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PWNA's recommended regulations & BMPs for cosmetic pressure power washing

After completing a national survey of Cosmetic Cleaning Environmental Regulations, the EPA has chosen the City of Fort Worth as a model ordinance for other municipalities and urban areas to follow.  Some of the reasons are:

  1. The ordinance is reasonable, rational, and logical.  This has resulted in the ordinance being good for the City of Fort Worth, the Contract Cleaner, and the Environment.

  2. Based on voluntary compliance since January 2, 1996.  A 13 year history.

  3. Almost no Cost to the City of Fort Worth

  4. Has resulted in one of the lowest amounts of detergents in the Storm Drains in the Nation.

  5. Meets the EPA NPDES Permit Limits

  6. The Fort Worth Ordinance is based on a Public Comment Period with a conference held July 1, 1995 with approximately 100 contract cleaners and 40 regulators representing Municipal, County, Regional, State, and Federal EPA Regulators.  This conference is now on youtube at "EPAPowerWashing" for free viewing.

  7. The Fort Worth Ordinance is posted on the EPAs website as a model ordinance for other municipalities.

Excerpts and comments from the Fort Worth are here http://www.dcs1.com/del/delpg5/fterpt.html

MS4 Ordinances for Cosmetic Cleaning
(2008 EPA Region 6 Seminar)

The Cosmetic Cleaning Ordinances of Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, & BASMAA (Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association) were examined. Some of these ordinances have been in affect for over 13 years and their impact on the MS4s (storm drains) was presented.

Models for Ordinances, Contractor Training & Certification, and BMPS was demonstrated along with the model ordinance on the EPA's website at http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/ordinance/ for cosmetic cleaning.

The Presentation needs to be viewed in two parts. First download the power point presentation and print it out then view the YouTube videos.

  1. The power point presentation is at:http://www.dcs1.com/regs/ms4-08.ppt

  2. You can view the presentation on www.youtube.com, search on "EPAPowerWashing" in 13 parts or navigate in the embedded player below.

    Note:  The EPA Announced in 2008 that all Phase I Municipalities would received a detailed NPDES Audit every 5 years and all Phase II Municipalities and Urban Areas would receive a detailed NPDES Audit every 7 years.  Environmental Codes and Ordinances are a part of this EPA Audit.  See "2004 EPA Region 6 Seminar" at www.dcs1.com/regs .

    For additional information go to www.dcs1.com/regs or contact PWNA Environmental Chairman Robert Hinderliter:

    Robert M. Hinderliter
    Environmental Chairman PWNA
    Direct Phone:817-529-6601, Cell: 817-366-3041
    [email protected]
    Address:
    Delco Cleaning Systems of Fort Worth
    2513 Warfield Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76106-7554

    Acronyms:

    • EPA:  Environmental Protection Agency
      NPDES: National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems
      Phase I Municipality:  Over 100,000 Population
      Phase II Municipality or Urban Area:  Under 100,000 Population
      MS4: Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System, i.e. any where storm water flows
      Cosmetic Power Washing: Power Washing done for regular cosmetic reasons not including hazardous waste.  See the Fort Worth Environmental Code for the legal definition.
      BMPs: Best Management Practices
      PWNA: Power Washers of North America
      youtube: www.youtube.com
      BASMAA: Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association