Water Reclamation Equipment for Pressure Washing

Storm drains do not lead to treatment plants. They lead to creeks, and letting wash water run into one can bring daily fines that dwarf the cost of the gear that would have prevented it. Sun Brite Supply stocks water reclamation equipment in Gaithersburg, MD, from a $5 oil sock to a full vacuum recovery surface cleaner. Call 301-519-9274 and we will help you put together a capture setup that matches your jobs.

Why Washwater Capture Is Part of the Job Now

Under the Clean Water Act, anything that enters a storm drain is treated as a discharge to surface water. Soap, oil, grease, and even the grime you rinse off a driveway count as pollutants once they hit that grate. Counties and cities enforce this through their stormwater programs, and inspectors do respond to complaints from neighbors who see suds running down a gutter. Fines are commonly assessed per day, and some jurisdictions run them into the thousands. Just as important for your business, more property managers and government contracts now ask for proof of washwater management before they sign. A few hundred dollars of containment gear on the trailer is cheaper than losing the bid.

The Three Layers of a Containment Plan

Most contractors do not need a trailer full of treatment equipment. They need three simple layers that work together.

1. Block the drain

Seal every storm drain inlet in the work area before you pull the trigger. A water-filled drain cover mat lays over the grate and its own weight makes the seal. Fill it from your supply hose on site, so it travels light and stores flat. Walk the lot first and count the inlets, because the one you miss is the one that gets photographed.

2. Divert and dam

Sand snakes are flexible weighted tubes that act as portable berms. Lay them across a slope to stop flow, or angle them to steer water away from a sealed drain and toward your collection point. On big flatwork it is normal to run several in a chain. Keep both short and long lengths on the truck, since a 4 foot snake tucks around a doorway where a 10 foot length will not.

3. Filter and recover

Once water is pooled where you want it, deal with what is in it. An oil sock laid in the flow path absorbs petroleum before the water moves on, which matters at fleet yards and fuel islands. For jobs where nothing can stay on the pavement, a vacuum recovery surface cleaner captures water at the point of cleaning and sends it to a holding tank, so there is no puddle to manage at all.

When Berms Are Enough and When You Need Vacuum Recovery

If the site has landscaping that can legally take non-hazardous rinse water and the grades are workable, drain covers plus sand snakes handle most residential and light commercial jobs. Move up to vacuum recovery when you clean fuel islands, drive-thrus, parking garages, or any site where the water must leave with you. Recovery also wins on speed for large flatwork, because nobody is squeegeeing a two acre lot into a corner. Plan your vacuum around hose length, since lift falls off noticeably with every extra 50 feet of hose you add.

Water Reclamation Gear In Stock

All five were in stock when this page was updated. Prices move, so call to confirm before you drive.

Where Captured Water Can Go

Capture is half the job. Disposal is the other half, and the rules are stricter than most new contractors expect. Non-hazardous rinse water can usually go to a landscaped area with the property owner's OK, where the soil filters it. Wash water from surface cleaning can often go to the sanitary sewer, but that is a permission, not a right, so check with the local sewer authority first. Water from paint removal or concrete work may need a permitted hauler. What is never allowed: sending it to a storm drain, a ditch, or a creek, or leaving a soapy puddle on pavement to evaporate. If you are unsure on a specific job in Maryland, call the counter and we will talk it through.

From the Field

The cheapest item on this page prevents the most expensive mistakes. Crews that keep a handful of oil socks on the rig use them at every fleet job, because one sheen reaching a drain is a violation even if the rest of your containment was perfect. The other habit worth stealing: photograph your drain covers and berms in place before you start washing. When a property manager or an inspector asks how you handled the water, you answer in ten seconds with your phone. And do not fill the drain cover at the shop. It weighs a lot full, so fill it at the inlet and drain it before it goes back on the truck.

Related Collections

• Surface cleaners for flatwork production
• Concrete cleaning equipment and concrete cleaning chemicals
• Fleet wash chemicals and degreasers
• Driveway cleaning equipment
• Water tanks for holding recovered water
• Hose reels to manage recovery and supply lines
• Water filters for your supply side
• Local? Stop by our Gaithersburg pressure washer store

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to let pressure washing water go down a storm drain?

No. Storm drains discharge to streams without treatment, so washwater in a storm drain counts as an illegal discharge under the Clean Water Act and local stormwater codes. Block the drain, capture the water, and dispose of it properly.

Do I need water reclamation equipment for residential house washing?

Often the lawn and beds can take the rinse water, which is generally acceptable for non-hazardous washwater with the owner's permission. You still need to keep flow out of the street gutter and any storm inlet, so a drain cover and a sand snake belong on every truck.

What is a sand snake and how do I use it?

A sand snake is a weighted flexible tube that works as a portable berm. Lay it across the path of flowing water to dam it, or set it at an angle to steer water toward your collection point and away from drains. Chain multiple snakes for wide areas.

Where do I dispose of the wash water I capture?

Three common routes: a landscaped area with owner permission for non-hazardous water, the sanitary sewer with approval from the local sewer authority, or a permitted waste hauler for paint or concrete washwater. Never the storm drain.

When do I need a vacuum recovery system instead of berms?

When the water cannot stay on site at all. Fuel islands, parking garages, drive-thrus, and many commercial contracts require capture at the source. A vacuum surface cleaner picks the water up as it cleans and sends it to your holding tank.

Will a 4' x 4' drain cover seal any storm drain?

It covers most standard flat inlets. Fill it with water on site and its weight seals it to the pavement. For curb-opening inlets, pair it with sand snakes to dam flow before it reaches the opening.