuspendedsolidsinthewater.Thesesystems
typicallyremovesolidsdownto25micronsandcanbeusedintheinitialstagesofthewash.Washeshavetraditionallyused
thiswaterforpresoak,tire,undercarriageandeventheintheapplicationofsoaptothecar.Althoughthesedimenthasbeen
reducedinsizedownto25micronstheappearanceofthewaterisadarkergrey.
.Oil/WaterSeparatorOilandgreaseremovalisnecessarytoprotectmembranebasedtechnologydownstreamoftheprocess
Theoil/greasecontentofthereclaimwatermustbelessthan10ppmforUFTechnologyandlessthan1ppmforReverse
Osmosis.Anythinghigherrisksfoulingthemembranes.Typicaloilwaterseparatorsaretanksdesignedwithcompartments
andbaffling.Asthewaterentersthechamberstheoilstartstorisetothetopandisskimmedout.Iftheoil/greaseiscontentof
thewaterisprimarilyemulsifiedadifferenttreatmentprocessmayberequired.
.OzoneGenerationOzonecanberecycledintotheundergroundsettlingtanktooxidizeorganicsolvents,sulfides,odors,
andheavymetals.Thishelpsinmaintainingpitperformanceandimprovestheaestheticqualityofthereclaimedwater.(a
muchlightershadeofgrey)
.UltrafiltrationUltrafiltrationisalowpressuremembraneprocess,capableofremoving,bacteria,virus,suspendedsolids
andlargeorganicmaterials.Thefiltratewaterfromtheultrafiltrationsystemcanbeusedinthewash,finalrinse,chemical
mixing,andasfeedtothereverseosmosisspotfreerinsesystem.
.FlocculationThisprocessconsistsofacontacttankandthedosingofaflocculantagentintotheprocess.Theflocculant
(likeAlumandothers)helptobindtogetherthesuspendedsolidsoflessthan25micronsinthewaterandgravitysettlesitto
thebottomofthecontacttanktobedischarged.(flocculationwillonlybeusedifthevolumeofsuspendedsolidslessthan5
micronexceedsrecommendedlimits.
.ChemicalDosingChemicaldosingmaybeapplieddependingontheconditionofthewater.Ifthewaterishighin
biologicalcontentthatamethodforcontrolmightbechlorinedosing.Usuallydosingisonlyappliedwhenconventional
technologiesarenoteffectivelyhandlingtheload.
.ReverseOsmosisReverseOsmosisisusedtoremoveTotalDissolvedSolidsfromthewater.TypicallyReverseOsmosis
removes98%+/dissolvedsolidscontent.PermeateTDSlevelsof40ppmorlessisconsideredspotfreewater.Reverse
Osmosisisalsoamembranebasedsystemthatsplitsthewaterintotwostreams.Thepermeatestreamisstoredreadyforuse
whenthecarwashcallsforit.TheConcentratewatercanalsobeusedinthewashorreturnedtoblendwiththereclaimwater
inthebeginningoftheprocess.
Conclusion
AsmentionedearlierinthisarticlethereareothertechnologiesthatcanbeappliedintreatingthewaterintheCarwashProcess.
Theequipmentdescribedabovebestillustratesthetechnologiesrequiredtotaketheleapsinwaterqualitydesired.These
technologieshavebeenaroundforyearsandhaveproveneffectiveintreatingmanytypesofprocesswater.Sincelocationsand
feedwatercharacteristicsdiffersodoestheprocessflowandequipmentusedtotreatthewaterfromWashtoWash.
StartingdowntheroadtoReclaimandReuseoftheprocesswaterfromacarwashasmentionedistheexpectationsfromthe
system.Thisisimportantindeterminingthetechnologiestoapply.Anotherimportantnotetoreviewisthequantityand

ingredientsofthesoaps,detergents,andprotectantsusedinthewash.Allthisaddstothewatertobetreated.

Thebenefitsofreclaimingwaterrangefromthereductionoffreshwaterrequiredintothecarwash,costofwaterandsewer,
andperceptionaboutthewashandwaterquality.Environmentallyyouplayanimportantpartinconservingwaterforfuture
generations.