How does runoff from Car Wash Fundraisers harm our waterways and the environment?
When washing cars in a paved area, the wash water, which contains soap and detergent, residues from exhaust fumes, brake pads, gasoline and motor oil, washes off the cars, flows off the pavement and into nearby storm drains (usually openings in the curb or gutter). Unlike the sewers that serve our homes and businesses (called sanitary sewers), which carry wastewater to treatment plants, storm drains carry any water entering them directly and quickly to the nearest stream with no pollutant removal. Soap, detergents (even biodegradable ones) can be poisonous to fish, and other wildlife. A single fundraising event can pour thousands of gallons of soapy, oily and gritty water into local streams.
