Robert Hinderliter

Nigel: That needs to be addressed in the next update. We need to start making a list of everything.

Michael: If you are really interested in how this was done in your area you will have to do some research. Go to websites where this information is (eats up a lot of time), start with the epa.gov, state website, Departments of Environment Management, Stormwater Department, health departments, local municipality, here are some examples: California California Environmental Protection Agency California Department of Conservation California Air Resources Board California Department of Water Resources California Integrated Waste Management Board CA, Calabasas Mobile Commercial Washing Operations http://www.cityofcalabasas.com/pdf/mobile-car-wash/Calabasas-Mobile-Car-Wash-Ordinance.pdf CA, CASQA Vehicle and Equipment Cleaning SC-21 http://www.cabmphandbooks.com/Documents/Industrial/SC-21.pdf CA, County of San Diego County of San Diego County of San Diego: Stormwater - Power Washing CA, Discharge Prohibitions San Francisco Bay Basin http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/sanfranciscobay/water_issues/programs/planningtmdls/basinplan/web/tab/tab_4-01.pdf CA, Greater Sacramento Area http://www.sactostormwater.org/SSQP/documents/PressureWashing_BMPs_Dec08.pdf CA, NAPA-SOLAND-SONOMA Stormwater Agencies http://city.ci.st-helena.ca.us/images/aad/Docs/SurfaceCleaner%20Guide12.04.pdf CA, Parker West Environmental pressure washing removes petroleum and chemical pollutants from driveways and facilities without polluting storm drain systems CA, Pressure Washing Regulations in California What are the Pressure Washing Regulations in California? | eHow.com CA, Regional Water Quality Control Board, Exceptions for Low-Threat Discharges, Side Walks http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/northcoast/water_issues/programs/basin_plan/081120_ltd/comments/1_29_09_DMcenhill.pdf CA, San Diego, http://www.sandiego.gov/thinkblue/pdf/mobilebusinessbrochure.pdf CA, San Francisco Bay Implementation Plans Chapter 4 State Water Resources Control Board - San Francisco Bay CA, Santa Clara Valley 7. Equipment Washing & Steam Cleaning http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/water_issues/programs/stormwater/docs/murp_appendix4cc.pdf CA, Title 8 Car Washing and Polishing http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/CarWash/CARWASH-RegsSections13680-13693FINAL-1121.pdf CA, Prevention of Groundwater Contamination in Southern CA Groundwater Contamination Prevention/Cleanup in the Central and West Coast Basins Took about 4 hours to assemble the above. Here are some search terms Power Wash Pressure Wash Cosmetic Cleaning Car Wash Boat Washing Airplane Washing Truck Wash Stormwater Storm Water Storm Drain Storm Sewer Sanitary Sewer NPDES MS4 Most websites will have a search box, which may or may not give you acceptable results. Watch very closely: US Environmental Protection Agency Here there is a search Box, enter the items above. If you enter (Cosmetic Cleaning) it will take you to any document with any of those words in it. But if you enter ("Cosmetic Cleaning"), then it will only take you to those documents where those words are together. Now if you want to search with Google the do this: site:epa.gov/ cosmetic cleaning or site:epa.gov/ "cosmetic cleaning" which will take you directly to the EPA's Model Ordinance. Most search engine use Google already, but not always. Also, I have found sometimes that using the manual search as ( site: ) above gives different results. Happy searching.

With the gird lock in Congress right now, it should be obvious why things happen the way they do. You are talking about rational thinking, that is not how things generally work.

I am sorry but politics are not always "Reasonable, Rational, or Reasonable". The salt you are talking about is under debate presently because of the reasons you stated. There are special exemptions for what you are talking about right along with Fire Department Water.

The Model Ordinance has been moved to http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/upload/nps-ordinanceuments-fort-worth-sw.pdf Ordinance states: Storm sewer entranceswhichwillreceivethewashwater shall be screened to catch leaves and other debris. Wash water discharge shall comply with Section 12.5302(b)(15) <in the model ordinance> Supplemental document says: The City of Fort Worth Department of Environmental Management recommends screening the storm drain inlet with a 20 mesh or finer screen to catch the debris. at another place it says: Environmental Management recommends discharging through a 400 micron filter to remove the grit and sludge. That's probably because I always did not give the same answer when asked during development.

The only exception to the above that I am aware of would be if you are washing directly into a sand trap, grit trap, or grease trap which are designed to discharge into the sanitary sewer system.

I didn’t think that a Ford Focus was a Millionaires’ car?

You might want to go to this link and read what is happening and the time schedule Planning is Key to MS4 Success As Phase II Deadline Nears | stormh2o.com Most Municipalities are in their 2nd 5-year plan and our industry is targeted! Just a hint to the wise.

