Over the years I've become so very cynical when it comes to lawmakers
producing new legislation. So, often it pretends to come from an
environmental fear, but when we look close, it came into existence due
to industry associations and businesses funding political campaigns to
get new legislation past preventing one business from competing with
another. I know many folks don't think this happens or perhaps believe
it only occasionally happens, but I assure you it is so wide spread that
it has ruined our free-market economy. Okay so let's talk shall we, and
for this article I'd like to use a piece of legislation in the car
washing sector because, I have a good bit of knowledge there.
There
was an interesting article in Car Washing Magazine recently titled;
"Law requiring car washes to recycle water passed in CA," which was
published on September 27, 2012. The actual Law states;
"Section
I. The Legislature finds and declares that the purpose of this bill is
to reduce water consumption from commercial car wash facilities by
requiring all new conveyor and in-bay car washes to install operational,
recycled water systems," and "(a) Install, use, and maintain a water
recycling system that recycles and reuses at least 60% of the wash and
rinse water. (b) Use recycled water provided by a water supplier for at
least 60% of its wash and rinse water."
Sure, it makes sense to
save water, but realize that businesses want to be efficient to save
money, so really such a law isn't needed. If there is a water shortage
prices should increase and therefore, the car wash owner will
automatically lean towards recycling their water. By the way most car
washes already do. It's a lot like the CAFÉ standards for fuel economy
on new cars, people want more MPG when fuel costs are high, so they buy
cars that get better mileage, thus, the car makers make cars which do to
solve that demand.
Now then, back to this regulation, if they are
doing it to the Car Washing Industry - they are going to do it to the
truck wash sector too. Not that recycling isn't wise, just that it is
mandated in this way. Truck washes already recycle also, but what about
other sectors of the washing industry? How about a very small detail
shops that also wash cars, allowing customers to come in between
quarterly or monthly details? In that case, the detail shop is probably
only using 2.4 GPM (gallons per minute) at 1200 PSI (pounds per square
inch), so if it takes them 6-8 minutes (maximum) of spraying time they
aren't even using the 15-20 gallons (maximum).
An actual car wash
uses that much even after they recycle, plus, 4-6 gallons of water
typically leaves the car wash and drips off later outside as they move
the cars out of the tunnel quickly. Then it also drips off the
undercarriage as they drive down the road.
Still, although the law
affects very little, it has unintended consequences and will be used by
the equipment vendors in the car wash associations to sell more
equipment, and put little guys out of business, that's too bad, but
that's how the "rule maker" and crony capitalist "rule maker" syndrome
works. California is notorious for coming up with new rules and who
knows what they might do next? Yes, there is opportunity in crisis, but
believe me there is enough chaos with the economy, weather, and
industry, we hardly need the government creating more you see.
Next,
consider that there is landscape, bathroom, and washing down the
facility of car wash, all of which also uses water as well. Does that
count? Do car washes now have to put tiny meters on all of their other
water uses? Who is going to monitor all this, that costs taxpayers money
for more enforcement officers to run around to check? When will they
check, will they wait until someone complains? Who might complain - a
competitor probably - see that point? Personally, I think we need to
stop making rules for a while, and perhaps start a rule reduction
problem, unfortunately, that's not how obtrusive government rolls.
Please consider all this and think on it.