Frequently Asked Questions
1. I am building a new car wash. Does it need a waste discharge license?
2. I operate a small detailing shop. Can I discharge vehicle wash water on top of the ground?
3. My existing septic system has failed. What should I do?
4. My neighbor has a pipe coming out of his/her house and I can smell a strong odor. What should I do?
5. Are floor drains allowed in residential garages?
6. Should I be concerned about high levels of lead in my septic tank?
Answer: If the car wash is in a sewered area and all the waste water will be discharged to the sewer system, then no license is needed. You need to work with the local sewer authority for permission to connect.
If the car wash is in an unsewered area , then a waste discharge license must be obtained before a car wash can discharge to a subsurface disposal system. Expect to install a waste water treatment system that will treat waste water to meet the states drinking water standards. Effluent waste water standards will be outlined in the waste discharge license.
Car washes discharging to an on-site subsurface disposal system required to obtain a waste discharge license include, but are not limited to, manual car wash (i.e., wand wash), in bay automatics, and tunnel car washes.
Persons interested in a waste discharge license for the subsurface disposal of car wash water should visit our Subsurface Licensing page or contact Gregg Wood at (207)287-3901 or by e-mail at gregg.wood@Maine.gov.
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Answer: A detailing shop or car dealership can establish an area dedicated to exterior vehicle washing provided the following conditions are met:
- The pipe must be accessible for inspection and must not discharge directly to a ditch, stream, wetland, pond or other surface water body;
- Cleaning is restricted to the exterior of the vehicle. Engine, undercarriage and transmission washing is prohibited. Cleaning operations should minimize the detachment of paint residues, heavy metals or other potentially hazardous materials from surfaces;
- The use of acids, bases, metal brighteners, degreasing agents or steam is prohibited. The Department recommends non-toxic, phosphate-free cleaners with cold water;
- Vehicles and equipment must not be washed near uncovered repair or chemical storage areas such that chemicals can be transported in wash water runoff. Engine and transmission maintenance is prohibited in the wash bay. All wash water runoff should be drained away from a shop repair or chemical storage area;
- The volume of wash water must not exceed 60 gallons per day and proper erosion control methods must be used for discharge volumes over 30 gallons per day. If larger volumes of wash water are generated, contact the DEP with approximate daily discharge amounts or consider installing a separate subsurface wastewater disposal system.
Visit Floor Drains for additional information.
Wash water from engine, undercarriage and transmission washing and from the cleaning of the interior of truck trailers and other large commodity-carrying containers must be collected and discharged to a municipal sewer system or treated in a closed-loop wash water recycling system. If these options are impractical, a third disposal option for wash water with potentially high concentrations of pollutants is to seek a waste discharge license from the Department for on-site disposal of the waste water.
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Answer: The first thing to do is pump out your septic tank, to eliminate wastewater flow to the malfunctioning disposal area, and keep it pumped out until the system is replaced. You must also contact a licensed Site Evaluator to design a replacement system. She or he will provide you with the necessary design to apply for a plumbing permit to install the system, from the Local Plumbing Inspector.
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Answer: Domestic wastewater disposal is first a local issue. You should contact your municipal code enforcement officer or local plumbing inspector to report the incident. If your town has neither, contact the town manager. In unorganized parts of the state, contact the nearest Land Use Regulation Commission office or Department of Human Services, Wastewater and Plumbing Control Program.
If the pipe is discharging wastewater directly into a lake, pond, river or stream and the problem has not been satisfactorily addressed by local officials, contact DEP's Division of Water Resources Regulation at (207)287-3901 or by e-mail at phil.e.garwood@Maine.gov.
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Answer: The Maine Subsurface Waste Water Disposal Rules expressly prohibit floor drains in areas where there is a "significant potential for industrial, hazardous or toxic liquids (including gasoline, oils and degreasers) to drip, be spilled or washed into the floor drains." Overall, activities in home garages do not represent the same threat to ground and surface waters that commercial repair garages do. Most homeowners are not conducting day-to-day engine maintenance on their personal vehicles. Therefore, floor drains are allowed in residential garages provided there are no other indications of a "significant potential" for the discharge of hazardous materials (i.e., home vehicle repair business, tractor trailer truck driver, etc.).
That said -- the DEP encourages homeowners to construct garages without floor drains. "Why take chances?" is the reasoning, particularly where wells serve the local drinking water needs. New garages can be constructed with the floor pitched slightly towards the door. If the homeowner or contractor seems insistent, then we recommend that the drain daylight (piped to the top of the ground). The pipe serves as a visible reminder for the garage owner and, should there be careless spills or dumping, contaminated soils are much easier to deal with on top of the ground than under the garage foundation.
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Answer: High lead levels in septic system effluent are common in older homes that used lead solder in pipes. It is leached off pipes faster with acidic water (low pH). Lead, like other metals such as copper and mercury, bind with organics in the septic system and is unlikely to leach to ground water unless the pH is below 2. The lead then is more problematic for the septage hauler who will have it disposed of at a landspreading site or at a municipal wastewater treatment plant -- both of which have monitoring requirements and/or effluent limitations for metals.
One way to minimize the lead is to increase the pH of the water by using a water treatment system. Also, if the pipes are leaching lead, they may also be leaching copper to the drinking water. Homeowners should be advised to contact the Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory's lead and copper specialists at (207)287-1716.
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