Use wash Racks For Pollution Prevention

Virtually every municipality has enacted some level of pollution prevention regulation, typically in the form of a P2 or Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).

Most SWPPP’s state that facilities that produce or need to dispose of wash water fall under the regulation of the Clean Water Act.

These include municipal, industrial and commercial facilities, including construction activities, military bases and shipping ports. Wash water comes in the form of contaminated stormwater that can potentially pollute water sources.

Pollution Prevention places the burden on operators to increase there awareness of and compliance regulations:

  • Identification of Potential Sources of Pollution
  • Preventing Pollution from Happening
  • Training and Implementation

WASH RACKS HELP CONSERVE PRECIOUS WATER

Water conservation is critical in many areas of the US. Proper wash treatment systems promise recycled water treatment: zero discharge and an EPA compliant process. Wash rack filtration systems can be used for equipment washing, salt trucks, corrosion control, and phosphate pre-treatment chemical recycling.

The filtration process allows for built in oil-water separation, ozone injection, oil coalescing, oil skimming, absolute filtration and more.

Oil, mud, grease, heavy metals, soaps and detergents and other chemicals and particulate matter are all substances that build up on industrial vehicles, aircraft, trucks and worksites.

It is important to have a system in place that cleans equipment and disposes of wash water and debris properly to prevent these substances from becoming pollutants.

The best wash technology is specifically designed to eliminate storm water pollution. This equipment helps operators stay compliant with federal and local environmental regulations, which are becoming increasingly stringent and detailed.

TALK TO A POLLUTION PREVENTION SPECIALIST HERE?

Choose a system with the highest quality filtration and water recycling technology. In addition, industrial facilities that have installed and implemented pollution prevention washing solutions will be working in compliance with environmental mandates.

But these are not the only reason to comply with environmental regulations. Focusing on eco-friendly processes and systems will not only make a commitment to the health of your workers but also to the health of those in the community surrounding your work site.

This will help reinforce your company’s commitment to sustainability.

WASH RACKS STOP MUD AND OIL RUN OFF

Filtration systems collect dirty wash water, remove suspended solids, heavy metals, chemicals, microbes and other contaminates from that water, and then reuse that purified water.

Recycling wash water cuts use drastically and eliminates the possibility of running afoul of EPA regulations.

Using closed loop recycling filtration systems ensures that your company is an environmentally compliant organization. The improper disposal of wash water and debris is greatly harmful to the environment and to the health of individuals in the surrounding community?

Wash solutions are designed to ensure that your company is an environmentally responsible organization, removing and filtering out:

  • Oil
  • Grease
  • Metal in the form of pain chips
  • Soaps and detergents
  • Other chemicals
  • Sediment

WASH RACKS HELP PREVENT ROAD DETERIORATION

There are several dangers of improperly cleaning industrial vehicles. Projects that use this equipment often generate a large amount of debris and particulate matter. As this builds up on the vehicles – and doesn’t get washed off correctly – not only do the trucks suffer, but so do the roads.

Codes regarding trackout often require wash treatments of vehicles before they can move from worksite to public roads.

This is often referred to as fugitive dust and this is usually addressed by municipal regulations. Also, stones and other debris not washed out can have a negative impact on roads as well as vehicles.

Wash rack technology is specifically designed to prevent trackout. Wash racks – both steel above ground and concrete in ground – work to contain the debris that industrial vehicles pick up.

WASH RACKS HELP STOP CORROSION

Sand, saltwater, and dissolved particles can all have devastating corrosive effects on equipment, which is why companies have developed systems to eliminate these threats. Corrosion is a formative foe that creates severe monetary costs as well as safety risks.

For example, the USAF alone spends $1.5 billion dollars annually on vehicles that are structurally compromised by corrosion.

By providing the best vehicle wash and wash water containment systems around, your compliant wash rack and system helps combat the never ending threat of corrosion, reclaiming as much precious water as possible. Equipment and Parts Cleaning . . . You Need Pollution Prevention. Line them up: construction equipment, fracking rigs, waste haulers, tractor trailers, commercial mowers, fork lifts, 6s. Pollution prevention systems have the high pressure, hot water power to blast anything from clay to oils right off your vehicle?

