Pressure washing wastewater treatment
Issue: The Clean Water Act prohibits facilities from allowing polluted waters to enter adjacent waterways. The waste water from pressure washing is considered a pollutant and therefore must be treated and disposed, or treated to an extent that it is no longer considered a hazard and then released to waterways. This issue has been regulated by EPA on much of the west coast and in some East Coast states, but other states are just starting to be regulated. There is much confusion over what constitutes treatment and to what level waters must be treated for them to no longer be considered hazardous. Marinas are at risk for fines if they do not comply with the regulation, but some are left in the dark as to what they should be doing. Treatment can be costly.
Action: Several states have been given a 2009 date for compliance with this treatment.