Best Practices

Mobile Businesses

Mobile businesses include automotive washing and detailing services, carpet/drapery cleaners, street sweepers, pressure washers, general contractors, and other service providers. If you contract these services, ask your service provider to follow these practices:

  • Make sure that wash water, debris, chemicals, and cleaners are properly disposed. Wash water collected and transported from the job site to the service provider’s home base must be disposed of properly. Check with the local wastewater authority for discharge requirements.
  • Use a lint trap or filter when discharging to the sanitary sewer. Dispose of the solids in the trash if it is not hazardous waste.
  • Never discharge wash water to a street, gutter, parking lot, ditch, creek, or storm drain.
  • Promptly clean up any spills using dry methods, such as vacuuming, sweeping, sawdust/kitty litter, and rags/paper towels.
  • Inspect equipment to ensure it does not leak. Make sure chemical containers are sealed before and after use and during transportation.
  • Consult our Stormwater Management Solutions for Carpet Cleaning Practices brochure for more information!

Organized Car Washes

For organized/charity car washing events:

  • Consider fundraising by selling commercial car wash coupons instead of hosting a car wash.
  • If you host a car wash, make sure the hose has a nozzle and wash water flows to a lawn, garden, or gravel area and does not enter the street or nearby storm drains.
  • Use sandbags or berms to divert water to a vegetated or gravel area, or seal off nearby storm drains using an insert designed to catch the wash water.

Hiring Pest Control and Landscape Professionals

When dealing with unwanted pests around your home or business, you may want to hire a pest control service to take care of the problem for you. Pest control professionals have access to different products, specialized training, and other equipment that may be needed in order to manage a serious infestation or problem.

To learn more about pesticides and water quality and what to consider when hiring pest control and landscape professionals, visit:

Landscape Design and Irrigation Management to Prevent Pesticide Runoff

Proper design and management of the landscaping around our homes and businesses can help prevent pesticide runoff from these areas into local waterbodies. Some ways to reduce your landscaping irrigation needs and keep irrigation water onsite can be found here and here. Discover county-specific tips by using the UC Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist.

Find out how else you can slow the flow of water and pesticides by clicking the links below: