Is it possible to build car washes, which capture rainwater and reuse it? Carwashes, which recycle the waste wash water and re-use it? Car washes, which can run from energy produced by solar and wind rather than being hooked to the grid for energy? Can we make the perfect car wash, which is environmentally friendly in every way?

Every thing you ask is possible and there was an article this week of a car wash at http://www.carwash.com which was totally close looped, solar powered and environmentally friendly. Hats off to those folks, very interesting indeed. But I do not think anyone is using the run off which is wasted into the storm drains? Well having been in the carwash industry, I believe some one probably is doing something like this although I have never heard of using storm water to wash cars.

Although I must admit having sat in rainstorms and watched all the water escape into the storm drains I have considered it. In car washing water is a cost and when you see that run off, well you think about money going literally down the storm drain you see.

But there are several companies making commercial grade completely closed loop systems to re-use all wash water, of course it fills up the discharge sludge pretty fast and the smell is an issue. Of course many use bio-microbes to eat the sludge and cover the scent with other technologies. It is possible and that is being done now. I think that is very good. Maybe someone should concentrate on putting all these environmentally friendly ideas together and coming up with a really superior perfect carwash? So, consider all this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/