The question of recovery.

[One Tough Pressure]

A touchy subject to some, but just some simple questions to see the thoughts of others.

[Scott Stone]

Just a thought. I have recovery equipment, and use it from time to time. There is no real enforcement in my are on water recovery, and so it is a bit of a waste. The biggest factor on why i don't recover is that I am competing with guys that don't recover, and so no one is willing to pay the price to have water recovery. It is just not economically feasible to do waste water recovery. Even Fleetwash, whose big thing is water recovery, NEVER recovers water. I have seen it only one time in the hundreds of times I have seen them washing. They were on the main Penske lot, and they had just come to town, and water was running around their recovery equipment that time, as well.

Scott Stone

[ParadiseProWash]

Whats a storm drain LOL Just kidding however we dont have many of them in the country. Its my understanding your ok as long as the water doesnt make it to the drain and with no drains I guess Im good to go without recovery. However for the most part I do mostly residental and I figure you are talking about fleet washing.

[One Tough Pressure]

Scott,
I can see where that can be a problem for you. Fleetwash and their supposed recovery. Educating the customer is time consuming, and impacts other areas.

Morgan,
Actually, I am not referring to just fleet washing, as I am a flat worker. I am referring to any washing where the water will get to the drain and then go into other bodies of water. This could include Residential where roof washing enters the gutters and then goes down the driveway and into the street and away it goes.
For your area, let's change the word from storm drain to culvert or ditch.

[Dan B]

i recover for the costomer i do fleet washing for some bigger companys and ther pretty picky about us recovering our watter althou ive never seen any epa or anyone of that nature around to invorce it in the 2 years ive been doing it most of the time we just set it so it likes as if we going to recover it and at the end of the job just pull the drain nobody really keeps taps on it so i dont really feel a need for it but if some one stops by in the middle of a job it looks as if we are doing the right thing kinda shady i know but its a pain in the butt and they dont really pay the extra for it so they get what they get

[Ron Musgraves]

Any one hauling any liquids off a site and dumping them somewhere else is probably violating the law. (Of course unless they have a license) Solids can be collected and turned over to a licensed hauler.

Many of the people just don’t know or understand there own laws. It’s really about your own ordnance and how they deem you to comply with the CWA.

Everyone in stead of talking about incorrect things, Go back and read your requirements.

It’s a great poll and I did spell poll correctly thanks to Barry. I could not vote because my answer was not there.

I comply with the letter of the law to my best ability. I try to maintain the correct practice and compete fairly in my market.

I despise those who use scare tactics on customers that do not understand the law and scare them into a sale.

[One Tough Pressure]

So Ron what is your answer that is not there?

[Ron Musgraves]

I comply with the letter of the law to my best ability. I try to maintain the correct practice and compete fairly in my market.

I think it might be a combination, that would be my answer to that question.

[Cleveland Mobile]

Here in ohio it seems the big franchises are the ones who dont recover. They advertise that they do but i've never seen it....really pisses me off. I put together my system that picks up the water and transfers it to a tank where it is filtered and reused in the soap system. Simple and it works. So why arent the "big guys" doing it. One of the reasons is they sub out a lot of work to local loosers who could care less

Andy

[One Tough Pressure]

The salesman who sold me my equipment, is back to washing now, and he does not recover. He has all the equipment and knows what he is supposed to do, but he has such a low price, he can not afford the time to deal with it. He also has a few subs who do not have equipment so it would not be possible at all his locations.

Another factor for him is that he is spread so thin trying to wash multiple locations that he figures that he has no time for it even if he was getting paid extra.
Now, would I turn him in for his illegal activities? No, as that is not my job, nor my attitude toward those that do not do it. Their time will come without my help.
I am not the watch dog of the industry. However I am training my new pup Cooper to track illegal discharges for the EPA.

[Jon]

Par for the course all over the world, not just Ohio.

The big guys have at least one nice new demo system and that is what they use to gain accounts but the guys that go out drive mini pickups with a skid and hose, no tanks no reclaim and no speak English.

If I were still in the business I would be reclaiming UNLESS the water goes into a dry well.

Ron M. can tell you more about that then I can but I do know what to look for thanks to Ron by the way.

Now if you want to make the sale explain the rules and who gets fined plus the amount if caught, that might make the possible or current customer change to you or stay with you.

As Alan says those that do not do it will get caught, sooner here in CA then later since more and more cities are enforcing the CWA.

San Diego
Orange County
Los Angeles, not sure how hard they are enforcing it but they are.
Riverside
After Jan. 1, 2005 San Bernardino
San Francisco and most cities in Northern California.

[Jon]

Strange as it might seem but not all cities and counties require business some types of businesses to be licenesed.

It used to be here in CA you could by-pass all city liceneses by having a county one but that was years ago before the tax revolt. They got wise and figured where the money is so now each city does require it.

Very few companies, large or small have licenses for every city as it would drive you broke and some, not all but some cities accept the license from the city you live or do work in.

Sort of like a drivers license when you travel from state to state, they accept your states license but your suppose to know the laws of the state you're driving in, not easy to do is it.

That is why some feel there should be universal licenese laws so it is the same all over, something that I doubt will happen in our life times.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by Ron Musgraves

I comply with the letter of the law to my best ability. I try to maintain the correct practice and compete fairly in my market.

I think it might be a combination, that would be my answer to that question.

So... how do you handle reclaim? Thats not a very straight forward answer?

[Ron Musgraves]

I reclaim when the laws say i need too and dont when it doesnt require me too. That simple

Mike, If you need help pls post a copy or e-mail me your laws. they will differ from mine. so me trying to tell you waht to do is silly. I need those requirements and i can then try to give you some advice.

My number is 6026942680 if you need to call

[One Tough Pressure]

Ron,
What types of devices do you use to comply when needed?