Getting the job done quickly and efficiently.

Whether your application is for golf course vehicles to construction equipment, you need to thoroughly wash away grime that can be both harmful to the vehicle and to the environment. It is no longer acceptable to let wash water simple seep into the the ground.

Local, state, and federal regulations often have strict policies regarding proper disposal. Not only do pollution prevention systems recover water to remain eco-friendly, but this can save you money too, by filtering and re-using otherwise disposed wash water.

Closed Loop Pollution Prevention Includes Wash Water Treatment and Recycling

 POLLUTION PREVENTION WASH RACKS HELP STOP INVASIVE SPECIES FROM SPREADING

After a tough and messy day on the job, your vehicles should get the best possible washing. This isn?t as easy as it may sound. But with the right system, you can be confident that your equipment will get thoroughly and efficiently cleaned.

Today’s wash technology operates quickly, simply, reliably, economically, and responsibly. There are wash systems available that have been specifically designed to save customers time ? without skimping on their efficiency of cleaning.

These wash systems confidently remove mud and buildup while also eliminating potential contaminants, like noxious weeds and other invasive species. Noxious weeds have the potential for economic and environmental devastation in a large geographical area. Weeds?

Their seeds and rhizomes — dig into the new soils and spread rapidly, choking out both the native plants as well as the agriculturally-based plants that are grown, thereby rendering areas unfit for regular agriculture and healthy ecosystems.

Noxious weeds can destroy farming and wildlife-based incomes for owners and even their neighbors.

They can poison livestock and pets, increase fire hazard, compete with desirable plants, require investment of effort and resources for control, reduce the suitability of wildlife habitats, and change the nature and composition of plant communities?

Just consider:

  • Within a square meter there are between 30,000 and 350,000 seeds/m2 and 120 million to 1.4 billion seeds per acre.
  • Economic impact of spotted knapweed infested areas both directly and indirectly are $42 million, which translated to 518 jobs in South Dakota.
  • 21 species reduce Oregon’s total personal income by about $83 million, equivalent to 3,329 annual jobs lost to Oregon’s economy.
  • Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium can be reduced by 40-90% in spotted knapweed infested areas.
  • Leafy spurge can decrease the carrying capacity (how many animals can graze in an area) by up to 50%.

Numerous regulations have been enacted? Throughout the United States and Canada to help prevent the spread of invasive weeds. Specific legal details vary from area to area, so it is important to research the location before work is proposed. Underscoring the seriousness?

Of this issue, legal fines can be significant and penalties may even include jail time in some jurisdictions.

While there are several measures available to mitigate the transfer of these hitchhikers, vehicle washing at the source is considered one of, if not the most effective preventative measures.

Construction, off road and recreational vehicles, ATVs and farm equipment carry contaminants in tire treads, crevices, wheel wells and undercarriage. Even emergency and governmental agency vehicles that enter a site for inspections or assistance are potential sources of contamination.

Washing Vehicles and Equipment at the Source

The best practice widely used, specified, or even required in many areas, is a good and thorough equipment and vehicle washing in a contained area, prior to leaving the source. To be effective, washing must reach the undercarriage and wheel wheels, then contain?

And filter?

The contaminated wash water to separate out seeds, insects and their eggs and any other foreign organic substance. Filtration systems should be utilized, and proper end disposal of the contaminated wash water must be considered

In areas where water is at a premium, or difficult to access, it will be most cost effective to utilize a system that can filter water to an appropriate standard, to be used again. In the end, invasive weeds impact?

Eeveryone? However, careful work habits and selection of proper decontamination tools will make the process less cumbersome, and allow your project to continue without hassle.

Choosing a Self Contained Wash Rack System

A self-contained washing station placed at a point prior to egress is a best practice. Second to that is a washing station or? Wash rack? Located at the equipment yard or depot, in which the vehicles and equipment are washed immediately upon return and prior to entering any other work area or field.

