Illegal to driveway wash your car in San Diego?
#1
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OK, got an odd question but I'd like to know before I have the EPA or something knocking on my door to give me a fine.
I just moved from an apartment into a house in San Diego and now that I have a damn driveway of my own to use I'd like to get back to handwashing my cars.
What's the deal with the laws with run off water going into the storm drain? Is "polluted" wash water from a vehicle considered illegal?
I haven't had a chance to talk to any of my new neighbors yet but I have noticed in the past week I haven't seen one person washing a car, it's kind of an uppity neighborhood though so I wouldn't be suprised if most of them just pay someone else to do it for them.
I googled the hell out of this and couldn't find a straight answer, figured some local guys would know what's up.
I just moved from an apartment into a house in San Diego and now that I have a damn driveway of my own to use I'd like to get back to handwashing my cars.
What's the deal with the laws with run off water going into the storm drain? Is "polluted" wash water from a vehicle considered illegal?
I haven't had a chance to talk to any of my new neighbors yet but I have noticed in the past week I haven't seen one person washing a car, it's kind of an uppity neighborhood though so I wouldn't be suprised if most of them just pay someone else to do it for them.
I googled the hell out of this and couldn't find a straight answer, figured some local guys would know what's up.
#2
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Its not illegal to wash your car in the driveway. Its just illegal for all that soapy water to run into a storm drain, which is where it goes if you live in a suburban neighborhood with sewer. So its just a simplification to say that its illegal to wash your car in the driveway.
But if you live on county, have septic, and dont have a driveways that runs off into the open street. Then its perfectly legal. But then of course your soapy water just hangs out in your lawn or whereever and kills your plants.
Or you can just go to a carwash and have some stranger do a crappy job.....
But if you live on county, have septic, and dont have a driveways that runs off into the open street. Then its perfectly legal. But then of course your soapy water just hangs out in your lawn or whereever and kills your plants.
Or you can just go to a carwash and have some stranger do a crappy job.....
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oh.....lets add a little more to this. With this whole water shortage thing. Can we wash our cars with a hose and everything and not have to worry about getting the city thrown at us because we are wasting water?
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#13
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Screw it I'll wash my cars in the driveway until somebody says something. I was talking to a dude at work today who got a warning from a passing police car for it, that's as far as it went though.
Almost all of the people I have talked to here at work weren't even aware that you aren't supposed to have your "wash water" go into the storm drains. If they were actively enforcing this I'm sure they would have known.
Thanks for the advice guys, looks like the SS is getting a bath tomorrow
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Last edited by 4150; 04-27-2009 at 10:40 PM.