Jeffrey Shook didn’t think much about sustainability until his daughter started volunteering with environmental clubs at her high school. “Every time I threw out a bottle, she would get on me,” Shook said. “Next thing I knew, she was showing me videos about small changes that can make a difference.”

So Shook took his new perspective to work, where he owns and operates two previously established car washes in the Atlanta area. One of his washes already had a water reclamation system when he bought it, and one did not. But when he compared his water bills, there wasn’t much difference.

The system wasn’t working.

Shook reached out to the manufacturer and they ultimately got the system operational again, recycling up to 85 percent of the water.

“Even if you have a water reclaim system in place you still have to do maintenance and check on it. People don’t realize that,” Shook said.

Increasingly, local and state governments are weighing in on car wash sustainability, especially in areas prone to drought. For example, in California, new washes must reclaim at least 50 percent of the water. Shook’s city government contacted him during a drought three years ago to let him know that he would need to close down his non-reclaimed location – not his reclaimed one – if conditions worsened.

Based on what he’s experienced, Shook believes that water reclamation laws will become more and more common, and that a year from now, you won’t be able to build a new car wash – anywhere – without some version of reclamation technology.

According to Charles Borchard, general manager of New Wave Industries, manufacturer of PurClean reclamation systems, the California law makes sense.

“It takes a lot of money to process water coming in or out,” Borchard said. “Sewer plants are expensive and no one wants to build a new one. So you have to figure out a way to lower the demand for water. Recycling water in car washes is one way to do it.”

Recycled Water: Getting More Of It Cleaner

The next step, according to Aqua Bio Technology President Thomas Gibney, is to try and get more of the recycled water … cleaner. “Recycling doesn’t remove 100 percent of all the chemicals,” Gibney said. He explained that the chemicals can stain the cloth in the wash bays, the walls, the hubs and the equipment, and leave residue in the holding tanks, which means the percentage of water getting reclaimed can decrease over time.

And there’s the possibility of the unpleasant odor lingering after the wash due to the recycled water in use.

Many water reclamation systems use filters and ozone to remove odor and suspended oils. But, Gibney argues that Aqua Bio’s use of aeration is the key to removing odors completely. “The best and safest way to make sure your recycled water is stink-free is to aerate it,” he said. “Which turns it from anaerobic to aerobic. Aerobic water has no smell.”

Aqua Bio’s latest system, BioComplete, takes biologically restored water and processes it further through a carbon filter and a reverse osmosis system. Recently, Aqua Bio installed this technology at the largest BMW plant in South Carolina.

For Gibney, he thinks the answer isn’t to use less water. In fact, he says use as much water as you need to get the car clean. “If you use a water restoration system, instead of a reclamation system, you can increase the water used per car because you’re going to reuse a much higher percentage of that water,” Gibney said.

Water Costs Are A Big Factor

Ron Sumiejski, vice president of sales and install at Badgerland Car Wash Equipment Company in Milwaukee, Wis., hasn’t seen a big demand for water reclamation technology.

“A lot of states aren’t mandating it yet,” said Sumiejski. “But when it gets to the point where the water reclamation tech works really well and is easily maintained, then it will be a viable part of every car wash in the country. But someone needs to get to the point where the recycled water is almost like drinking water. Water [in this region] is still pretty reasonable, costwise.”

As water costs rise and drought conditions worsen, it’s likely that more city and state governments will pass stricter regulations, and reclamation systems will see an increase in demand.

“Car wash people manage their expenses, their chem and labor costs, pretty tightly. I can see how people are like, ‘I’d like to help, but I can’t do all that,’” said Shook. “If we could get the government to be more proactive in this area, in car washes and other businesses, maybe tax credits could offset some of these costs. I put an air conditioner in my house and got a tax credit for choosing one that’s energy efficient – why not give my business a tax credit for the changes I make there?”

Gibney agreed that economics are a primary driver of change in the industry.

“Water and sewer costs in parts of the country are multiplying fast,” Gibney said. “If a car wash is in a competitive area, it can’t raise prices, so increasing water and sewer costs are cutting into profits.”

New Washes

Borchard has done the math when it comes to installation of reclamation technology in new washes. “There are 22,000 water districts in the U.S.,” he said. “Some are inexpensive and some are not. Eight dollars per thousand gallons is the break-even number.”

In Birmingham, Ala., for example, water costs $2.80/gallon but sewer costs $12/gallon. Atthose rates, according to Borchard, you can’t operate a car wash without reclaiming water. You’d be paying more per car for water than for chemicals.

And the costs are only going up. “Reclaim is a financial requirement for new washes. If your water doesn’t cost much now, it will eventually,” Borchard said.

Another driver of enhanced reclamation technology is the need for clean water in car washes on sites without sewers.

Many manufacturers, including New Wave and Aqua Bio, are focused on locations that don’t have sewer systems, where the water has to be cleaned to a level that can be reused.

“All over the country there are locations that only have septic,” Gibney said. “Municipalities won’t let car wash waste water go into a septic system.”

Retrofitting Pros And Cons

But what about retrofitting existing car washes with reclamation or restoration technology? Reclamation systems require underground storage tanks and piping, and they take time to install, during which the wash has to shut down. Then there’s the cost of the system itself.

According to Borchard, the cost is formidable but not prohibitive. “In most applications [with PurClean], it costs about $30,000 to reclaim up to 85 percent of your water,” he said.

At a higher-cost wash, a reclamation system could pay for itself in less than a year. Whether retrofitting makes sense has to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, but there are strong arguments in favor.

“It’s viable to retrofit older washes,” Borchard said. “The main issue is whether there’s already underground tanking capability. Cost is a factor – but if the value of water is high enough, there’s no question the wash will make the money back.

What Else Can Be Done?

After improving his preexisting reclamation system, Shook started thinking about what else he could do to make his washes more eco-friendly. He replaced all the toilets in both locations with water-saving models, installed water flow restrictors in the bathrooms, put in energy-efficient lighting and motion-sensors, and invested in recycling bins and service.

“These are small things but they can have a big impact. And these efforts save me money in the long run,” Shook said.

Today, Shook’s washes go by the name EcoWash, and he’s in the process of building a new facility in Cumming, Ga. The eco-friendly model represents a big draw for some people, many of whom are willing to pay a little more for the efforts toward sustainability.

“My daughter and her friends are definitely going to use eco-friendly washes,” Shook said. “And they’re not alone. We think it’s worth the small investment. We feel we’re protecting our country and the environment for our kids. Everyone gets to make their own decisions, but for me it’s a big thing.”

Rain harvesting is another way companies like Aqua Bio are making the industry more sustainable. “We collect water from the roof and the parking lot, which is good clean soft water, and use it in any part of a wash, including for spot-free rinse water,” Gibney said.