ART TO ACTION ON HARWOOD CREEK WITH
MS. RYBA'S THIRD-GRADE CLASS FROM JOHN MUIR SCHOOL
Where is it best to wash a car?
Storm drains like this lead through pipes into creeks. The creeks carry water to the bay.
When you wash a car in a street, parking lot, or driveway, the waste water drains into the storm drains, creeks, and bay. The waste water contains environmentally damaging car grime and soap. If you must wash your car by hand, it's best to use a biodegradable soap, and wash in an area where the waste water drains onto a lawn or other soil-covered area that can filter the waste naturally. (Waterless, no-rinse car-washing solutions have recently been invented, and are especially good for washing small dirty areas.)
Commercial car washes use less water per wash on average than washing by hand, because they use high pressure fine sprays. Many car washes also reuse the wash water. Waste water from car washes goes into the sewer system, not storm drains. The sewer waste water is then treated in sewage treatment plants before being released offshore in the bay.
Washing your car near a storm drain is like washing your car in the bay .