<p>WASHING YOUR CAR AT HOME?</p><p>For those wishing to wash their cars at home, remember to:</p><p> Park your vehicle over an area covered with grass or a location where the wastewater will travel to a grassy area. The wastewater will infiltrate through the soil such that the contaminants are filtered out before it reaches the groundwater.  Use hoses with spray nozzles to save water.  “Biodegradable”, “environmentally safe” and “low phosphate” soaps can still be harmful for the environment. Soaps are effective in loosening oil and solids but also cling to pollutants such as benzene from gasoline and metals from brake linings, among others. Once in the water, even low levels of soap cause fish to take up other contaminants such as pesticides and fertilizers.  Wring sponges and wash rags into buckets, as opposed to the ground (and then dump the water into a sink or toilet).</p><p>While one person or family washing their car at home may not seem to contribute much to the detriment of the water quality in a local lake or stream, consider the cumulative impact of all the cars being washed in a neighborhood or the City as a whole. </p><p>For example, did you know that one City in King County estimated that, on an annual basis, the following quantities of contaminants were washed, with little or no treatment, into surrounding water ways as a result of residential car washes….</p><p> 100+ gallons of motor oil  50+ gallons of gasoline  300+ lbs of phosphorous  2,000+ lbs of surfactants (i.e. soap)  15,000+ lbs of suspended solids  40+ lbs of copper</p><p>Find out more about the detrimental effects of car wash wastewater on fish in a study conducted in 2009 by the City of Federal Way at http://www.cityoffederalway.com/folders/home/yourcityservices/surfacewatermanagemen t/Fish%20Toxicity%20Test%20Report%20Final%2004-09-07.pdf</p><p>For questions or additional information concerning fish-friendly car wash methods, contact John Howard with the City of Milton at 253-922-8738.</p>