AUSTIN, TX — A test over whether at-home carwashing uses less or more water than a commercial carwash was conducted by a water conservation specialist from the Lower Colorado River Authority in a Go Green! news segment for News 8.
The August 7 report said specialist Dean Minchillo used a small meter to measure the amount of water used.
The results? A self-serve carwash uses about 17 gallons of water (depending on the nozzle; an IBA wash, found at a gas station can use between 20 and 40 gallons; a full-serve wash can use up to 60 gallons; and a driveway washing can use over 100.
Campaigns against at-home washing are popping up across the nation. In Lake Oswego, OR, the city’s water quality program coordinator David Gilbey put together a YouTube video using actors from the Waluga Junior High to promote awareness regarding the dangers of at-home carwashing.
A fourth-grade class at Indian Ridge Elementary in Aurora, CO, took up the banner against at-home carwashing, even asking state legislators to name an official day to recognize commercial carwashes.
And the state of Washington is continuing its mission to protect its waterways by discouraging at-home washing in which used water goes into the sewer system and is now, for the second year in a row, handing out fish-friendly carwash kits to those planning to host charity carwashes.
