In the News - October 2008
Turning the car's 'wash me' graffiti into a green act
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Before applying the hose to clean off the "wash me"
message scrawled in the dirt on the back window, take a minute to think green
and clean, says Trish Ouei, extension stormwater educator with the University of
Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
"Before you wash your automobile think about where that water is going," she
said. "If you wash your car in the driveway, most likely, the water is going
down the driveway, then the street, then down the storm drain."
From the storm drain, the water goes directly to a nearby creek, never
touching a wastewater treatment plant.
"While this may not seem like a big deal, think about what all is in that
water that just left your driveway," Ouei said.
"That water probably has soap, dirt and oily residue of your vehicle, plus
any automotive fluids that could have been leaking from under the car are also
in the water," she said. "These are collected by the running water before it
even leaves the driveway."
The dirty water also picks up leaves, grass clippings, and litter, such as
cigarette butts.
"So now just by washing the car, you just helped all these things be
delivered to your local stream," Ouei said.
However, there is a very simple solution: Move your vehicle onto the lawn
before washing.
"Washing your vehicle over the grass will serve multiple purposes - your
vehicle will be clean obviously, but you will also have watered the lawn and
protected the quality of the water that reaches your local stream," she said.
"Washing the car over the grass will allow for the water to be soaked up by the
soil and grass. The oily residues and soaps will also be filtered out by the
grass and soil, but will not harm the lawn."
This method also helps ensure grass clippings and litter stay put.
For more information on ways to keep stormwater runoff from polluting
streams, visit www.uaex.edu or call your county extension
office. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture.
October 10, 2008
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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