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Petwash and the EPA

sparkey

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So I found a small commercial building in a small town that has a well and septic system that I thought about purchasing and putting a petwash in. I had a brief discussion with the EPA and got the feeling that their typical answer for these type of situations if you have to install a new septic system if it is very old just for the hell of it. Problem is the lot I am looking at has no room to start replacing the septic system due to the very large leach field they now require. I thought about just getting a holding tank and just pump it out periodically. Problem is I assume the water would be hazardous waste at that point and would require special licensed haulers and have to dump at some licensed facility. Does anyone have any experience with anything like this that can offer some insight?
 

mjwalsh

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So I found a small commercial building in a small town that has a well and septic system that I thought about purchasing and putting a petwash in. I had a brief discussion with the EPA and got the feeling that their typical answer for these type of situations if you have to install a new septic system if it is very old just for the hell of it. Problem is the lot I am looking at has no room to start replacing the septic system due to the very large leach field they now require. I thought about just getting a holding tank and just pump it out periodically. Problem is I assume the water would be hazardous waste at that point and would require special licensed haulers and have to dump at some licensed facility. Does anyone have any experience with anything like this that can offer some insight?
Sparkey,

We cut into the cement & tied into our main car wash pit & our pit hauler tells us that our state health dept regulatory office (federally funded) checks his tank getting enough samples to prove that there is no problem caused by our pet wash. Our pet wash is also in a separate building.

I hope this helps.

mike walsh www.kingkoin.com
 

sparkey

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I have a petwash at my current carwash and it is tied in the same way because it in on a city sewer. My problem is in a different town it has a well and septic tank. I called the Ohio EPA and was told that soapy water from the petwash is industrial waste and cannot go through a septic system. It must be collected, stored in a tank, pumped out and transported by a licensed hauler to an approved dump site. I ask what it takes to get a license to haul it myself. It was just a fee with the local health department until about a year ago (before Obama's new regulations). Now it is a $75 a year fee with the local health department, a fee with the state, 6 hours of training a year, and you must be bonded.

Conclusion: Its not worth the hassle. The government successfully prevented another new business from starting. Its no wonder this Obama administration can't seem to create any new jobs.
 

mjwalsh

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I have a petwash at my current carwash and it is tied in the same way because it in on a city sewer. My problem is in a different town it has a well and septic tank. I called the Ohio EPA and was told that soapy water from the petwash is industrial waste and cannot go through a septic system. It must be collected, stored in a tank, pumped out and transported by a licensed hauler to an approved dump site. I ask what it takes to get a license to haul it myself. It was just a fee with the local health department until about a year ago (before Obama's new regulations). Now it is a $75 a year fee with the local health department, a fee with the state, 6 hours of training a year, and you must be bonded.

Conclusion: Its not worth the hassle. The government successfully prevented another new business from starting. Its no wonder this Obama administration can't seem to create any new jobs.
Sparkey,

I wonder if someone from the city &/or state would go to bat for you if you gave them what are all the ingredients of the shampoos etc. I know we got Warsaw to provide all the elements that go into their car wash solutions & that seemed to satisfy someone from the city in the past. Someone should be in those positions that listen to reason considering that I am thinking your septic system is very similar to what a farm family would have. I am not an expert but it seems a common sense thing .....

mike walsh www.kingkoin.com
 

Jeff_L

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I wonder how one would find an approved dump site? I called the Missouri DNR and they didn't have an answer other than you cannot dump it in an open field. So I asked again where I could dump, they pointed me to my local DNR office, who also didn't have an answer. Lol

(I realize none of this helps you, just rambling)
 
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