UACES Facebook Clean car, clean conscience
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Clean car, clean conscience

By Jane Maginot
U of A System Division of Agriculture
May 19, 2016

Fast Facts:

  • Free car wash sweepstakes to promote better water quality
  • Washing automobiles at home can potentially lead to water pollution
  • Commercial car washes may be plumbed to waste water treatment plant to protect water
  • Local car wash company, Boomerang Carwash, sponsors sweepstakes to promote environmental message
  • More info: Jane Maginot, Washington County extension office, 479-444-1755, or by email at jmaginot@uada.edu. www.nwaupstreamart.com/carwash 

(329 words)

(Newsrooms: with downloadable art at https://upstreamart.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/square-red.jpg)

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Any water that enters into a storm drain inlet in Northwest Arkansas goes directly to a creek or stream without being treated. When cars are washed on streets and driveways, that dirty water eventually ends up in rivers, streams, creeks, and lakes. Outdoor car washing has the potential to result in high loads of nutrients, dirt, metals, and hydrocarbons entering our waterways. Commercial car washes are plumbed to a treatment plant which keeps these pollutants out of our water. 

Vertical Digital Media Graphic

“We wanted a fun interactive way to get residents of Northwest Arkansas to stop washing their cars on the street or their driveways and get them into properly piped commercial car washes to help protect our water,” said Jane Maginot, extension urban stormwater educator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. 

Maginot created the #GoGreenDriveClean campaign starting with a sweepstakes to win free car washes. Take a selfie while washing your car at a commercial car wash, post it to Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at NWAUpstreamArt. Tag the picture with #GoGreenDriveClean for a chance to win before May, 31st. Not into selfies? You can answer the Facebook poll on clean water at the NWAUpstreamArt page for a chance to win. 

Boomerang Carwash has made investment into water quality and quantity a priority for their company. They were a natural sponsor for the sweepstakes. Boomerang Carwash has donated one grand prize of win free car washes for a year, and 15 additional winners will receive a $100 gift card to Boomerang Carwash facilities. 

“Water volumes used during an average home wash can easily exceed 100 gallons. Boomerang invests in three key water treatment processes to use less than 30 gallons of fresh water used per car. Your dirty wash water is cleaned on site and used again,” said Ed Colvard, VP of Marketing, Branding & Site Development for Boomerang Carwash. 

The project is being led by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service through the NWA Stormwater Education program.

For more information on UpStream Art please visit:  www.nwaupstreamart.com/carwash or contact Jane Maginot, Washington County Extension Office, 479-444-1755, or by email at jmaginot@uada.edu.

 The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu

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