If you are going to be recognized by the Regulators you need to represent a National Non-Profit Organization. When I founded PWNA it was the result of advice from Regulators who told me that regulations were being written by the National CarWash Association and the Liquid Waste Haulers for our trade! And these organization would create BMPs and ordinances that would benefit their revenue stream, not ours. I am retired now working for Michael Hinderliter in sales Monday through Thursday. If you young people do not support your national trade associations guess who is going to write the rules for you to follow? Not you!

Because of production expense, 1/2" will do both jobs. Coils are about 175' long and that creates a lot of pressure loss. The cost savings is not that great after you have make two sizes. Smaller Coils are found in light duty Dixie Cup Machines. Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

Normally 8 GPM and below you use 3/8" high pressure hose, 9" GPM and above you use 1/2" high pressure hose. Using these sizes you lose about 1 psi per foot. The actual loss depends on how many elbows you have and how straight is the hose (is it off the hose reel in a straight line). Also type of rubber or synthic material the hose is made of effects the pressure loss. Synthetic hose link Synflex 3R80-06 has the least resistance that I have measured. It was popular hose before manufacturers started making hose specifically designed for pressure washers. Above about 220F the inter lining would start melting and the ends would blow off. If you were watching for this failure you could actually watch the end start to slide off the hose before it blew off. The hose was designed for Hydraulic Fluid. The longest length of 3R80-06 that I ever ran was slightly over 1,000 Feet to clean Miller Brewery Tanks for making Beer. They were about 10' in diameter X 125' long, stacked 3 high. It was a Union Shop, so all I did was run the equipment while Union Steel Workers did the work.

I recommend that every member of PWNA OR ***** that would like a copy of the BMPs place their order with Association Headquarters: 1-copy for $20.00, 2-copies for $35.00 including shipping & handling. That is an extra copy for your local regulator. Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

The Texas School will cover all of tbe options, wait until after hands on training before making your purchase decisions. That way you will be an informed buyer. Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

There is another Play Maker making a presentation to their State EPA. Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

There is game changing technology being tested in a major american city that we need to be a part of. I suggest that information be released only to a local contractor who is a member of the associations. It will be a major competitive advantage for someone during the test period. I'll need advice from both Persidents on how to proceed. Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

The Trade Show is 2-Days plus an evenimg reception and Trainining and Certification Courses are 5-Days which is the main focus, not the Trade Show. Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

At this time it is obvious that everyone should be able to work with their local munipalities as Eric Flynn did. After you study the BMPs as Eric did, the only help you should need is Telephone support for modifying for your local jurisdiction. The jurisdictions would rather deal with a local contractor presenting a National Association's BMPs. The only reason everone cannot do this is because they have not done their homework. Are you going to lead or follow? Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

Feed back from the Regulators is that for the Industry to have maximum effectiveness is for everyone to post BMPs on their websites and abide by them. This shows knowledge and intent. Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

Lots of strong interest at StormCon; More than in past years. My recommendation now is for every contract cleaner to modify the BMPs for his area and post them on his website. Sent from my Dell Streak using Tapatalk

Summary: 1. The concerns around environmental issues have become very clouded by conspiracy theories and constant misinterpretation of what has taken place. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but if you really are concerned then do the home work to reach an honest and independent decision. Don’t let hearsay be the guide to more misinformation and making a wrong decision that has the potential to seriously cause a negative impact to your business. 2. BMP’s do not create law. As the name suggest, they are best management practices. Municipalities, Contractors or any authority that has influence on how to recovery or even not recover needs to decide what to take from them and what not to take from them. There are many factors that will affect this: 1) There immediate area Urban or Rural; 2) The area of the country plains, coastal or mountain; 3) What kind of discharge limits does the EPA require the city to comply with. That is the Cities have to answer to the EPA or State for discharges of their storm drains to the “waters of the state”; 4)etc – I am sure you have more to add. 3. The BMP’s are recommendation 4. Contractors should get involve at the municipal or state level to help influence what will happen in their areas. 5. Municipalities are not looking to regulate our industry. They are being force to do so by the clean water act. If we as an industry sit back without offering solutions then we are at their mercy. And no offense to regulators; but it is not their job to find solution but to enforce the law. If we are not finding solutions for our industry then they will or simply outlawed mobile power washing. Simply put many of the major municipalities already have regulations / ordinances in place. It is interesting to see so much focus and concern over the issue so many years after it first raised it ugly head. I hope that it continues and we as an industry can continue to find new and improved ways to protect the environment and the future of our industry.