Wash racks can be purchased as semi-portable, allowing it to be moved and set up in other areas as needed. This is ideal for extended projects, such as construction or drilling, where the work is not permanent.

Wash Rack Design and Fabrication

While plastic or vinyl matts may be acceptable in emergency situations, they have little lasting value in commercial or industrial applications.? Steel wash rack panel offer greater control over containment and can be engineered to meet more specific needs.

With no permitting required, this bolt-together system can be installed in a matter of hours, and sized to your exact requirements, plus there is the option to expand later.

The above ground wash racks are ideal for applications where property is leased, such as oil or gas exploration, and where the operator must meet track-out requirements without incurring leasehold improvements.

Above ground steel wash racks? Are manufactured in specified length and width and are designed to carry loads exceeding 15,000 lbs per wheel. Elevated steel racks allow vacuum technology to recover the wash water; look for a low profile for versatility.

Low profile racks allow low clearance man-lifts and forklifts onto the racks, and are safer for equipment and employees. Diamond-tread plate decks are often coated with grit-impregnated epoxy paint to for better grip even when wet and soapy.

Containment Walls and Drains

Containment walls allow access to both sides of the vehicle while reduce overspray. These walls are typically available in various heights and help ensure that wash water does not spill out onto the ground but instead into the floor channels for positive egress to water treatment or disposal.

Wash racks can include automatic conveyors with a wedge wire screen filter and suction pump that deposits mud and debris in hopper for easy disposal.

Pressure Washers

Resist the temptation to purchase household or? Prosumer? Pressure washers. Commercial and industrial pressure washers?

Feature far superior water delivery technology for both high-pressure low volume or low pressure high volume, depending on the equipment being washed. Specify gas or diesel fired, with or without hot water, and at the GPM and PSI required.

Skid mounted pressure washers are available for large-scale production, with suitable for forklift or crane. Self-contained units are ideal for field operations without utilities and may be available with one, two or three pumps.

Each pump operates? Independently in water pressure, temperature and, if needed, solvent mix, allowing you to blast, foam and rinse.

Undercarriage Spray Bars Are Very Effective In Washing/Rinsing Hard To Reach

Undercarriage Spray Bars

Spores and seeds cling to the dirt, mud and vegetation found not only in visible areas but also in the undercarriage or underbody parts, such as wheels, wheel wells, drive train, and bumpers. It is imperative that these areas are thoroughly cleaned and undercarriage spray bars do the best job.?

Undercarriage spray bars are, unfortunately, often overlooked by the inexperienced buyer. Engineered into many steel wash racks, undercarriage spray bars use lower pressure and higher flow to clean difficult-to-reach areas of a vehicle that usually harbor the largest percentage of harmful substances.?

The number and size of the nozzle shape or holes in a spray bar, in addition to water pressure, determine water-use rate.

While hardened clots that adhere to the vehicle may be unlikely to come loose prior to reaching a nearby washing facility, all remote location wash systems should concentrate on a thorough cleaning.

Wash Water Recycling

With the right filtration and treatment, wash water can easily and environmentally be recycled. A closed loop system greatly reduces the amount of water required. Wash water is scarce and expensive to haul in remote areas.

Recycling systems can recover 75 to 90 percent of wash water depending on filtration method and climate, while separating harmful oils, solids and bacteria.

Closed loop systems are able to achieve higher reclamation ratios when used in walled racks? VS. a concrete, steel or plastic pad or steel pad.

A system that produces recycled water delivers a greater return on investment from both a financial and environmental perspective.

Where solvents are used for cleaning, recycling produces a more consistent bath while reducing chemical costs.

In a study conducted by Montana State University, wash cycles of six minutes appeared to be most effective in removing soil, even if those six minutes are comprised of two-minute washes.

Vehicle wash duration.

Longer duration single wash times resulted in more soil being removed than a single 1.5-minute wash. The average percent of total soil removed from trucks differed between wash times with the six-minute wash removing the most soil and the three-minute wash removing more soil than the 1-minute wash.

Number of vehicles washed

Our study showed that an additional amount of soil was removed with each successive wash. However, after the third wash (9 minutes in total) only small amounts of soil were removed again demonstrating that a six-minute wash was most effective.

