BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Professional Carwashing & Detailing team just wrapped up production for the December issue, filled with informative features aimed to motivate owners and operators to run their businesses more productively.

Also, many of our magazine subscribers can expect to find our 2016 Buyers Guide in addition to the December issue. Peruse through this handy tool which includes a listing of hundreds of car care products and services, aimed to ensure lucrative operations for owners and operators, as well as a directory to find the companies that manufacture, supply and/or provide them.

In the December issue, you can expect to find topics including: general car care innovations, slip and trip accidents at the workplace, solar power installations, signage best practices, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) update and what this means for car care businesses, and more.

The PC&D team pulled an excerpt from the December cover story, “It pays to be green,” written by contributing writer Denise Wight for this exclusive sneak peek. The article discusses why water management strategies are important for car care businesses.

“Among the most critical natural resource issues today is the availability of, and access to, freshwater supplies. Although fourth-fifths of the Earth is covered by water, less than three percent is freshwater — more critically, less than 0.5 percent is usable by humans. The Earth is running out of freshwater at such a rate that soon it will be the most valuable commodity on the planet.”

In the article, Wight shares some additional statistics to elucidate the current global water crisis:

• 31 countries face severe water stress.
• Over one billion people do not have access to clean water.
• If nothing is done to address the issue, with the current population growth, two-thirds of the world’s population will not have enough water for basic needs of life by 2025.
• The water crisis is the No. 1 global risk based on the impact to society as a measure of devastation and the No. 8 global risk based on the likelihood of occurring within 10 years, as reported by the World Economic Forum.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), for every $1 invested in water and sanitation, there is an economic return between $3 and $34.

Wight continues by explaining how members of the World Water Council, which includes global water corporations and governments, the United Nations, the International Private Water Association and the World Bank, focus on the privatization of water, or water for profit. And, she adds, the World Bank and the U.N. state the need to develop water management strategies at the local, regional and national levels.

Furthermore, in the article Wight shares two ways this privatization of water can affect the carwash industry:

• Water will become more expensive.
• If we don’t personally start taking responsibility to manage our water consumption, local governments and municipalities will.

We hope you enjoyed this first look into the December issue. Be sure to check out the entire article as well as the several other informative features in the December issue coming soon. And in case you missed it, or just want to read it again, you can find the November issue here.