Arizona Administrative Code
Title 18 - ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Chapter 9 - DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY - WATER POLLUTION CONTROL
Article 3 - AQUIFER PROTECTION PERMITS - GENERAL PERMITS
Part D - TYPE 3 GENERAL PERMITS
Section R18-9-D303 - 3.03 General Permit: Vehicle and Equipment Washes

Universal Citation: AZ Admin Code R 18-9-D303

Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 38, September 20, 2024

A. A 3.03 General Permit allows a facility to discharge water from washing vehicle exteriors and vehicle equipment. The 3.03 General Permit does not authorize:

1. Discharge water that typically results from the washing of vehicle engines unless the discharge is to a lined surface impoundment;

2. Direct discharges of sanitary sewage, vehicle lubricating oils, antifreeze, gasoline, paints, varnishes, solvents, pesticides, or fertilizers;

3. Discharges resulting from washing the interior of vessels used to transport fuel products or chemicals, or washing equipment contaminated with fuel products or chemicals; or

4. Discharges resulting from washing the interior of vehicles used to transport mining concentrates that originate from the same mine site, unless the discharge is to a lined surface impoundment.

B. Notice of Intent to Discharge. In addition to the Notice of Intent to Discharge requirements specified in R18-9-A301(B), an applicant shall submit a narrative description of the facility and a design of the disposal system and wash operations.

C. Design, installation, and testing requirements. An applicant shall:

1. Design and construct the wash pad:
a. To drain and route wash water to a sump or similar sediment-settling structure and an oil/water separator or a comparable pretreatment technology;

b. Of concrete or material chemically compatible with the wash water and its constituents; and

c. To support the maximum weight of the vehicle or equipment being washed with an appropriate safety factor;

2. Not use unlined ditches or natural channels to convey wash water;

3. Ensure that a surface impoundment meets the requirements in R18-9-D301(C)(1) through (3). The applicant shall ensure that berms or dikes at the impoundment can withstand wave action erosion and are compacted to a uniform density not less than 95 percent;

4. Ensure that a surface impoundment required for wash water described in subsection (A)(1) meets the design and installation requirements in R18-9-D301(C);

5. If wash water is received by an unlined surface impoundment or engineered subsurface disposal system, the applicant shall:
a. Ensure that the annual daily average flow is less than 3000 gallons per day;

b. Maintain a minimum horizontal setback of 100 feet between the impoundment or subsurface disposal system and any water supply well;

c. Ensure that the bottom of the surface impoundment or subsurface disposal system is at least 50 feet above the static groundwater level and the intervening material does not consist of karstic or fractured bedrock;

d. Ensure that the wash water receives primary treatment before discharge through, at a minimum, a sump or similar structure for settling sediments or solids and an oil/water separator or a comparable pretreatment technology designed to reduce oil and grease in the wastewater to 15 mg/l or less;

e. Withdraw the separated oil from the oil/water separator using equipment such as adjustable skimmers, automatic pump-out systems, or level sensing systems to signal manual pump-out; and

f. If a subsurface disposal system is used, design the system to prevent surfacing of the wash water.

D. Operational requirements. The permittee shall:

1. Inspect the oil/water separator before operation to ensure that there are no leaks and that the oil/water separator is in operable condition;

2. Inspect the entire facility at least quarterly. The inspection shall, at a minimum, consist of a visual examination of the wash pad, the sump or similar structure, the oil/water separator, and all surface impoundments;

3. Visually inspect each surface impoundment at least monthly, to ensure the volume of wash water is maintained within the design capacity and freeboard limitation;

4. Repair damage to the integrity of the wash pad or impoundment liner as soon as practical;

5. Maintain the oil/water separator to achieve the operational performance of the separator;

6. Remove accumulated sediments in all surface impoundments to maintain design capacity; and

7. Use best management practices to minimize the introduction of chemicals not typically associated with the wash operations. Only biodegradable surfactant or soaps are allowed. The permittee shall not use products that contain chemicals in concentrations likely to cause a violation of an Aquifer Water Quality Standard at the applicable point of compliance.

E. Monitoring requirements.

1. If wash water is discharged to an unlined surface impoundment or other area for subsurface disposal, the permittee shall monitor the wash water quarterly at the point of discharge for pH and for the presence of C10 through C32 hydrocarbons using a Department of Health Services certified method.

2. If pH is not between 6.0 and 9.0 or the concentration of C10 through C32 hydrocarbons exceeds 50 mg/l, the permittee shall, within 30 days of the monitorings, submit a report to the Department with a proposal for mitigation and shall increase monitoring frequency to monthly.

3. If the condition in subsection (E)(2) persists for three consecutive months, the permittee shall submit, within 90 days, an application for an individual permit.

F. Recordkeeping. A permittee shall maintain the following information for at least 10 years and make it available to the Department upon request:

1. Construction drawings and as-built plans, if available;

2. A log book or similar documentation to record inspection results, repair and maintenance activities, monitoring results, and facility closure; and

3. The Material Safety Data Sheets for the chemicals used in the wash operations and any required monitoring results.

G. Closure requirements. A permittee shall comply with the closure requirements specified in R18-9-D301(G) if a liner has been used. If no liner is used the permittee shall remove and appropriately dispose of any liquids and grade the facility to prevent impoundment of water.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Arizona may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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