Across much of the United States, professional carwashers are facing rapidly increasing costs for an essential commodity - water. These cost hikes are being powered by two driving forces: tougher federal and state regulations, and rapid urban growth.

Various legislation, such as the federal Clean Water Act and associated Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, have increased operating costs to both suppliers and wastewater treatment facilities.

These increased costs, along with the capital expenses to build, maintain and expand growing community infrastructures, are being passed along to all end users in the form of service rate increases and impact fees.

As always, commercial users such as carwashes are bearing the brunt of the rising prices.

These cost increases, along with a very real possibility of serious, nationwide water shortages in the coming century, have many operators looking to an alternative source of water - drilling a well.

An on-site well may seem like an excellent solution to the problems of availability and cost, but before you start to drill, consider a "total cost" review of your alternatives.

Assuming your locality even permits it, the boring of a well and installation of associated equipment is a major engineering effort that requires careful planning and budgeting. There is a possibility you could end up with a dry hole or unusable water. Don't overlook many of the cost centers associated in well construction and operation of an on-site well.

One major consideration is wastewater disposal. In many states, the status of carwash pit mud has been a source of debate within environmental agencies. This debate may spread to include the status of the wastewater stream coming from the carwash location.

In light of increasingly stringent standards for the water leaving wastewater treatment plants, these facilities may view increased flow rates - resulting from entrained well water in a carwash's waste stream - as needing on-site pre-treatment by the waste generator.

In any case, these facilities will require payment for treating the additional flow rates generated by the well water.

So, operators expecting to cut their sewer bill by using well water may be disappointed. And anyone thinking of clandestinely dumping well water into the public sewer system should know there are severe consequences when these flows are detected.

Here's what a successful water well project requires:

· A suitable location. You need enough space to locate wellhead equipment without disrupting traffic flow, existing equipment and normal operations.

· Engineering studies. These are needed to determine locations of underground utilities - water , sewer and gas lines, storage tanks, telephone and electrical cables - as well as the availability of needed utility services.

· Suitable aquifer (underground water source). Almost every site will have access to an aquifer. The question is, "How deep will you have to drill?" The type of aquifer is also important: sand or gravel would require a screening device to keep sand from being pumped.

· Projected water quality and flow rates. Will there be enough quality water at an affordable depth to supply the wash's needs?

· Permits for well construction. Special permits may be needed from local, regional or state water resource authorities or health and environmental control departments. Wells drawing more than 100,000 gallons per day must be registered with federal authorities. A reputable drilling contractor can often handle all permits.

· Building permits. As with any construction project, local, county and state building and construction permits may be required.

· State and local health department. Investigate what is required to protect the water drawn from the well as well as protection of the aquifer from surface contamination.

· State and federal environmental protection authority. These regulations are rapidly evolving; make sure your project is up to date on all requirements.

· Federal/state/local water use plan/authority. Because water is a diminishing resource, governmental bodies are instituting new controls and regulations on who can access these resources. Although, as of this date, no known controls on ground water withdrawal have been instituted, look into any planned regulations that might affect your project.

· Cost estimate. An experienced, licensed well-drilling contractor can give you a budget estimate based on local experience.

· Business disruption. The actual well-drilling operation requires large, heavy equipment, possibly forcing you to shut down the carwash during the drilling process and installation of ancillary equipment. Factor these costs in the total project expense.

· Spoil disposal cost. If the soil at your proposed well location has been contaminated, such as by spilled gasoline, the drilling spoils must be disposed of in a manner approved by local, state and federal environmental protection authorities.

· Check well water flow rate. Once the well is completed, the water flow rate will determine if you can operate directly from the wellhead or be required to store water for peak usage periods.

· Purchase, as needed, pumps and storage tanks. Some type of pumping apparatus will be required. If the well's flow rate cannot meet your maximum requirements, an on-site storage facility will be needed with one pump delivering water from the well to the storage tank and a second method (water tower or pump) delivering the water to the wash process.

You also need to consider if you have the space for water pressure tanks and whatever water treatment process may be required.

· Check water quality. Ground water quality is highly variable. The "grains of hardness" and "total dissolved solids" (TDS) will determine the need, if any, for on-site water treatment or softening.

This cost factor must be included in the total project cost.

· Budget for ongoing purchase of water treatment chemicals. Cost will vary with the required amount of treatment.

· Re-plumb building for second, separate system. In most cases, the local water supplier and the health department will not allow interconnections between your well water and the public supply. A separate system will be required to ensure an open "air gap" exists between the systems.

· State and local building codes. Make sure you are meeting all building codes with the total installation of both water distributions systems within your facility.

· State and local health regulations. Make sure you are complying with all regulations concerning keeping the water systems separate and not contaminating the public system. Most states have very explicit regulations, and back-flow equipment requirement.

· Develop a maintenance program. As with any mechanical system, continuing maintenance is required. The regulatory authority will require yearly inspections of all back-flow prevention equipment by a certified inspection company. Any water treatment equipment will require periodic service.

· Electrical cost. Although this may be insignificant, it should be a budgetary consideration.

· Water treatment cost.

· Preventive maintenance program cost.

· Stand-by equipment. If your operation is totally dependent on the well water system, consider purchasing redundant system components.

· Contract with wastewater treatment authority to accept the wastewater you generate. As noted above, the wastewater treatment authority will require payment for treatment services. These fees will be at or possibly above the rate you are currently charged for your outflow. In most cases this outflow rate is calculated on your water usage as determined by the incoming water meter.

· Install, as required, well water meter or sewer flow meter. Some type of meter will be required to gauge your wastewater outflow. A water meter, installed at the wellhead, may be your best choice. If at all possible, avoid a high-cost, maintenance-intensive sewage flow meter.

· Pretreat wastewater, if required by the sewer authority. If required, the cost of wastewater pretreatment could make the entire project cost-prohibitive. Close coordination, consultation and negotiation with the wastewater treatment facility is imperative to prevent any misunderstanding.

As the project overview shows, building a water well at the carwash can be far more involved than many operators first envision.

Before committing to an on-site well, review all your operational options. Simple conservation, coupled with recent advances in water recycling technology, offers many opportunities to lower water costs.

If your wash is faced with no other alternative then to supply water on-site, hire a competent, experienced environmental engineering firm - one that can guide you through the increasingly complicated water use regulations - to head the project.

For more information, please go to www.carwash.com, click on the "archives" icon and use the following keyword in an article search: wells.