No Driveway Carwashing, City Urges

Summer is just around the corner and along with it come quintessential sights into the neighborhood: picnics, barbecues, lemonade stands and people washing their cars in their driveways.

But city and county officials hope to see less—or none—of the latter.

While warm weather and the economy make car washes at home the logical way to spend time and save money, the runoff has a much less friendly impact on the environment.

Unlike household water which goes through the sewer system, waste in the streets feeds into storm water drains and goes straight to creeks untreated, said Steven Spedowfski, the city's storm water program manager.

"Most residents don't realize they are polluting the creeks when they are wash their cars," he said. "The sediment, oils, grease and copper from break pads actually go to the creeks directly."

Each year, the city of San Ramon must submit a permit to the state in order to release water into state waterways, which are ultimately governed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

A few businesses have received citations for washing cars, Spedowfski said, and "it would be safe to say residential car washing would be restricted" within the next five to 10 years.

What is currently not permitted in San Ramon are charity car washes without environmental precautions, according to Michelle McCauley, administrative analyst for the Contra Costa Clean Water Program.

The program, which works to prevent storm water pollution in 19 municipalities and unincorporated communities in the county as well as the flood control and water conservation district, loans out car wash kits with rubber mats that block off storm drains and pump the water with a sump and hose to landscaped areas.

Three years ago, the program created "Only Rain Down the Drain" brochures that continue to be distributed across the county.

Collective human-generated industrial activities, such applying brakes to automobiles and releasing copper, are the biggest contributors to storm water pollution, according to Jamison Crosby, the program's watershed management planning specialist. Though car washes "are not the primary contributor … they are one of the controllable sources," she said.

Even biodegradable soap takes a while to break down and harms fish and water life while in creeks, according to Spedowfski, who also serves as chair of the program's public information committee.

"Calling it biodegradable was more a marketing gimmick," he said.

The truly green alternative, then?

"Residents should take their car to a car wash," Spedowfski said.

Sponges Car Wash & Detail Center offers professional cleaning and Gold Coin Car Wash economical and self-service. Several gas stations throughout the city including also wash cars.

Business at Sponges Car Wash & Detail Center has been down about 20 percent since the same time last year due to the unusually long rain season, but general manager Mike Watson anticipates a boost because summer is "usually the busiest time." 

"Now that the (wet) weather has stopped (business) should take off, so we're hoping to have a little bit better (revenue) than last year," he said.

Car wash sales at the Shell station at 3048 Crow Canyon Road have "picked up a lot" since the rains stopped, according to cashier Hans Jones.

"It runs pretty steady all day long, I probably sell 15 car washes during my shift," Jones said.

However, some residents who aware of the environmental hazards still wash their cars at home. Matt McGinnis, 37, is one of them.

"I wash my car at home because I think the products I use are much better than what car wash facilities are using and it does save me a bit of money," he said. "Biodegradable is the right direction for these products. Not the perfect solution but it is an improvement."

Although wildlife studies have not been conducted to determine what percentage of the population is shifting away from washing cars in their driveways, more people seem to have become educated on the issue in the last two to three years, McCauley said.

"Green is very cool now," she said.