"Rinse free" - I don't get it

Chicagoareanew · 06-12-09, 11:24

There's one thing I don't understand about rinse free car shampoos - you're supposed to wipe it off with a towel so you don't let it wash off into a drain. But, when you wash those towels, all of it will come off in the wash (that's the point of washing towels), and then it will go down the drain via washing machine. So, instead of having it go down the sewer in your street when you hose off your car, the same car product is going down your drain in your washing machine when you do your laundry? This doesn't make sense to me; it's like 6 of one, half a dozen of another. Am I all wet (no pun intended).

TortoiseAWD · 06-12-09, 12:03

Water from your washing machine is discharged into the sanitary sewer and heads off to a treatment plant before it's discharged back into a river/lake/stream. Water that goes into the storm drains typically isn't treated before it's returned to a natural source (again, lake/river/stream/etc.)

Sanitary sewer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Storm drain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tort

Darkstar752 · 06-12-09, 12:19

It also saves water and gives you the option of washing inside, when it's raining, snow, etc.

Chicagoareanew · 06-12-09, 12:41

Ok, now it makes sense.

craigdt · 06-14-09, 08:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by TortoiseAWD

Water from your washing machine is discharged into the sanitary sewer and heads off to a treatment plant before it's discharged back into a river/lake/stream. Water that goes into the storm drains typically isn't treated before it's returned to a natural source (again, lake/river/stream/etc.)

Sanitary sewer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Storm drain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tort

Hmm. That is interesting. Is every system set up this way?

TortoiseAWD · 06-15-09, 12:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigdt

Hmm. That is interesting. Is every system set up this way?

Not sure. I'm no expert on plumbing, just a guy with access to Google and Wiki.

Tort

Chicagoareanew · 06-15-09, 12:32

I guess you can always call your city hall to find out.

Danase · 06-15-09, 12:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by craigdt

Hmm. That is interesting. Is every system set up this way?

No, not every system is set up that way. I design a lot of underground sewer systems and the city where I work is definitely not set up like that. We have, maybe 2% of our storm drains going from the streets or parking lots to the Detroit River. The rest go to a combined system where it combines with sanitary and goes to the treatment plant before going into the river. It's an older system and has it's ups and downs. The ups are most of the water is treated before being released back into the river. The downside is your system is doing double duty and if you get a freak of nature rain you could have sewage back up into your basement.

Hemin8r · 06-15-09, 12:43

Interesting, I never knew this. I thought the residential water and storm drain water united once in the sewer. I often thought it would be good to have bath, laundry, dish washing water directed to a home reservoir to later be used to help water plants and stuff. Water restrictions in my city are getting a little tougher so a rinse free system is great for me.

Thats Fresh · 06-15-09, 12:44

here in virginia beach, lots of neighbors have these dump off lakes or small ponds in the neighorhood. that is where the street runoff water go and collect. it a must here since we live to many tributaries, chesapeake bay and atlantic ocean. the water from the house does go to treatment plant.

Danase · 06-18-09, 05:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thats Fresh

here in virginia beach, lots of neighbors have these dump off lakes or small ponds in the neighorhood. that is where the street runoff water go and collect. it a must here since we live to many tributaries, chesapeake bay and atlantic ocean. the water from the house does go to treatment plant.

Yeah, those are retention ponds and are a usually a must with larger new developments. The sewer systems are older and where there might of been an old factory or just a bunch of vacant land you might now have a whole new sub division with a few hundred new homes. If you are in a combined system it won't handle that extra load so the run off water goes to the retention pond.

prix03gt · 06-18-09, 10:33

My water goes down the drain into a septic tank. Whenever I use ONR, I just dump it out on some crushed rocks near the driveway. In the dilution it is used, it will filter out into the ground before it hits the water table. Plus, I don't think the stuff is that caustic if I can use it on my bar hands with no problem.