Water Supplies

The environmental impact of water efficiency is crucial and the sustainability of our rivers, lakes and aquifers depends on it. Diminishing fresh water supplies is one of the most critical natural resource issues facing the world. Some experts predict that if nothing is done by 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population will not have enough water for the basics of life.

North America doesn’t  deal with the water “crisis” on a regular basis, at least not to the same degree as other countries. Regional droughts that last a few years get attention but substantive change is modest. This doesn’t mean that we’re immune from the associated issues of water shortages or that we should not do our part for responsible water usage. Water problems are not going away.

Water Demand

Water use in the U.S. has increased six-fold since the 1900s, twice the rate of population growth. The U.S. population is projected to increase significantly over the next 35 years and virtually every water system will face pressure to meet the growing demand. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a recent government survey showed at least 36 states are anticipating local, regional or statewide water shortages by 2013. A growing water demand combined with decreasing water supplies dictates that efficient water use must be achieved. It is our shared responsibility.

Water Management Benefits

Water reclaim in the car wash market doesn’t just save the bottom line; there are other environmental benefits as well. By reducing fresh water usage by 80 percent, you also reduce the energy required to treat public water supplies, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions.  Aside from energy savings, there are other environmental benefits to water efficiency according to the EPA: 1). Fewer sewage system failures caused from excess water overwhelming the system. 2).Reduced need to construct additional dams and reservoirs or regulate the natural flow of streams, thus preventing their free flow and retaining value of stream and river systems as wildlife habitats and recreational areas.  3). Reduced need to construct additional water and wastewater treatment facilities.  4). Less water withdrawn from rivers, lakes and aquifers which keeps these water bodies healthy.  5). Improved water quality due to increase river flows. 6). Less wastewater that requires collection, treatment and disposal. 6).Less pollution from treated wastewater in our streams and waterways.

Economic Impact of Water Use

The economic impact of water efficiency, or lack of, will continue to be affected. The infrastructure supporting water utilities across North America are being stressed beyond their limits. Cities like Milwaukee, Wis. need to upgrade their water system immediately at a minimum cost of $89 million. Orange County, Calif. needs remediation and enhanced treatment and the capital cost alone will be $54 million. For the most part, these costs get passed on to the customer in increased water and sewer rates as well as increases to existing impact fees and creation of impact fees where none currently exist. Impact fees are imposed by a city as a condition for connection to the local water and sewer for the purpose of defraying all or some of the costs for capital improvements to the cities’ water and sewer treatment and distribution systems.

The increase in water and sewer rates has gotten out of hand in some parts of the country. Parts of North Carolina are looking at double and triple water and sewer rate increases. In today’s economy, these increases could put many car wash operators out of business if they are not using water efficiently.

Water Facts

More than 1,100 U.S. counties—a full one-third of all counties in the lower 48 states—now face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century as the result of global warming, and more than 400 of these counties will be at extremely high risk for water shortages, based on estimates from a new report by Tetra Tech for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

The report uses publicly available water use data across the United States and climate projections from a set of models used in recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) work to evaluate withdrawals related to renewable water supply. The report finds that 14 states face an extreme or high risk to water sustainability, or are likely to see limitations on water availability as demand exceeds supply by 2050. These areas include parts of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. In particular, in the Great Plains and Southwest United States, water sustainability is at extreme risk.  Reference: EPA.gov estormwater.com

Good News. Good Future

The good news is there is a solution. With the use of new technology, some water reclaim systems have the ability to lower water and sewer rates by as much as 80 to 90 percent. These systems typically clean the water well enough to use in the majority of the wash process without adversely affecting wash quality.

The most effective water reclaim systems are the ones that achieve five micron quality water. Micron size has a direct correlation to wash quality and car wash equipment failure; the smaller the micron achieved consistently, the more effective the water reclaim system will be. Most high-pressure pump manufacturers require five micron quality water to be compliant with their warranty. The use of five micron quality water will significantly reduce wear and tear of equipment and allows for a higher percentage of reclaim water used during the wash process while not adversely impacting your customers wash quality resulting in thousands of dollars saved each year. Most systems are anywhere from 25 to 75 micron but there are some that do achieve 5 micron.

Another issue to be considered when looking for water reclaim systems is electrical usage. Systems that incorporate a variable frequency drive save on electrical usage as well as wear and tear on the equipment. The economic benefits to water reclamation cannot be ignored. Operators can save anywhere from $8,000 to over $20,000 a year on water and sewer costs with a properly designed water reclaim system.

Waste Water, Rejection Rate

In addition to reclaiming wash water, there are other places to look for water savings in the car wash environment. Most operators use reverse osmosis (RO) systems to produce spot-free water for final rinse application. These systems typically require the use of a water softener to protect the membranes from hard water particles. In order to make spot-free water, a reverse osmosis system has to reject a certain amount of water. Normally for most systems, the ratio of product water to reject water is 1:3; some systems may even reject higher amounts. If the reject water is not recaptured in some way, the water gets wasted and goes straight down the drain. The solution? Use a reverse osmosis system with a lower rejection rate, preferably 1:1 or lower, which does not require a water softener.

Softeners

Softeners are becoming a major headache for water municipalities; the sodium and chloride levels discharged from water softeners are extremely difficult for water municipalities to treat effectively and are being banned in many communities. In addition to using a more efficient reverse osmosis system, installing a reject recapture system ensures optimal water usage in the car wash.

If you are looking for water treatment equipment for your car wash be sure to ask the right questions: What percent of water reclaim can be achieved with the system? What micron level does the water reclaim achieve? Does it save on electrical usage by using a Variable Frequency Drive? Does the RO system require a water softener? What is the reject rate of the RO system? Do they offer a reject recovery system?

References; United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization; World Water Assessment program. Unesco.org.  EPA.gov Watersense

The environmental impact of water usage in the Car Care industry goes far beyond the business of washing cars. The public outcry about water waste, escalating regulations and consumer awareness demand change. Diminishing fresh water supplies is one of the most critical natural resource issues facing the world.  Water management and smarter water usage is not a business choice it’s a global demand.

Join us.  Be a member.  Leave a comment today!

At www.carcarebuzz.com we would like to know what you think.

(You must be signed in as a member to leave a comment)