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Carwash Reclaim
For Touchless Washes
 
These days Reclaim (wastewater
recycling) is an important keyword in the Carwash industry. Many
States have instituted very tight water restrictions and some have
even declared a state of “drought emergency”. Carwash owners nationwide
are looking harder at reclaiming their used water for many reasons,
some economic but mostly as a means to stay in business. Many Cities,
Counties and Townships now require reclaim to be a standard part
of any new Carwash. Some are requiring existing Carwashes to retrofit.
In locations where water
is plentiful many consumers don’t realize that using water from
various processes, including Carwashes, create waste. Sewer systems
all over the country are reaching capacity, many are in a state
of decay requiring major upgrades and/or rebuilding. Baltimore,
MD’s sewer system is a prime example. Millions are being spent on
bringing their system up to current standards. America’s culinary
and wastewater infrastructure is aging faster than it’s being fixed.
Reduction of the volume and level pollutants in this wastewater
can save millions in upgrades.
Carwash owners and their
suppliers have avoided reclaim systems for years. Past systems were
plagued with problems such as; foul odors, high maintenance, poor
water quality and breakdowns interrupting washing. Between the lost
revenue and poor wash quality reclaim has gotten a bad name leaving
many in our business avoiding it whenever possible.
What if you could purchase
a reclaim system that was: reasonably priced, inexpensive to install,
didn’t stink, maintained itself and would not interrupt your revenue
stream? As long as we are dreaming…lets go all out, what if the
system was free?
You don’t need to be dreaming
to see it happen. Reclaim systems are now available that can do
all these things. But, how can it be free? Wrap your arms around
this… you pay for water right? Did you know your sewer bill is based
on how much water you purchase? A good reclaim system can recycle
every drop of water you can collect. The balance will be lost to
(evaporation, blow off and carry off) your sewer bill goes down
by 75% or even lower. Add it all up and you probably have saved
enough to pay for your new reclaim system. In many cases the savings
less the payment on the equipment equals profit adding to the bottom
line, starting with the first month it’s in operation.
Now hit the snooze button
and continue to dream for a few more minutes. What if you could
get somebody to pay you for putting in a reclaim system? Many governmental
assistance plans are now in place and/or are being developed in
several states. These are designed to aid companies in the quest
for wastewater recycling. Some will pay up to one half of the cost
to purchase and install a system.
Ok, so now you’re getting
interested and want to know more… for all types of Carwashes particularly
touchless systems, it’s important to understand how reclaim works
before starting your journey.
There are several types of
reclaim systems, first lets divide them into a couple of categories
and then look at them individually. The two main types are biological
and mechanical systems.
Biological systems use bacteria
to breakdown and consume the organic contaminants found in the wastewater;
this is done most commonly within a bioreactor. Bioreaction systems
provide an environment suitable for collection and consumption of
the contaminants within a vessel (container) that houses a biomass
material the bacteria can attach to and live within. This vessel
(bioreactor) is aerated providing a suitable amount of oxygen keeping
the bacteria aerobic. Wastewater is passed through the bioreactor
where contaminants are collected and consumed very much like your
local sewer plant.
The pros; biological systems
will consume organic chemicals such as hydrocarbons (oil and grease)
and almost all biodegradable soaps. This helps in reducing the level
of soap buildup within the system from washing operations. Biological
systems are less likely to produce foul odors and require less maintenance.
Sludge in Carwash pits is reduced by consumption of the organic
materials within the sludge.
The cons; bacteria cannot
breakdown and consume inorganic materials such as minerals. Dirt
(soil) is made up of three primary parts, sand (rock), clay and
organic materials. A good soil blend to a gardener is about 1/3
of each. Biological systems will leave particulates floating in
the water unless they are removed by another method or have plenty
of time to settle out. Suspended solids left in the water may adversely
affect the life of the washing equipment.
Mechanical filtration methods
vary widely; they consist of filters in either: cyclonic, centrifugal,
bag, cartridge or multi media form. All are designed to remove particulate
matter; some will also filter out contaminants such as hydrocarbons.
