Pollution Prevention at Home

Washing your car at home may not be considered to be harmful to the environment. However, washing a car in the driveway may use up to 440 litres of water, which may flow down your driveway into the street, where it enters the stormwater system through catchbasins. The dirty water from your car may contain grease, oil, detergents, wax, heavy metals, hydrocarbons and other pollutants, which will be carried by the stormwater system directly to the nearest river, lake and our harbour. If these pollutants do end up in a surface water body, aquatic life that lives in that water body may be affected.

Detergents, including those that are biodegradable detergents, can be harmful to fish due to the chemical compound that contains surfactant, which lowers the surface tension of water. Surfactants in detergents destroy the external mucus layers protecting fish from bacteria and parasites. They also allow organic compounds, such as pesticides to be more easily absorbed by fish, causing complications in reproduction and resulting in declining populations.

Car washes have always been perceived as wasting large amounts of water and using toxic detergents. This is not so in many cases. Many car washes recycle water and all are subject to Halifax Water's Rules and Regulations for Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Services with regards to the amount of sediments in the water and toxicity of detergents. Discharges from commercial car washes are regulated and monitored.

Should you have any questions or comments, please direct inquiries to the Pollution Prevention Office.