Things to know about wash water recycling systems:

• They cost more money to maintain and are more capital intensive than regular three stage interceptor connections to sewer.
  
  
• Monthly costs are around $250.00-$400.00 depending on the equipment, size and technology used. This includes a monthly Preventive Maintenance agreement which is strongly recommended from a local reputable dealer.
  
  
• Good housekeeping is huge. Recycling or pre-treatment systems don’t make solids and oils disappear. They put them in a place to be dealt with. In both systems, having the pits cleaned out is paramount to the success of the system. The owner needs to insure that this is done and by products are disposed of on a regular basis according to the laws of that state.Know what can and cannot be disposed of on a wash rack.
  
  
• Know what can and cannot be disposed of on a wash rack. Draining oil pans, dumping anti-freeze, disposing of certain emulsifying materials will plug up many systems. You will incur a large bill for the cleaning up of the system as well as having to haul out all of the water and start over.  It Is not a dumping ground or garbage disposal area.
  
  
• Have one person; if possible, be in charge of the wash rack. Statistically if one person knows the systems and its limitations, maintenance costs are far less than with  anyone, anytime, any day scenario. Make one person responsible for the wash rack and its operation, how it functions, etc. Your local dealer should train that person on it‘s operation therefore reducing downtime and unnecessary expense.
  
  
• In certain cases, a two stage wash rack is a good option. Washing off solids with a Water Blaster unit that has a high flow and low psi and then moving forward to a hot water high pressure wash can be very productive as well as save money on disposal costs.
  
  
• Make sure that you have proper power for the equipment on the pad. Most recycle systems that are higher quality will require 208/230/460V power with service disconnects.
  
  
• Make sure the pad is large enough not only to hold the piece of equipment but also the overspray and walk around room when washing. Usually we recommend a 5-10’ apron all around the piece of equipment. The wash wand alone is usually 3’ long.
  
  
• Know that if you are going to be disposing to sewer that you may have to cover the entire pad if it is over a certain size as certain municipalities have size limits on what you can and can not have uncovered.
  
  
• Make sure that your waste stream can be recycled or is appropriate for sewer discharge. Waste streams with heavy metals, highly emulsified and or other problematic issues will need to be dealt with on an individual basis. Sometime a waste water evaporator is a better fit as long as the gallons per day fall into that equipment range.
  
  
• Sizing of the pressure washer or cleaning equipment needs to be in accordance with the treatment equipment. Too small and the cleaning wont be productive, too large and you have unnecessary water usage. Stationary natural gas or LP units are recommended as they have lower maintenance costs on high usage wash racks.