MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — According to an article on abc27.com, Upper Allen Township, Pennsylvania, enacted a new ordinance that limits driveway washing and pool draining policies.
The ordinance declares that people cannot wash cars on any type of pavement, including driveways and streets, if they use soap, detergents or other chemicals to wash the car, the article noted.
The car must be washed on grass if cleaning supplies are to be used, the article added; in addition, pool water must be dechlorinated for two weeks and then drained on the lawn.
These new restrictions come as part of permit changes enacted by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, the article stated.
“We now have to eliminate the discharge of pool water into our storm water system as well as contaminants from carwashing that go into that same storm water system,” Township Manager Lou Fazekas said.
These restrictions were put into place in order to reduce pollution to storm drain systems, waterways and the overall Chesapeake Bay, the article continued, as Pennsylvania recently received a “C” grade for its anti-pollution efforts in the lattermost.
“There are fines in place,” Fazekas said, “but it’s not our intent to start going out and fining people. It’s going to take a while.”
According to the Pennsylvania DEP, hundreds of municipalities will have to comply with these same restrictions by 2018, the article concluded.
Find the full article here.
