Car Washes Monitoring Underway

The Department of Environment has launched a scheme to monitor all car washes operating in the capital in the next two months to detect polluting units and prevent environmental contamination, a senior DOE official said.

"Some 200 car washes are active in Tehran, which are potential sources of pollution if not monitored in terms of environmental criteria," Mohammad Hossein Bazgir, the head of the provincial DOE, also told ISNA.

"The plan covers monitoring equipments and water runoff, prioritizing larger car washes," he said.

Reportedly, DOE agents will test the wastewater produced by all car washes in the capital, both the ones that boast water treatment facilities and those that do not.

"The polluting units will be warned and given an ultimatum to upgrade their system and reduce pollution. Those who ignore the warnings will be referred to judicial authorities," Bazgir said.

According to the official, cases against 30 car washes have already been filed for legal prosecution.

The monitoring plan will continue until late April.

The primary problem associated with a car wash is water drainage. Many types of soap contain harmful chemicals that impair water quality. The pollution problem is only compounded when the soapy water is mixed with the grime, dirt and grease removed from a vehicle.

The water runoff inevitably has to go somewhere. Depending on the location, it ends up in either water treatment centers or larger bodies of water. The former affects the water we drink and the latter affects animals and crops. Regardless of who the pollution directly affects, it is definitely not acceptable.