According to this document, unless it's a charitable fund raising event, you are not allowed to discharge car wash waste water into the storm drain, which sounds to me like you can't wash your own car in your own home.

64.70; LA Stormwater Ordinance

When I walked down the street near where I live, I see the storm drains, and I see these holes on the side of the curb. Are thoes the sewage drain holes? So if I can't drain the waste water into the storm drain, does that mean that if I park my car on the street and make sure that the waste water drains into the sewage hole that I am good?

So, how does one legally wash one's car at one's residence in LA?

And how do you detailers handle this issue? I understand that there is a fine associated with running the waste water into the storm drain, if your neighbor decided to call the city on you.

 

Your state is seriously fux0red. And I'm saying that from MD.

 

heres my advice, ignore the rules and wash your car

 

Yes, as long as your relationship with your neighbors is good and nobody's a vindictive SoB, you're fine.

 

Our neighbor is, shall we say, an angry person ready to pounce on anyone for any reason. Being married to an attorney, I decided to look into this just to be safe.

This guy called HUD on our landlord, who are very nice people, because they were a little slow getting back to them.

So then the answer is no, that's interesting, never knew that.

I wonder how the detailer peeps get around this. They have to have run into this with some jerky neighbors...

 

It was passed in 1998, then in 2000 the Assault Weapons Ban and 10 round mag limit were passed.

This is what happens when Democrats completely take over everything in a state.

 

wash it on your lawn?

 

I think that gets caught in the storm drain as well according to this diagram.

 

As a carwash owner, I'm pretty versed on this law.

Technically, according to the Clean Water Act, nothing is allowed to enter the storm water management system except rainwater. This includes water run-off from washing your car. The effluent residue in the water from washing your car contains phosphates from the chemicals, and contaminates from the various parts of your car... rust, oil, gasoline, carbon, etc... The amount may be quite small from just your car, but imagine all the runoff from all the people who wash their cars in all of LA. This is part of the reason why santa monica bay is closed due to pollution after most large rainstorms.

Many cities and counties have incorporated the clean water act into their own rules, but most of them are not enforced. Ever hear of the car wash police? Me neither.

Mobile detailers are supposed to trap, suck up and then properly dispose of their wastewater. Most don't do this.

So, to answer your Q, it is not illegal to wash your car, but it is illegal to let the water run into the storm drain. Parking it on your lawn while you wash it is a solution. Or bring your car to a commercial car wash (like mine ) where the waste water is disposed of into the sewer system.

And the sanitary sewer system is a closed system. Those holes do not lead to the sewer.

 

I think your lawn goes into groundwater, not the sewer system (so long as it doesn't spill over). Plus you soak your lawn. Totally redneck, but I'd do it.