|
Member Only Content on CCA Site
The Canadian Carwash Association has been undertaking research work into a number
of different areas of interest to the industry. To better share that information
with members, the CCA will be publishing “Member Only Content” on its website. Member
login names and passwords have been emailed or mailed with the 2012 membership renewal.
Extra member only content is represented by a red shield with a lock image on the
related pages. It will appear towards the left hand side of a page near the bottom.
Clicking on the shield will take the user to the login page then back to the current
page. The shield will not be visible if the viewer is logged in, only the extra
content will be. An example of this is the story on the Canadian
banknotes and coin changes coming.
In addition to page specific content, new navigation buttons with red lettering will
also appear on the left hand navigation menu. These are for account management,
back issues of the CCA electronic newsletter and other member category specific
features. More such content is planned and will be posted as soon as it is available.
There is a Login link at the bottom of every page, which reverts to Logout once
logged in. If you have not yet received your 2012 renewal, please contact the national
office at office@canadiancarwash.ca.
CCA Response to City of Ottawa Carwash Ban
Story has been moved and additional content added. Click on the heading above to
read.
Carwash Industry Advocates for Environmentally-Friendly Practices
New research highlights the lack of awareness about the environmental impacts of
driveway carwashing
The snow is melting, spring is in the air but the remnants of winter can now be
found lingering on your car. It’s carwashing season. Before you get out the hose
and bucket, consider the environmental impact of driveway carwashing. The Canadian
Carwash Association (CCA) enlisted the services of Leger Marketing to conduct a
survey to determine Canadians’ perception of carwashing and the effects on the environment.
The survey reveals that most respondents mistakenly think that water goes to a water
treatment plant when it enters storm drains on the street.
The CCA released the full results of the research during CARWACS 2011 at the Toronto
Congress Centre yesterday, March 24, 2011. A panel of experts discussed the benefits
of using a professional carwash and its impact on the environment.
"The survey findings reinforce what the Canadian carwash industry has been
advocating for years: using a professional carwash is an environmentally friendly
option for cleaning your vehicle," said Jorge de Mendonça, Executive Director,
CCA. "A part of our industry’s task is to educate the public that washing your
car in the driveway sends soap and other harmful chemicals into the storm sewer
system, which could go directly into lakes and rivers. This is the CCA’s opportunity
to raise awareness about the environmental benefits of using a professional carwash
and the harmful impact that driveway carwashing has on the environment."
The survey highlights include:
- 55 per cent of respondents believe there is no difference environmentally whether
they wash their vehicle in their driveway or take it through a carwash
- 48 per cent of respondents are unaware that most soapy water from driveway carwashing
ends up untreated in nearby lakes or rivers when it goes down storm drains
- 38 per cent of respondents wash their vehicles in their driveway
"Using a commercial carwash ensures that public health and aquatic environments
are protected from the harmful effects of dirty water entering the storm sewers,"
said Richard Noehammer, Director, Business Operations Management, Toronto Water
– City of Toronto. "The grates on the roads are storm sewers and are meant
only for rainwater or melted snow because they generally flow directly to the nearest
waterway. In order to prevent unwanted chemicals from entering storm sewers, the
City of Toronto has a Sewer Use Bylaw that controls the quality and quantity of
substances discharged into the sanitary and storm water sewer systems and natural
watercourses. Penalties for violating the Bylaw include fines," added Noehammer.
"A misconception I hear from my customers is that professional carwashes use
more water; that’s not the case," said Scott Murray, President, EZEE CLEAN
Car Wash. "We are a highly regulated industry and we must comply with strict
regulations about water usage and waste. The used water from professional carwashes
goes into the sanitary system which goes to a treatment plant. I’m glad CCA is bringing
attention to the environmental benefits of professional carwashes," said Murray.
Professional carwashes are also environmentally-friendly because of initiatives
like the International Carwash Association (ICA) Watersavers™ program. In
January 2011, CCA partnered with the ICA’s Watersavers™ program, a recognition
program to help professional carwashes promote their environmentally responsible
business practices. In order to participate in WaterSavers™, CCA member carwashes
must implement water management best practices. For more information about the Watersavers™
program, see story immediately below. For the survey summary results,
click here.
CCA Joins the Watersavers™ Alliance
$10,000 $50,000 Fine for Driveway Washing Cars in
Toronto?
CORRECTION: The story which is quoted in the following copy was incorrect regarding
the level of the fine associated with illegal discharges in to storm sewers in the
City of Toronto. According to discussions with the CCA and Water Department the
fine is actually five times higher at $50,000.
The summer 2010 edition of the Our Toronto bulletin, published by the City
of Toronto, included an article entitled, The right way to wash your car.
The article comes straight-out to recommend residents take their car to a commercial
carwash instead of washing them at home.
The article ends by informing readers that the Sewer Use By-law provides for a $10,000
fine when unwanted chemicals end up in the storm sewer system.
Few people realize that there are two parallel sewer systems in most municipalities,
the storm sewer hooked up to street grates that take water runoff from rain directly
to lakes and rivers, and the sanitary sewer system which takes industrial and household
waste water to a processing plant.
The CCA environmental committee has been working with several environmental groups
and municipalities to publicize the carwash industry’s environmental story. It is
also preparing simple promotional material for point-of-sale use to help our members
spread the word.
Carwash owners, however, do not have to wait. Let your customers know that by using
your professional carwash they are helping the environment as you’ve invested in
the required equipment to pre-treat and deliver your waste water into the sanitary
sewer system.
Contact your local municipality and find out what their rules and regulations are
for chemicals used by households to wash cars in their driveways. Educating people
that driveway washing sends soap and other harmful chemicals into the storm sewer
system, ending up untreated in lakes and rivers, is part of our industry’s task.
If you do find out what fines are, please send that information to us at
office@canadiancarwash.ca so we can post it on the CCA website. Better yet,
post it at your wash too.
To view the article separately, go to the
Greening the City part of the Toronto website. To view the entire publication
go to the
Our Toronto PDF issue on the site and see page 8.
Newly elected East Coast Board Member
At its July 2010 meeting, the CCA Board approved the addition of Bob Walsh, of Miramachi,
New Brunswick to the Board of Directors.
Walsh built his first four bay self-serve in Miramichi, NB in 1986 and still owns
and operates this site. He has added a touch free automatic that was installed in
2002. Bob started his other company, Fernrob PCS Inc., in 1987 selling and installing
carwash equipment.
He is a distributor for MacNeil Carwash Systems and Oasis, along with a number of
other companies such as Turtle Wax covering Atlantic Canada and Northern Maine.
Bob has built and sold several carwashes in New Brunswick over the last 20 years.
Currently he owns and operates 2 carwashes; one in Miramichi and another 6-by-100
foot tunnel wash in Bathurst.
Bob will bring a much needed eastern Canada perspective to the Board.
|