City of York announces stormwater ordinance changes, making some home car washes illegal (2024)

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City of York announces stormwater ordinance changes, making some home car washes illegal? ›

The new ordinance makes washing a parked car on a city street, alley, driveway, or in a garage without floor drains while using any type of soap illegal. Those who need to wash their vehicle may use only water to rinse off the vehicle.

You can, according to the city, rinse your car off with water, or wash it with soap on the grass or on a pad covered with gravel. But you cannot use cleaners or soaps on streets, alleys, driveways or any other paved, impervious surfaces that allow the wastewater to flow into storm drains.

So, the idea of a good old-fashioned bucket brigade car bath on the street might sound tempting. But before you grab your sponge and break into a showtune about sudsy sidewalks, there's a little wrinkle to iron out. Yes, folks, washing your car on the street in NYC is a big ol' no-no.

As mentioned earlier, washing your car without soap isn't recommendable. You may scratch the paint if you are using water only. Luckily, there are safe ways to wash your car without soap. You can wash your car without soap using alternative products, including Waterless Wash, Dish Soap, or Rinseless Wash.

You may wash your car at home as long as you use a shutoff nozzle on your hose.

The truth is, washing personal vehicles at home is one of the most environmentally harmful chores we can do! Bringing your car to a commercial car wash is better for the environment. Federal laws in the U.S. require commercial car wash facilities to drain wastewater from car washing into sewer systems.

Water quality experts say that car washing is a serious contributor to water pollution. Water that runs off a car when it is washed in a driveway, street, or parking lot can contain substances that pollute the environment.

So... its illegal to wash/detail your car in your driveway in NY (X-post r/videos)

In order to improve traffic flow, the City designates some driving lanes for High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV). HOV lanes require either a minimum of two people per vehicle (HOV – 2), or three people per vehicle (HOV – 3). The number is specified by signs placed on express lanes on highways or bridges.

Driveways serving passenger vehicles shall be a minimum of 8 feet (2438 mm) in width and shall not exceed the length of the curb cut, not including the lengths of the splays. For all other motor vehicles, the minimum width of driveways shall be 10 feet (3048 mm).

Is it OK to wash car with rain water? ›

This acidity will damage your car's paintwork over time as it erodes the clear coat. The Limitations of Rainwater as a Cleaning Agent: While rainwater may help rinse off loose dirt and dust to the naked eye, it lacks the necessary cleaning agents found in dedicated car-cleaning products.

Water hoses can lead to a buildup of residue on your vehicle that won't look good and could eventually erode the wax on your car, causing your paint to deteriorate over time. Washing your car in direct sunlight can also cause spots to be burned in the paint. Instead, consider using filtered water.

Use a waterless car wash spray, not a general cleaning spray. You need something that loosens and lubricates dirt so you won't harm your car's finish or get frustrated trying to remove stubborn grime. And you don't want to use a spray detailer formulated for removing light dust.

You can wash your car inside your garage safely if you avoid using high-pressure water tools such as hose attachments. The most effective car wash is the two-bucket car wash. You'll need: A bucket for soapy water.

This will cause pollution and you could be prosecuted. You should only wash vehicles in defined areas where the wash water and any rainfall run-off can be contained. If possible, direct the surface run-off from your vehicle washing area to an on-site treatment system. You may be able to reuse the water.

Is It Illegal To Hang Your Air Freshener From Your Rearview Mirror? According to the Vehicle Codes of California, Arizona, Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, it is illegal to hang objects such as air fresheners on a rearview mirror because it is considered to be a visual obstruction.

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.

Wash sale. Wash sales are treated as 2 separate transactions. Pennsylvania doesn't limit the loss in a wash sale.

In front of a public or private driveway. Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant. Within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection. Within 30 feet of any flashing signal, stop sign, yield sign, or traffic control device located at the side of a roadway.

In Pennsylvania, residential and commercial building cleaning services are subject to sales tax. So, you will need to obtain a sales tax license to collect and remit sales tax on their cleaning services.