ISTOBAL is committed to innovation to reduce water consumption in vehicle wash in the face of droughts, promoting a sustainable industry with integrated solutions that reduce the consumption of water, chemicals and energy.
The company is a pioneer in the development of environmentally friendly technologies providing the car wash industry with solutions to cope with water scarcity by recycling, saving and decontaminating water in car wash facilities.
It is worth noting that some regions in Spain, France and the UK, among other countries, suffer from water restrictions due to extreme droughts and in some cases even have regulations affecting the car wash sector.
Its complete catalogue of water treatment equipment for the car wash sector reduces the consumption of this resource and obtains water of the highest quality for impeccable results in vehicle cleaning. In addition, the inclusion of recycling systems in car wash installations makes it possible for car washes to operate in periods with water restrictions due to droughts.
For ISTOBAL the quality of the vehicle wash also depends to a large extent on the quality of the water used in the installation. For this reason, the group has developed various water treatment systems, such as its pioneering biological recycler with ultrafiltration system capable of recycling up to 100% of the water from the exterior wash of vehicles . This innovative, state-of-the-art recycling system achieves the highest water quality for subsequent reuse in all washing stages, including osmosis in the final finish and a saving of up to 2 million litres of water per year at each rollover .
Comprehensive and sustainable technologies to save water
All ISTOBAL's efforts in product development are focused on respect for the environment, prioritising the final quality of the wash, the user experience and the profitability of the operation. Through its equipment, the company enables efficient consumption of resources, maximum reduction of water, energy and chemical consumption without affecting the final cleaning result and prioritising the safety of end users and operators.
Through its R&D&I department, the group is constantly introducing innovations to save water in its vehicle washing equipment. In this way, its latest generation rollovers reduce water use by 40% compared to previous models, thanks to new brush materials that absorb less water, as well as better redistribution of the water circulation circuit, among other technologies.
In reference to pressure jet wash, ISTOBAL has reduced water consumption by 33%, as well as 75% of chemicals and up to 32% in energy consumption in its latest generation equipment.
In addition, the connectivity of its equipment with Smartwash by ISTOBAL allows telematic control to remotely check and adjust consumption and maintenance of the installation.
ISTOBAL urges responsible water use in car wash facilities
Faced with the extreme severity of the drought in many countries around the world, ISTOBAL reminds that water is a limited resource and is fundamental in the car wash and car care business. In its opinion, it can be responsible for the viability or otherwise of car wash businesses. Therefore, it urges responsible water use in car wash facilities by adopting measures that promote sustainability: recycle, reuse and repair.
He also stressed that not using water recycling systems on rollover and car washes can result in annual water wastage similar to leaving a tap running all day for more than three years.
Some of the biggest consumers of water are industrial fleet, bus and train washes, which are increasingly opting for the reuse of wash water, and where Istobal is providing solutions with its new MBBR biological recycling system.
Similarly, it states that cleaning the car in a sustainable car wash facility that incorporates water treatment solutions generates less water consumption compared to a manual car wash with a private hose (500 litres of fresh water per wash, compared to 70 litres when washing in a car jet wash or up to 30 litres in a standard recycling car wash), also reduces the contamination of the water resulting from the wash process by passing it through a hydrocarbon separator system that reduces the presence of this compound by 94% (1 litre of hydrocarbons contaminates 1.000m3 of water).
In this regard, he said that the contribution of operators of wash facilities and users is crucial in being environmentally responsible and combating droughts.
The technology for water treatment and recycling in the carwash sector exists and at competitive prices, making it in many cases a profitable investment and giving viability to carwash businesses, where water scarcity is increasing and leading to higher operating costs for this resource.
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