THUNDER BAY - If you are washing your car in the driveway to save a couple bucks, it may be a net negative, according to Central Car Wash.
Luckily, there's a consumer service tailored directly for those with a dirty car that is also environmentally friendly.
Washing your vehicle is a little more hazardous than just bringing it to a car wash, said Craig Loverin, who happens to be the general manager of the Central Avenue car wash.
“When your car is driving around it’s picking up a lot of stuff around town,” Loverin said.
“When you go to wash that off, it goes back onto your driveway and into the storm system. What we’re trying to explain to people is that water doesn’t get treated. It ends up back into Lake Superior.”
Protecting Thunder Bay’s great lake is the motto behind the ‘Keep it Clean’ campaign which encourages people to come in and get a car wash instead of the D-I-Y approach.
In terms of cost, Loverin claims the amount of water and soap products used will end up costing the consumer more in the long run if they wash their car at home.
“If you wash at home you’re going to use more water. We’re trying to conserve the amount of water we’re using. The difference between home and here is that we use high pressure systems.”
There is no bylaw in Thunder Bay regarding washing your car at home. Other cities, like Calgary and Vancouver, have restrictions.
Loverin also claims Central Car Wash has the most technologically advanced equipment to properly dispose of chemicals.
“We updated our equipment in 2009, but we’ve also made upgrades during that time,” he said.
EcoSuperior Runs a ‘Keep it Superior,’ campaign and they were on hand at Central Car Wash on Friday to support the initiative.
The program informs the public on the role of storm drains and the impact on our ecosystem, said program coordinator Ashley Priem.
“Storm drains reduce the risk of flooding in times of intense rain," Priem said. "But they don’t connect to a sewage treatment plan at all. They basically connect directly to our local streams, rivers, and lakes.”
Part of the campaign encourages residents to use commercial car washes.
Priem said the run-off can affect and harm fish, wildlife and reduce the overall water quality of Lake Superior
While Lake Superior is one of the cleanest lakes in the world, collective effort is needed to maintain that status.
“We know that it’s key. It’s our source of drinking water so it just makes perfect sense to make sure our water quality is always high,” Priem said.
