Today we’re talking about how to control the gray water that flows from cleaning your equipment. We’ll tell you what to look for when buying concrete washouts.

Washout berms are used for as a catch basin for cleaning up after jobs that involve chemicals. Washout berms are often required by the EPA for applications such as cleaning concrete mixers or boats. Simple to use, these devices allow for easy capture of waste water allowing for safe disposal after the job is complete.

Concrete washout berms allow you to maintain EPA compliance when cleaning up your concrete, paint, drywall mud or stucco jobs. Look for berms that are readily portable, since this application requires frequent repositioning of the berm. Also look for a concrete washout that will fit with your pump trucks, mixers and wheel barrows.

When you are using portable mobile washing devices, such as pressure washers, local and federal regulations may require you to capture the effluent for proper disposal. This prevents contaminants such as paint chips, gray water, grease and invasive fish species from entering the regular sewer system. Look for a lightweight quick-to-assemble device that is large enough to match your application. Similar to vehicle spill containment berms, many wash down pads are made with heavy duty (22 oz) PVC fabric to permit vehicles or trailers to drive over them.

That’s our quick overview of concrete washouts. To learn more about other spill containment applications, please see the related videos in this series.