Concrete Washout For Environmental Safety

Laying a foundation or pouring a new driveway can be seriously hard work. Between leveling and preparing the area and actually applying the material it can be a real hassle. What is worse is that afterward it is necessary to clean and rinse the truck to make sure it does not get clogged up with the leftovers. Unfortunately that is easier said than done. You cannot simply take a cement mixer to the local car wash and hose it out. The wastewater from construction materials is highly alkaline and if in leaches into groundwater or neighboring streams it will pose a health risk to both people and animals.

Beyond that it has the potential to cure in pipes or drains and create a real mess by blocking them and flooding the area. Even if it does not damage the environment it is poor business to leave sludge at the construction site. For these reasons and more it is crucial to use a concrete washout facility. These are constructed to catch the runoff and store it.

There are primarily two types of concrete washout. The first is to build one oneself. Typically they are constructed of sand bags or hay bales to a depth and length sufficient to hold the runoff expected to be generated for the job or at least between cleanings. This structure is then lined with well secured and often double or triple thick layers of heavy plastic sheeting. One of the most important things to remember is to allow about of foot of extra space above the highest expected high water mark to account for overflow caused by rainfall.

While it works well to construct a concrete washout oneself for a small residential project it is greatly preferable to use a prefabricated container. These are watertight and sturdy containers that are delivered to the job site. The great thing about these options is that they are serviced and maintained by the company that provides the concrete washout.

Often they will come and remove both solid and liquid waste in addition to delivering and picking up the unit. Also, these prefabricated units are much more sturdy than sand bags and plastic sheeting. They are often made of watertight welded steel and provide an easy method of storage and removal. The one thing to keep in mind is to be sure that the company who rents these units is properly disposing of the materials, both wet and dry. In fact if possible find someone who attempts to recycle as much as possible.

Leftover cement and other construction materials make great road fill once crushed. For liquid runoff it is preferable to allow evaporation to take place and simply leave behind the solids. When this is not possible it is important to contact local waste disposal authorities to find out the procedure for the wash water. If rain threatens to overflow the concrete washout be sure to cover it so as not to allow it to overflow.