Rules To Follow When Washing Your Car At Home In Lubbock

The City of Lubbock allows vehicle owners to wash their vehicles at home if they choose to (and it can save you money!), but there are rules and guidelines the city requires you to follow to protect the health and safety of our water.

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The Best Way To Reduce Water Pollution Is To Use A Car Wash

If you want to avoid hazardous wastewater from washing your car, using a commercial facility is the best option, as these businesses are required to "recycle or collect and properly dispose of wash water." Self-service bays can cost as little as a few bucks, and basic drive-through washes start as low as $7, and monthly memberships can start under $30. Seems like a bargain to avoid dealing with the hose and the soap bucket.

If You Are Really Serious About Washing Your Car At Home

If you really can't be talked into taking your car to a commercial wash, it is encouraged that you wash your car on your grass, so that any pollutants that wash off of your vehicle seep into the soil instead of running off into stormwater drains. This seems detrimental to your lawn and to the cleanliness of your tires, so once again, I am pointing to a commercial car wash.

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What To Do About Spills

If you spill a potentially hazardous fluid (for instance, you are changing your own oil because you are really handy), use dry techniques to sop up the spill, like putting down kitty litter.

In West Texas, our water is truly precious. Let's do everything we can to keep the water that returns to lakes, streams, and the aquifer as clean as possible, because we will be the ones who have to use it in the future.