Environmental protection starts with all of us.

[Dave O]

Okay here I go . I have heard and seen enough.

Everyone badgers the new guy or gal who wants to powerwash and doesn't have the experience and or equipment to do the job.

Q:Want to clean concrete with gum and all I have is cold water.
A:You need hot water not cold.

Q:Want to clean large area of concrete for commercial and all I have is a wand.
A:You need a surface cleaner.

Q:Want to clean a house with wand.
A:You need a extendawand or the X-jet

Q:Want to clean a deck and all I have is access to hardware store chemicals.
A:Order proffesional chemicals.

See where I am going with this is the same as always. Everyone always says wait to get the proper equipment before you start the job.

Well the same goes for the contractor who washes or strips a dock or deck over water, or washes a boat in a hoist or other near or over water. If you can't recover the waste don't do it! Just because it is not enforced so some say in your area, does not make it right. Then when I here the comment like well it's not enforced so they will never know is bull. We will all know when the beaches are closed due to waste, marine life is dead, streams are polluted when you go camping and the list goes on. Oh and I don't want to hear that it was just one time, because imagine if everyone did it one time. That is a big problem, when one drop of oil pollutes a whole lot of water. Would you want to be swiming in the water when someone is cleaning or stripping a dock near you then also seals it with all the waste and overspray falling in the water. Wake up people.Those that recover to protect the environment do it for a reason. Those that are out there setting the good example of recovering don't need people in the same proffesion screwing up what we are so hard at working to preserve. I based my company when I started it to protect the future of our environment, beaches, drinking water, and the industry of powerwashing. So when some one is recovering while doing flatwork and some slips by them, well at least they are trying. Then there are the ones that wash things directly over the source that we are trying to protect with no care in the world! Well that pisses me off. You have now ruined the environment some more, given the industry a black eye, pissed off some epa guy or gal somewhere who may have seen you, or the customer you just endangered with fines, including yourself. Fines are not cheap in any way.

If you don't have the equipment don't do the job, plain and simple.
Those of you that don't get the proper equipment for recovery. Well you might as well sell what you have now and do something else, before you cost a customer some money, house, business and yourself and family when you get nailed or them with the fines. You think an insurance company is going to cover you after you get nailed for cleanup costs when they fine you for pure negligance, and then the customer who sues you for the same because you know better. Oh and the ones that don't recover on land or wash at night to hide from recovering, your not off the hook either. I have seen this. Get the right equipment, or go work at the grocery store.

If you want to debate this it's fine that's why I posted it here.
I love my great Lakes, streams when I go camping with my family, and the clean water I drink. I will not let some ruin it for others.

[PressurePros]

Amen, Dave. I agree 100%. I think it irresponsible and selfish to pollute a body of water with no regard to enviroment, law or procedure then seek praise. Someone that does this would be the first to freak if some company dumped a load of toxic chemical upstream from where his kids liked to play and fish. There are some ways you can get around not having the right tools on a small scale (like using a butter knife to unscrew a wall switch plate) but this one sort of took me back a little too.

JC, to you directly: I don't want you to feel bad or badgered but you really need to think about that particular job and your attitude towards it. It's up to this generation of restoration contractors (alright, powerwashers) to change the perception of the industry. -- Ken

[jon chapman]

Nice post Dave. I aggree to a point. I never thought about when I post a picture Im seeking praise. I will admit the joke about the dolphin was in poor taste.
But, there is a difference between a lake and the gulf of mexico. The oceans really do clean themselves. Look at all the ships that went down during WWII. Where did all the oil go? There are micro organisms that feed off hydrocarbons. The lake or streams have them also, but wont work as quickly and cant be cleaned or flushed as quickly.

I dont try to justify anything, dave. I dont feel bad about it, but, until everything that washes down the storm drains is filtered and processed, im not going to turn down a job because I cant recycle the small amount of oils that come off that dock.
There are a million people in this county, which is surrounded by water on 3 sides. very little of the runnoff goes to drainage ponds. You wouldnt beleive how the water looks in the intercoastal from the runnof and the 10s of thousands of boats here. But every winter when the snowbirds and tourists are at the beach swimming, good old nature comes and makes all that water nice and clean. Much cleaner than any of the great lakes. NOt in 20 years have they closed the beaches because of polution.
I may not be right in stripping a dock over water, but this state is probably the most competetive in the country for PWing amd I have yet to see a rig set up for recycling.

[Dave O]

This post wasn't after you at all. Please don't take that way. It is for everyone. I am in the process now of designing something for docks. I have working with differant dock structures through friends at Marina's. It has been a long brain process trying to make something like this for all to use, with ease and I do mean ease. It just will take some time still here. Believe me the garage is full LOL. Just try to do your part, because you never know when you may be made example of by a competitor who you might have pissed off. It is all of our responsibility to make sure the Environment stays intact.

[jon chapman]

what are you designing?

Didnt take it personally, and wouldnt have even thought it was about the dock refinishing if Pressure pros hadnt pointed it out. It was actually a very good post, and well said.

[One Tough Pressure]

I find it funny that people feel they are a legit contractor because they have x amount in insurance, x amount in workers comp and have a state registered business name. In all reality if your water reaches places that it should not, you are illegal.
I wonder if the day will ever come when recovery is fully enforced. Most agencies will say they do not have the money to enforce, but after a couple of citations, the money will be flowing in.

[CCPC]

Originally Posted by jon chapman

I may not be right in stripping a dock over water, but this state is probably the most competetive in the country for PWing amd I have yet to see a rig set up for recycling.

Same here.

Those of you that don't get the proper equipment for recovery. Well you might as well sell what you have now and do something else,

Yep, might as well. because trying to charge extra for recovery when 99.9% of every powerwash company in Florida dosen't recover will put you out of business quicker than you can say "SEE YA!"