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Local business makes a splash

On July 9, the Splash 'n Shine Car Wash in Sechelt was awarded a platinum status for demonstrating innovative and responsible water use.

On July 9, the Splash 'n Shine Car Wash in Sechelt was awarded a platinum status for demonstrating innovative and responsible water use.

As part of a water conservation initiative to recognize businesses in the community who are taking that extra step, the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) has established the industrial-commercial-institutional awards (ICI).

Splash 'n Shine Car Wash's award is a result of meeting a variety of criteria set by the SCRD including having water recycling devices, permanent nozzles on all outdoor hoses, water efficient toilets in bathrooms, faucet aerators on taps, rainwater harvesting wherever appropriate and implementing xeriscape or water-wise landscaping.

Splash 'n Shine's automatic car wash uses only about 236 litres of water per vehicle by using a highly pressurized system while the average amount of water used at home per vehicle is around 363 to 636 gallons.

"Instead of having all that water, soap and grime flow into ditches and waterways, the water at Splash 'n Shine is fully treated on site with 80 per cent of the collected water available for reuse," said owners Jim and Jolene Porter. "This not only saves over 7,718 litres of water per day, it also saves on our water bill."

Rainwater that falls on the premises is collected and is used for either car washing or their water efficient landscaping. Employees are also strongly encouraged to sweep up the premises rather than using a hose.

Originally assessed at the gold level, they achieved the platinum award by replacing their water guzzling, 13 litre toilet with a high-efficiency toilet as part of the SCRD's bathroom fixture replacement program. With the simple replacement, they can save roughly 9,500 litres of water a year.

The ICI award system is a four-tiered (bronze, silver, gold and platinum) program that allows local businesses to have their facility assessed for free, relating to water usage and efficiency. Once an assessment has been made, a report identifies areas where the business shows strong water conservation commitments and areas where the business can improve. Upon completion of the report, an award corresponding with the level of dedication to water conservation is issued along with a certificate and window decal. "It's really a great way to involve the community in an effort to reduce water consumption and save money," said Dayton Skei, water conservation assistant at the SCRD.

For more information on the awards program call the regional district at 604-885-6806 or see www.scrd.ca.

-Submitted