The mechanical approach is different from system to system and all
have their good and bad points. Many mechanical systems require
large in-ground pits to support their function, sometimes raising
installation costs to more than the filtration equipment itself.
Mechanical systems require filter changes or back flushing to remove
the collected contaminants. Intervals between filter changes vary
from system to system.
The pros; mechanical systems
are capable of reducing suspended solids in the wastewater from
as large as 100 microns down as small as one micron. Reduced suspended
solids means longer washing equipment life.
The cons; mechanical filtration
will not remove soaps, wax and other liquids causing a rainbow on
the car finish, some systems operate at very high pressures to increase
filter life and then become a safety concern, down time for filter
changes must be considered and last and most importantly odor control
due to biologicals (bacteria) may be a problem.
The best system would be
a Bio / Mechanical system that can do it all. They can remove suspended
solids, organics, soaps, wax, and hydrocarbons, reduce pit sludge
and provide the cleanest water possible for your washing processes.
Properly designed systems won’t stink.
Let’s face it; the scariest
thing that reclaim water has to offer is BAD ODOR! Bacteria growth
in reclaim water begins to occur immediately. Customers will not
come back to a Carwash that puts a skunk in their trunk! Investigate
the many possible answers that will help to eliminate the odor problem.
• Ozone when input into the
entire water supply in sufficient quantities may eliminate bacteria
via oxidation. The down side is that it also creates oxidation on
all the equipment in the equipment room and most often will require
chemical supplementation.
• Hydrogen peroxide or chlorine
can be dosed into the wastewater (reclaim system) to kill bacteria
on contact. Much like Ozone, these chemicals are corrosive and difficult
on equipment.
• Microbiological treatment
using biodigesters a combination of; bacteria, enzymes and nutrients
can overwhelm naturally occurring bacteria thus eliminating odor.
They work by out competing the naturally occurring (bad bacteria
causing smell) and taking control of the system. This approach brings
additional benefits such as; decreased pit sludge, removal of organic
chemicals (soaps and waxes), hydrocarbon removal (oil and grease)
and best of all an overall cleaner system.
What are the goals for your
Carwash?
• Reduce water use
• Reduce water and waste disposal
• Stink free water
• Very clean cars
• Endless repeat customers
Using reclaim water in the
wash can actually help provide very clean cars. Consider the fact
that because you are re-using “Free” reclaim water, you can use
as much as you want. There is no longer a need to reduce water flows
to the wash cycles reducing water usage. In fact, you can increase
the flow to provide optimum washing! When you have a properly functioning
reclaim system the only fresh water you should need is the water
used to produce a final “spot free” rinse and possibly some for
mixing chemicals.
Some chemicals can be mixed
using reclaim water; this may take a bit of experimentation. Chemical
companies are rushing to develop and provide “Reclaim Friendly”
products. Working with your Chemical, Carwash and Reclaim suppliers
as a team will help you obtain the best results.
Example water volumes for
a touchless washing system:
9 gals.- undercarriage wash
(reclaim)
6 gals.- presoak pass (reclaim)
12 gals.- each high pressure wash pass (reclaim)
12 gals.- high pressure rinse (reclaim)
6 gals.- wax application (possible reclaim)
12 gals.- primary rinse (reclaim)
7 gals.- spot free rinse (fresh)
Based on which wash cycle
the customer buys, water usage without reclaim will be from a low
of 30 gallons per car (GPC) to a high of 64 GPC. With reclaim a
car can be washed with as little as 7 gallons of fresh water.
Choose your reclaim system
carefully. Consider total cost of ownership including: installation
(with underground tanks and plumbing), filter replacements, lost
revenue during filter changes, odor control chemicals and pit maintenance.
Down time experienced during a retrofit must be considered. Last,
get a guaranty that it won’t stink.
The time has come for reclaim
water in touchless car washes. It’s a feature that will help you
sell more washes. If done properly, the quality of the wash can
actually improve: water usage and disposal will drop and you make
more money and your customers will keep coming back!
Co-written by: Alan G. McCormick
and Kerry G. Smith
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