Wastewater
What is Wastewater?
Wastewater is water containing wastes from residential, commercial and industrial processes. Municipal wastewater contains sewage, gray water (water from sinks, showers, car washes) and sometimes industrial wastewater.
What is Sump?
Sump is a pit or hollow in which liquid collects. The base of an internal combustion engine, which serves as a reservoir of oil for the lubrication system. A depression in the floor of a mine or basement in which water collects.
What’s the Regulations?
With water-based cleaning, there are two major environmental concerns:
- Oil, sludge, sediment and similar concentrated wastes that are removed from cleaning operations.
- Wastewater, which may be contaminated with cleaning compounds, dissolved and suspended solids, oil/grease, and/or metals such as lead and zinc.
Example: Car Wash
A person may not remove or dispose of waste from a car wash sump or other sump unless the person is licensed by the department.
Wastewater generated by any type of vehicle cleaning operation, carried out by any business, is industrial wastewater. Vehicle washing is usually performed in one of three ways:
- On-site mobile washing
- Permanent wash facilities
- Off-site commercial washing
Vehicle washing can create a significant volume of wastewater, which is regulated in one of several different ways, depending on how it is disposed.
- Hauling
- Discharge to a Stream
- Discharge to the ground
- Discharge to a Septic Tank
- Utilize a Water Recycling System