What is your system for containing run-off when pressure washing driveways? How do you deal with oil? What’s your process for doing it the right way and following all the regulations?
You can get a square bed pan from Home Depot. I put it at the end of the driveway when there is oil spots, direct the oil to that direction of flow. Collect it and drop off where ever you would normally drop off used oil.
As a general rule here, the driveways that have oil stains do not have their driveways pressure washed, ever. Usually the type of people that have their driveway pressure washed have newer cars.
Unlike Mark, we do get a lot of driveways with oil stains. Not sure about Oregon, but in Florida the state does not require you to get emissions tests each year, so you see a lot of clunkers on the road. What we do is lay down oil socks at the runoff point and collect the waste water that way.
This will make me sound horrible but we have no laws in place on what to do with runoff. I simply rely on the sewage system. Extremely oily drives may be another story, haven’t ran into one yet. But this is coming from a guy who used to dump oil from my oil changes down my toilet… I know, horrible right? USED to
Do some research on the Clean Water Act and you will find that there are laws in your area. Just might not be enforced.
Right, that’s the way I understand it. Nobody is unregulated. You can’t just let the run-off go down the street. So what are y’all doing to capture the water? Right now I’m just pumping it back into the landscape, is that what y’all are doing?
I try to direct as much as possible back into the landscape as well. I don’t have a containment system as of yet, other than mother nature on the sides of the driveways. I’m sure at some point soon I will need to invest in a system of some kind.
Anyone else
Maybe over at Pressure Washing Phoenix Arizona they could help you more? Quick search might reveal something.
www.Pressurewashinginstitute.com
Ron Musgraves text me 480-5225227 ???Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ron to the rescue.
Thanks Ron. That’s what I meant to link to.
I figured, lets just take them straight there.
I will say discharging to the ms4 is not good.
Read the definition of us waters.
Ron Musgraves text me 480-5225227 ???Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What’s ms4?
http://www.google.com/search?q=ms+4+water+definition&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari
Choose one, it’s argued even by regulators where it starts. Normally they say curb and gutter.
I say us waters!!
Ron Musgraves text me 480-5225227 ???Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks guys. I wasn’t really asking what system I SHOULD be using, just curious what system others ARE using…
I agree 100% with Clearview Windows Orlando.
I got caught once. I was cleaning an unscheduled job after a home builder called me ask asked if I could clean a driveway on a house that was closing the next day. I didn’t have any oil socks on the truck that day and I was already in the area. So I just went and did it.
Low and behold, about half way through the job a building inspector shows up. Now bear in mind that this was a new driveway that only had surface dirt on it. He immediately told me to shut the pressure washer off and proceed to ream me out for not having a berm at the end of the driveway. He was not a happy camper - even after I explained the situation to him. In the end he let me go, but he told me the next time it would cost me a $10,000 fine.
ECRC
Wow I think I may invest in some oil socks…
