[stevegunn]

Got my wrists slapped today from enviromental health i emptied my dirty water at the roadside normally i put it down the customers toilet but she would not have it.
Upto £20000 fine for emptying dirty water down storm drains watch what your doing lads.

[Alex]

Hi Steve,

I had a problem with an Asia guy who wouldn't let me put my dirty water down the toilet, however, I told him the chemicals in the water had to be put down the toilet as it goes to the sewage works. He still told me to empty down the grid - I told him unless I put the dirty water down the toilet I couldn’t continue the job!

I heard about the fines and no job is worth the risk!!

Hope you got away with just a slap mate

Alex

[strakercleaning]

Cheers to Steve for the heads up
I thought we were allowed to empty into the drains unless solvents (5%+) were involved :-/ surely waste water is mostly rinse and very diluted prespray
Where would i find guidelines on such a subject?

[md_cleaning]

I usually put water down the toilet if working close to it, but when near a drain have always poured it straight down, saves walking over cleaned carpets, but will be more carefull now. Thanks for that.
      Dave.

[woodman]

Yes must go down the toilet I'm afraid not down the storm drain system.

If the client refuses,although I don't know why they would, then lift the ouside sewer drains cover and tip it down there.

[STEVE71163]

Hi Steve
           Thanks for that information. Like Dave above i normally put down the toilet but if it means walking over a clean carpet i normally would put down the drain

Steve

[Ken Wainwright]

A passion of mine. It's always prefered to dispose of waste water down a toilet, if not a foul drain. NEVER a storm drain. A simple guide to drains around a house is drain pipes run into storm drains, kitchen sink and bathrooms run into foul drains. But never presume that an extended kitchen was done by a builder who cared enough to connect to the correct drain! All street drains are for rain water only. You shouldn't even wash your car/van  and allow the suds to run into the street and down the storm drain.

Why? A classic example occured in our village about 12 years ago. Over the years, people had had extensions, washing machines and dish washers installed. Some had the waste running into storm drains. This water then runs into the land, polluting the crops and fodder consumed by both animals and humans. But even more instantly recognised here in Alvechurch was that fish in the local streams were dying. Analysis showed that detergents were the major factor. Every house and business in the village received a visit from the Environmental Health Officer, enforcement notices were issued for faulty drainage installations, and within a month, everything was back to normal. If this sort of thing can happen in village, what must the problem be like in a town or city? I heard last spring of a West Midland CC being fined £5k for unloading his T/M into a storm drain.  So if Sir or Madam objects to you using their toilet, politely point out that the waste they deposit into the porcelain bowl is more obnoxious than your bit of gritty water

Safe and happy cleaning:)
Ken

[Dynafoam]

Where a convenient outside cover is not available, I tend to water the roses with the waste water rather than use the loo.

Apart from the fact that I don't like the idea of taking the filth back into the house, the grit can be near imposible to flush away.

John.

PS The vast majority of my customers are repeats, so I have had ample opportunity to check for plant damage.

[Dave Parry]

Like most others I have sometimes used storm/Road drains. Never had a problem from a customer about using toilets, as like Ken when you point out what normally goes down there, they are OK about it. Only problem is that if the only toilet is upstairs, carrying 4 or 5 buckets upstairs is not only a chore but also risks spillage on nice clean carpets. But still better than a fine.
Also a full bucket of water usually gets rid of any sediment in the pan.

[md_cleaning_york]

You learn something new everyday.My machine empties from the bottom so I have nearly always used outside drains.Never knew they went different places.Thanks for the warning

[Ken Wainwright]

Although I can see your logic in your reasoning John, I disagree with your practice. Your solutions and other pollutants will not only contaminate the immediate area, but will soak into the ground and move away with the natural and/or engineered land drainage, eventually finding it's way into our food chain and on into our streams and rivers. Plus, it must be an absolute pain picking all that hair and carpet fibre waste off Sir/Madams roses.

Safe and happy cleaning:)
Ken

[strakercleaning]

Where might i find guidelines on where to dispose of waste water? Does it count if i empty buckets/machine into drains on customers premises? What is the fine for punching the official ........is it less than the drainage fine
JUST KIDDING :

[Derek]

Hi Chris

You need to contact your local water authority, apparently they all have differing views (Idon't think they talk to each other and haven't got their acts together yet).

Derek

[strakercleaning]

Derek, Response is much appreciated........will try relevant authorities.

[Dynafoam]

Ken,

I take your point. I have taken the view that the biodegradeablity of the products and the small quantity involved would negate these problems.

However, I would hate to be blamed next time you get a beer that tastes a little soapy.

John.

[Mike Halliday]

where does the water go when you go through your local carwash?

I would think if you asked them you'd find out what your local water authoritys policy is with regards disposal of waste water.

talking about chemicals going down storm drains, I would bet that more chemicals go down a storm drain in 1 rainy day than a year of naughty carpet cleaners, concidering that a cokktails of chemicals come out of car exhaust and settle on our roads until it rains then they are washed down the drains.

Mike
Ps I know I've spelt cokktail wrong but if i spell it right its replaced with 'thingy' :

[Ken Wainwright]

As far as I'm aware Mike, car wash sites have to have drainage which runs into the main sewer (foul drain). This would be dealt with during the planing/construction stage.

As for biodegradeability, for this to happen, oxygen is needed, which is absorbed from the water. A product which is highly biodegradeable will absorb oxygen more quickly and so degrade more quickly. This can and does create problems for fish and other life forms.

As for road pollutants running into the storm/land/river drainage systems, this does happen extensively. Spilt diesel fuel and oil on our roads is a major contributor to this type of pollution. I think that the authorities/water companies realise that they will only be able to contain rather than prevent the problem. The regulations which we are required to observe are one of the tools for containing the problem.

Perhaps, because I have grown up in a rural and agricultural environment, and have first hand experience of the consequences of different types of pollution, I probably embrace this topic more passionately than others. If I come over in a "Holyer than thou" type way, please forgive me, it's just the passion taking over.

Safe and happy cleaning:)
Ken

[stevegunn]

I know its not carpet cleaning but the enviromental health chap gave me this link to check as carpet cleaners are governed along the same sort of lines

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/105385/ppmbin.pdf

[Tony_Browning]

cocktail

[Tony_Browning]

wow your right!!!!