Youre not just washing your Car

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Youre not just washing your Car!

• Simple Car Washing Tips
• Use soap sparingly. Try to use non-phosphate
  detergents.
• Use a high pressure hose that is low volume
  and has a pistol grip or trigger nozzle to save
  water. Wash one section of the car at a time and
  rinse it quickly.
• When you're done, empty your bucket of soapy
  water down the sink, not on the pavement.
• Minimize the amount of visible water running
  down the street when you wash your car!
• If you plan on holding a car wash fund raising
  event, contact your local sewer or public works
  department first. They can provide suggestions
  for alternatives to the direct discharge of soapy
  water into the sanitary sewer system or
  stormwater drains.

Image courtesy SEMCOG
When you wash your car in the driveway, or
on any impervious surface, all that dirty, soapy,
waxy water can run right into storm drains and
ditches. From there it goes directly into our
lakes and waterways untreated! Thats where we
get much of our drinking water- we need to keep
those contaminants out! Consider taking your
car to the car wash. Car wash facilities treat
used wash water before discharging it and/or
recycling it. Or, you can wash your car on the
grass or gravel which permits the wash water to
soak into the soil where nature can work on
breaking down the waste.
Remember, only rain in the drain!
Brought to you by the MS4 Municipal
Stormwater Community Partnership and Northwestern
Indiana Regional Planning Commission 6100
Southport Road Portage IN 46368 For more
information contact Mary Beth Wiseman,
Environmental Planner mwiseman_at_nirpc.org