Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Big_Fish on November 05, 2004, 01:41:44 pm
-
Martin S and I have exchanged text about emptying out waste down customers toilets.
It's not something we do, generally try to use an outside gully for the kitchen sink/ washing machine.
What do you guys do?
BF Nicky
-
This has been covered before but as an update,
No waste water is allowed down the drainage system it must go down the loo or lift outside sewer cover and put down there.
The fines for putting waste down the drains are unlimited
-
Thanks for that.
Martin S has a very graphic explination of emptying waste down the loo in the topic of "Terms & Conditions".
I will have a chat to Murray over dinner tonight ;D
BF Nicky
-
A nice Curry would go down well!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Regards.
Martin S
-
Most definately down the loo
Throwing waste water down a gulley could result in it getting into our water system...plus it can be extremely harmful to 'fish' ;)
Derek
-
Guys
Its a £20k fine for dumping on the street.
You can only dump down a foul sewer if you are licensed to do so.
Ideally you should have a license to carry the waste water and then a license to dump down foul sewer at your premises at the end of the day.
Cheers
George
-
Hello George,
How do you go about obtaining such a licence and how much does it cost?
Thanks
BF Nicky
-
On one job I dump it back on the customers carpet, did it pen and ink. >:( >:(
Most if not all sink/bathroom gullies go into the same chamber as the toilets.
Len
-
Always chuck it down the loo.
-
Nicky
To carry the waste you need a certificate of registration under the control of pollution act 1989.
In Scotland you get it from Scottish environmental protection agency and it costs £80 for three years. (If you are in the disaster restoration business you should already have this license) Rest of UK is similar.
To dispose of the waste you need a consent to the discharge of trade effluent. You get this from your local water authority. Charges are based on quantity of disposal and what the make up of the waste is. For carpet cleaning it will only be a nominal charge.
Hope this helps
Cheers
George
-
This has been extensively covered in prevoius posts. I follow the advice given by the local envirement officer in charge of such matters - " dump it on grassland, a grass verge for example." Obvoiusly away from drainage ditches, stream, rivers and ponds.
Dave.
-
When I used to visit communes. They saved every bit of waste water and put it on the vegetable patch, Yes every bit.
-
Dave
It has been covered here and on many forums but what you advocate is not correct in the majority of cases.
Regardless of where you dump it will eventually find its way into the water course. Your officer should no longer be giving this advice if you follow that advice you could be liable for £20K fine.
We only have one planet
George
-
All valid points,
andI use the the loo in the majority of cases.
It must also depend on what you are tipping away....If you clean the engine compartment of your car with de greaser and a power wsher, where does the water go? I am not a chemist I suspect that that is worse that comes out of my machine.
-
George,
I was given the same advice as Dave when I contacted the environment agency.
I was passed to them by the local water company. They took the view that though (technically) even the plain water water in my clean tank would be classed as trade effluent, the quantity was too small to concern them, provided it was not discharged into the rainwater drain.
It is notable that everyone I spoke to refused to put anything into writing.
-
Easi-k,
You are correct in your assumption, and in my discussions with the water company they did indicate that they would prosecute if they discovered such discharge entering the storm drain. It was also mentioned that kerb-side car washing with detergent shampoo was also illegal but they were unlikely to prosecute for this unless it was done "by way of trade". It was mentioned that the person I was speaking to had prosecuted "dozens" of car valeters and car showrooms for permitting the run-off of car washing to enter surface drainage.
He also accepted that the tons of alkaline salt spread on the roads each winter cause more of a problem that the contents of my waste tank would but "....what can we do about that - its' a matter of public safety"
-
George,
I doubt by the time any dirty water from a carpet cleaning machine, dumped on grassland away from the places I mentioned, reaches the water course, would be any danger to anything as it would be thoroughly broken down and filtered by the earths minerals, as it does with all deposit matter. This is is why the envirement officer gave his advice, and his attitude was that he consideres the quantities we deal with to be insignificant.
Dave.
-
Dave
He is probably correct in that one carpet cleaners waste want make much difference, That choose to operate a double standard on this because it is to much work to police everyone in the country, but add all the carpet cleaners together now their is a lot of waste. For me its just another cost of doing business.
Cheers
George
-
Hello All,
I spoke to a lady called Jean from Thames Water today. I asked her about our waste and if we needed a licence.
She said that as we operate our business from our home, we do not need a licence to empty our waste into our foul sewer. If we dispose of waste at another privately owned domestic property, the same applies. If the property is empty then we would need to bring the waste home and if the property is commercial we would need a licence to put waste into the foul sewer, but if we bring the waste home we can put it down ours without a licence.
Dumping in the street, on land (private or otherwise) or into a stormwater drain is illegal and should be avoided. There is a maximum 20K fine for illegal dumping of poluted water into anything but a foul sewer.
She was unable to offer me anything in writing.
I have a feeling, given time, things will change and the law will be tightened up. For now though we are all ok ;)
BF Nicky