Our Pledge to Mother Earth We Took a Pledge to be Environmentally Friendly. Few people realize that washing our cars in our driveways is one of the most environmentally un-friendly chores we can do around the house. Unlike household waste water that enters sewers or septic systems and undergoes treatment before it is discharged into the environment, what runs off from your car goes right into storm drains — and eventually into rivers, streams, creeks and wetlands where it poisons aquatic life and wreaks other ecosystem havoc. After all, that water is a loaded brew of gasoline, oil, and residues from exhaust fumes – as well as the harsh detergents that are being used for the washing itself. On the other hand, federal laws require commercial car wash facilities to drain their waste-water into sewer systems, so it gets treated before it is discharged back into the great outdoors. Additionally, we have commercial car wash equipment such as computer-controlled systems, high-pressure nozzles, and pumps that minimize water usage. We also recycle and re-use most of our rinse water. Washing a car at home typically uses 80 – 140 gallons of water. In comparison, we use less than 45 gallons of water per car, as well as utilizing recycled water in our services.