If you’re getting your car washed this week, rest assure that EPA Victoria is working hard to make sure that getting your car clean won’t foul the environment in the process.

EPA officers in the Southwest Region have completed snap inspections at 18 commercial car washes, visiting businesses in Greater Geelong, Ballarat, Warrnambool, Colac and Ararat.

EPA’s Acting Regional Manager for the Southwest Tanya McAteer says experience with local businesses shows a lot can be achieved with cooperation.

“For most of the car wash operators it was the first time they’ve interacted with EPA officers, so we’ve focused on giving them a chance to get things in order with advice and guidance rather than regulatory notices or fines,” Ms McAteer said.

“It’s mostly about the cleaning products - you don’t want them winding up in the stormwater drains, local creeks and the nearest lake or river,” she said.

The inspections concentrated on stormwater management, the disposal of wash water, the storage and handling of chemicals, spill response readiness, the use of EPA’s Waste Tracker to make sure priority waste goes to the right place for disposal, and the company’s trade waste agreement with local authorities.

"Your local commercial car wash needs to be a professional operation, and that includes fulfilling its responsibility to the environment,” Ms McAteer said.

The EPA car wash inspection team are Officers for the Protection of the Local Environment (OPLEs), who are EPA authorised officers that work closely with councils where they tap into local knowledge and work with staff on cooperative operations.

The OPLEs delivered 28 pieces of compliance advice to car wash operators on the management of wash waters, the need for effective spill kits to allow quick response to any chemical spills, the use of Waste Tracker, and the right ways to store and handle liquids.

“Under the Environment Protection Act 2017, there’s a General Environmental Duty that gives every Victorian a role in reducing the risks to the community and environment from pollution and waste.  Every business must be able to show they can manage and control the risks of pollution they create,” Ms McAteer said.

“The car wash operators responded positively to the inspections, so EPA is expecting they will have given it their best efforts to make sure they are compliant with the rules when we return,” she said.

The car washes are not the only ones receiving attention, EPA is conducting inspections across the state, targeting industry sectors with the potential to cause pollution, including concrete batching plants, agricultural chemical distributors, motor vehicle and machinery servicing/repairs, chemical handling, and intensive animal industries.

The EPA website has information for businesses on how the General Environmental Duty applies to them: epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/laws/laws-and-your-business/general-environmental-duty-for-businesses

And there’s information on EPA Waste Tracker, here: epa.vic.gov.au/wastetracker