False Accusations: False Accusations has been part of the job of being an environmentalist and leader in the Cosmetic Cleaning Industry, most false accusations are for competitive reasons. I would like to share a few humorous examples. The EPA called the City of Fort Worth because they were getting a large number of accusations about me and my company. The EPA told me that the City Of Fort Worth responded by saying that if Hinderliter was doing that they would eat their shorts! (How is your reputation?) The City of Fort Worth was getting a large number of calls from other Regulation Agencies about Cosmetic Cleaning. When I asked why they explained “Because of you and all of your activity”. The State of Texas Department of Natural Resources monitored my location for several weeks because of all of the complaints they were getting about me. After which the Agent that was charge with doing the investigation came into my office and introduced himself. He said that he did not normally come in and introduced himself, but in my case he made an exception because it was obvious that everything I was accused was false and was making a good faith environmental effort do everything correctly. And that it was also unfortunate that leaders generally attracted these kinds of accusations. As he said “it goes with the territory”. George at StormCon thinks this is funny and enjoys teasing me about it; in front of more people the better. It’s been an ongoing joke for several years, especially my request for a speaking time slot. I have gotten use to these kinds of attacks, and do not pay much attention to them. Others are more upset than me. Since most of these attacks come from a very small group of people I tend to ignore them. However, I have been requested to start responding and defending myself, I have depended on others to do this in the past because it has more validity. But as with everything else I can change to coincide with today’s environment and request.

