Need help please on oil separator!

[Bob-O]

Got a letter from city about sewer discharge. Asking me if I had a oil separator, The car wash is about 30 years old. Has anybody installed one, and if so about how much do they cost. Thanks in advance..

 

[robert roman]

If the wash is connected to a leech bed or septic system, there may not be an oil/water separator.

Otherwise, most commercial carwashes have one.

It’s generally located underground between the catch basin or trench drain pipe and the sanitary sewer connection.

Obviously, the city doesn’t know if you have one.

So, I would ask an equipment dealer to examine the property. They know what to look for.

 

[Greg Pack]

My municipality allows my pits to serve as an oil separator. The drain in each pit has a 90 degree PVC fitting that is submersed under water, preventing oil from going down the drain. That might be worth a try if you have a similar setup.

 

[Kevin James]

I think I’d do what cfcw has suggested and install a 90 degree PVC fitting or PVC “T” on the discharge from the last pit that goes out to the sewer system, call it good and not respond to letter from the city, unless they send another letter. Are you sure you don’t have any holding tanks in sewer system from the car wash to the street. How long have you owned this car wash? If you do have any floating oil or debris in the pits I'd get it cleaned up right away. To install a oil water separator tank your looking at around $5K to $8.

 

[mjwalsh]

My municipality allows my pits to serve as an oil separator. The drain in each pit has a 90 degree PVC fitting that is submersed under water, preventing oil from going down the drain. That might be worth a try if you have a similar setup.

Bob-O,

CFCW comment is consistent with our local experience. We have had inspectors actually inspect our setup. We also know that they do spot checks on the discharge from time to time at various points in the city. From what I gathered they did fine a large Semi Tractor Trailer truck wash a few miles to the east of us. Our no oil etc signs (citing fed law) from Windtrax also were & continue to be helpful.

mike walsh www.kingkoin.com

 

[Bob-O]

CFCW, I do have a pvc T in all the wash bays.
MJWALSH, I have signs in all bays that says just that.
Kevin James, had the wash about 6 years.The pits are do to be pumped out, think I better get on it.

Thank you for the feed back. Been reading the forum for 6 years. This is a good place to get information.
Thanks again!

 

[MEP001]

When you get the pits pumped, ask them if you have a separator. They'd know what to look for. It can be a separate chamber of one of the pits, or it can be anywhere on the lot before it hooks to the city sewer, in which case it will have its own manhole. It will usually serve a dual purpose of trapping oil at the top of one chamber and silt at the bottom of another to reduce those things going into the mains.