You might think washing your car at home - instead of taking it to a car wash - saves both money and water.  But more professional car washes are turning green, so they not only save you time, but they also save water for everyone.

Terrible Herbst Car Washes have installed hi-tech water recycling equipment in almost half of their nearly 40 locations in Southern Nevada.  Water from the car wash tunnel is recovered and moved into 1500-gallon storage tanks below the cement driveway.  The mud and sediment is separated from the water, then the used water is sent back inside to the Pur Water recycling system where it’s cleaned and sent back to the tunnel to wash more cars.  The company estimates they use 20 to 30 gallons of water per car, while washing yours at home can use anywhere from 50 to 100 gallons - or more!   And that water goes into the gutter and the soapy suds get sent right out to Lake Mead.

The Terrible Herbst company also uses phosphate-free cleansers and polishes, which rinse easier during the wash process and also break down easily in the water stream.  Going green is Terrible’s way of being a better steward of the environment because their mainstay is one of our most precious resources: water!

The Southern Nevada Water Authority supports professional car wahses like Terrible Herbst because they focus on saving water and helping the environment.  Terrible’s is part of the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s Water Smart Car Wash program.  You can get discount coupons for a variety of professional car washes in town.  So you can save yourself money and feel good saving water, too for all of us.