Byline: Lisa Patterson Robert Hinderliter is known in the field of power washing as president and founder of Rahsco Mfg. Co. now PowerWash.com Hinderliter is a veritable force in the industry. But his work behind the scenes to regulate and streamline authority is largely unknown. Hinderliter worked for years to make sure, across the board, the standards and enforcements for power washers was universal. He still works to prefect the system today by being a watchdog in the power washing community. He ensures that power washers are not shutdown based on loose standards and haphazard chains of command. Since 1995 he has posted a website resource for Regulators, which resulted in a lot of references to PWNA and himself as Environmental Chairman of PWNA. In September of 1992, Hinderliter founded Power Washers of North America (PWNA) to address cosmetic cleaning environmental issues. The group has become a “clear voice” in an industry of gray regulations along with United Association of Contract Cleaners (*****, which Hinderliter also founded). According to their website, with a stroke of a pen a law can be passed that puts a power washing contractor out of business. It goes on to say, a lawmaker, without the knowledge and understanding of the importance of the contract cleaner, can make an uneducated decision that can put a power washing company out of business and increase pollutants in the Storm Drains because of a lack of cleaning. Hinderliter, through his work with PWNA and ***** as Environmental Chairman, represents every power washing business and “communicates to the world that power washing is a vital part of the community.” So for many power washers one question remains, why would the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set standards without consulting the experts in the field? This was a question Hinderliter asked before he started offering and holding seminars for power washers, business owners and regulators. By using industry leaders to educate the outside world it allowed the power washing community more control of their practices. In 2006 two seminars were held in San Antonio, TX. The first seminar that was for regulators resulted in the development of the city’s Best Management Practices (BMPs). The second seminar was held for business owners along the River walk and contract cleaners in San Antonio to explain the BMPs. It just seems clear that the people who should be helping to steer this planning should be the experts. By having direct communication with the 2 groups, business owners and regulators (Storm Drain and Sanitary Sewer Departments), the implementation of such plans are smooth and organized. But not every city in EPA region 6 is eager to adopt such practices. This hesitation isn't because of need or because of efficient practices already in place. It would seem to Hinderliter, from his years of diligently trying to educate regarding better practices, it's the city's lack of organization that limits their effectiveness for better pollution control. This disarray not only brings harm to the environment but also cause the city’s economy to dwindle. Hinderliter was instrumental in getting the EPA standards set for power washing regulations. EPA's Region 6 office reflects Hinderliter's perseverance and determination. Although cities are receptive to such seminars, Hinderliter has to take copious amounts of time to meet with the designated officials and get these seminars underway. One such city that has not been receptive to this planning is Houston TX. Efforts in Houston, TX are taking some time considering they have three departments handling enforcement. These departments are: the Public Works Department; Storm Water Enforcement Group which enforces municipal code; the Health Department which also enforces municipal codes; and the Houston Police Department; Major Offenders Division (under Officer Stephen Dicker) enforces Texas & US Ordinances with criminal prosecution. These three departments do not work as a cohesive team. So there is no real guideline in place for enforcement. In fact, calls to 311 non-emergency number (verses 911 emergency number) are routed to one of the three departments randomly for cosmetic cleaning complaints. Depending on which department shows up to handle the complaints will determine how you are going to be treated; “Education and Compliance” or “Criminal Prosecution”. As stated by Officer Dicker, “in criminal law there are no allowances for warnings written into the law.” So if the police department showed up citations are being issued. This caused many power washers to pull their operation out of the City of Houston, which resulted in cleaning not being done and pollutants being washed into the Storm Drains during the next rain event. Hinderliter's efforts in Houston began in 2005 when he was in contact with Lanice Blue, Environmental Investigator II. At the time there were seven contract cleaners that held Class C permits for waste water transportation. Moving on to 2007 after a successful round of seminars in San Antonio TX in 2006, Hinderliter had several contacts with Houston TX including: Amy Boyers, Senior Environmental Planner; Naomi Marcias, Environmental Investigator; Sylvia Brumlow, Community Liaison, HPD; Dorene Hancock, Supervisor Stormwater Enforcement; Nancy Sullins; Almika Millage, Department of Health and Human Services. Through these contacts he was under the impression he was going to do Environmental Workshops for Houston TX similar to the ones he had just done for San Antonio. According to Hinderliter, “There was a lot of conversation along that line then Houston just stopped talking to me without any explanation.” Hinderliter found this silence to be unprovoked considering that during the process of negotiations with Houston, TX he did a seminar for EPA region 6 explaining the effects of heavy enforcement vs voluntary compliance with ordinance being reasonable, rational, and logical. After the presentation he had a group of panelists from various municipalities come up to answer questions about their ordinances and the effect they were having. Dorene Hancock represented Houston and explained their enforcement efforts and asked him to return the following year to emphasize the demonstration of BMPs. According to Hinderliter, Dorene Hancock was “easy to work with, being reasonable, rational, and logical.” He worked with her on two MS4 Conferences for Region 6. So what has caused this silence in an area that seems desperately in need of structure. Hinderliter feels that part of the problem is “jealousy” between regulators and departments within the city of Houston. Hinderliter sees egos getting in the way of efficiency. Also it's a major case of departments being uneducated in needed practices. Because each department works autonomously from one another there is no protocol to handle waste coming from another department. An obvious example of that is the Storm Water Enforcement and the Sanitation Department. Storm Water Department claim they do not want the runoff in their drains while Sanitary Sewer Department claims they can't handle the waste since it is composed of chemicals they are not accustomed to sanitizing and only allow 3 discharge points in the City of Houston; which increases the cost of cleaning because of transportation cost. Because of the deflecting of authority and the over use of one department as the official criminal enforcer there is a breakdown of the city’s economic flow and a negative effect on pollution control. As Hinderliter pointed out, based on EPA reports, a city such as Fort Worth, TX who has an ordinance in place that is rational, reasonable, logical and depend on voluntary compliance has the same level of contaminates in Storm Drains as Houston who has over enforcement. The problem, as Hinderliter would argue, is not the amount of enforcement but the lack of a structured plan where all departments work together to enforce a set BMPs that are reasonable, rational, and logical. Hinderliter feels that Houston, TX understands this because of their attendance at the EPA Region 6 MS4 Conference where he presented this information with Houston in attendance and Dorene Hancock serving on a panel at the end of the presentation. The key to success with the seminars that Hinderliter offers is that all parties involved attend; Storm Water Department, Sanitary Sewer Department, and Contract Cleaners. This way the BMPs can be demonstrated and molded for efficiency. But Hinderliter continues on in Houston to meet with the departments that did not attend. But it’s been a struggle. Houston, TX has been the only municipality to ignore the Industrial Trade Associations input & most Open Records Requests. Although based on emails sent to Hinderliter, it wasn’t a matter of ignoring rather a matter of departments relinquishing the responsibility to other departments. But Hinderliter feels it is stalling which is only causing the city to become more polluted and unclean. He has had tremendous success with other areas of EPA Region 6 which services, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Hinderliter's unfailing commitment to his industry has allowed power washers to continue working and business's to continue growing based on curb appeal and this allows the city's economy to grow as well. Houston, TX has had three Power Washing Workshops sponsored by the Police Department, one in 2007 and two in 2011. These seminars were recorded and are online for free viewing. But more work is needed. Hinderliter will continue on in his efforts but encourages the power washers in the industry to be a “voice”. He encourages the power washers, business owners and regulators to support PWNA and *****. As the PWNA website extols, every business of every size, from 1 to 10,000, needs to be one of the many voices of the PWNA. The more members we have, the stronger and clearer our voice becomes. The stronger and clearer our voice is, the more protected and secure our businesses are. Become a part of that voice and protect the investment of time and money that you have put into your business.