Wash unit comparison

Evaluation of the five commercial vehicle wash units showed a relatively high efficiency (66 percent to 95 percent of soil removed) for all units. Wash units had higher soil removal efficiencies for the bulldozer, likely because it was washed for longer than the other vehicles.

While there was some variability between wash units, overall the units performed similarly with a trend that larger vehicles were cleaned more effectively than smaller vehicles.

# Introduction to EPA’s NPDES Stormwater Program

The following information is sourced directly from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website and is intended for educational purposes. It provides an overview of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Program, including its scope, importance, and the problems associated with stormwater pollution.

## NPDES Stormwater Program

### More Information on the Stormwater Program
* [Stormwater Centers of Excellence Grants](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-centers-excellence-grants)
* [Stormwater Planning](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-planning)
* [Stormwater Rules and Notices](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-rules-and-notices)
* [Stormwater Best Management Practices Fact Sheets](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/national-menu-best-management-practices-bmps-stormwater)
* [Stormwater Webcasts](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-webcasts)

### NPDES stormwater program areas:
* [Stormwater Pollutants of Emerging Concern](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-pollutants-emerging-concern)
* [Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activities](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-construction-activities)
* [Stormwater Discharges from Industrial Activities](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-industrial-activities)
* [Stormwater Discharges from Municipal Sources](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-municipal-sources)
* [Stormwater Discharges from Transportation Sources](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-discharges-transportation-sources)
* [Oil and Gas Stormwater Permitting](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/oil-and-gas-stormwater-permitting)
* [EPA’s Residual Designation Authority](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/epas-residual-designation-authority)
* [Stormwater Maintenance](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-maintenance)
* [Stormwater Planning](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater-planning)

## Problems with Stormwater Pollution

Stormwater runoff is generated from rain and snowmelt events that flow over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, and does not soak into the ground. The runoff picks up pollutants like trash, chemicals, oils, and dirt/sediment that can harm our rivers, streams, lakes, and coastal waters. To protect these resources, communities, construction companies, industries, and others, use stormwater controls, known as best management practices (BMPs). These BMPs filter out pollutants and/or prevent pollution by controlling it at its source.

The NPDES stormwater program regulates some stormwater discharges from three potential sources: municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s), construction activities, and industrial activities. Operators of these sources might be required to obtain an NPDES permit before they can discharge stormwater. This permitting mechanism is designed to prevent stormwater runoff from washing harmful pollutants into local surface waters.

* [Authorization Status for EPA’s Stormwater Construction and Industrial Programs](https://www.epa.gov/npdes/authorization-status-epas-construction-and-industrial-stormwater-programs) – Most states are authorized to implement the stormwater NPDES permitting program. EPA remains the permitting authority in a few states, territories, and on most land in Indian Country.

Population growth and the development of urban/urbanized areas are major contributors to the amount of pollutants in the runoff as well as the volume and rate of runoff from impervious surfaces. Together, they can cause changes in hydrology and water quality that result in habitat modification and loss, increased flooding, decreased aquatic biological diversity, and increased sedimentation and erosion. The benefits of effective stormwater runoff management can include:

* protection of wetlands and aquatic ecosystems,
* improved quality of receiving waterbodies,
* conservation of water resources,
* protection of public health, and
* flood control.

Traditional stormwater management approaches that rely on peak flow storage have generally not targeted pollutant reduction and can exacerbate problems associated with changes in hydrology and hydraulics.

See the following for additional information:
* [National Research Council Report on Urban Stormwater](https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12465/urban-stormwater-management-in-the-united-states)
* [National Water Quality Inventory Report to Congress (305(b) report)](https://www.epa.gov/waterdata/national-water-quality-inventory-report-congress)
* [Impaired Waters on the 303(d) List](https://www.epa.gov/tmdl/program-overview-303d-listing-impaired-waters)
* [Chapter 4 (Environmental Assessment) from EPA’s Preliminary Data Summary of Urban Stormwater Best Management Practices (1999)](https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/usw_c.pdf)

Pressure Washer