Some places have combined sewer systems. The storm and sanitary sewers are the same. They tend to be places where the sewers were installed before the 1950s (not sure of the exact year when they stopped doing them this way). In heavy rains they can have a "combined sewer overflow" where the inflow is too much for the treatment plant and untreated sewage is dumped into the river.
Antifreeze recycling
- Thread starter VWRand
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Some places have combined sewer systems. The storm and sanitary sewers are the same. They tend to be places where the sewers were installed before the 1950s (not sure of the exact year when they stopped doing them this way). In heavy rains they can have a "combined sewer overflow" where the inflow is too much for the treatment plant and untreated sewage is dumped into the river.
Internet gives mixed result of whether dump anti-freeze in drain is safe or not...
I live in Michigan and I usually get rid of my fluids at AutoZone or Advance Auto. AutoZone only takes oil but most of the Advance Auto's near me take used coolant also. They have a separate barrel near the used oil container for the coolant.
Same here. I must have gallon jugs of used coolant dating back to 2009. Go down to a hazards waste pickup event and ask them if they take coolant and watch their eyeballs roll around in their head and then cage. Seems to strike sheer horror just at the mention of the product. I have it in my will that I want cremation so being buried with it is out. Where do the car repair/service outfits dispose of the stuff?
I take my used coolant to hazardous waste. Only virgin coolant can be dumped in a municipal sewer system.
I think it’s BG or RTI who claimed their coolant exchange system can “recycle” used coolant and replenish the additives. While today’s xOAT coolants offer dramatically longer life than yesterday’s silicated and phosphated coolant with no acids to passivate metal, ethylene glycol can still break down into glycolic acid and formic acid in an cooling system. And used coolant does have heavy metal contamination from solder.
I think it’s BG or RTI who claimed their coolant exchange system can “recycle” used coolant and replenish the additives. While today’s xOAT coolants offer dramatically longer life than yesterday’s silicated and phosphated coolant with no acids to passivate metal, ethylene glycol can still break down into glycolic acid and formic acid in an cooling system. And used coolant does have heavy metal contamination from solder.
My local landfill takes used ethylene glycol based coolant but not propylene glycol based coolant. It’s free to drop off up to 10 gallons at a time.
c'mon guys. Simple, ethylene or propylene glycol goes in sanitary sewer. virgin or otherwise.
It's because it goes in sanitary sewer where everyone disposes of it now.
I've been through this. I take this to my county's hazardous waste collection. It's really weird too as it's specific by address. There are others in the county, and they're specific to what part of the county one lives in. There's also a closer hazardous waste collection point closer to home, but apparently it's paid for by several municipal governments (including some unincorporated areas with special purpose districts) and it's limited to residents of those areas.
I lived one place where I specifically called the sewer provider. I was told what users are "not supposed" to dump used coolant/antifreeze in there, but that the system would be able to handle small amounts just fine. Didn't say what small amounts were, although I'm sure that someone washing hands with oil or coolant residue is OK. However, it seemed more like of a hint, hint suggestion to do it as long as it wasn't a commercial business.
I lived one place where I specifically called the sewer provider. I was told what users are "not supposed" to dump used coolant/antifreeze in there, but that the system would be able to handle small amounts just fine. Didn't say what small amounts were, although I'm sure that someone washing hands with oil or coolant residue is OK. However, it seemed more like of a hint, hint suggestion to do it as long as it wasn't a commercial business.
It's illegal to do so in many places. Granted they know that it happens and they can generally handle a small amount.
@VWRand I see that you are in michigan. Your state website has info on local collection sites. https://www.michigan.gov/egle/0,9429,7-135-3312_4118-70304--,00.html#lists-directories
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And we all wonder why everyone has cancer or will before they die .......
It's very sad ........ I usually put it in clear window washer fluid jugs and take it to the local pull apart and leave them at the checkout counter for them to sell for 2 dollars a jug
That's what the pull a part , pick a part and U pull it yards in my area do
It's very sad ........ I usually put it in clear window washer fluid jugs and take it to the local pull apart and leave them at the checkout counter for them to sell for 2 dollars a jug
That's what the pull a part , pick a part and U pull it yards in my area do
That link was helpful (I think) I live near where three counties meet and none of them accept it. If I go to one past that, they do collect it a few times a month, but says limited to county residents only.
I suppose I'll have to make the 40 mile trip and hope they don't make me prove it.
I suppose I'll have to make the 40 mile trip and hope they don't make me prove it.
From disposing of glycol coolant in a municipal sewage system? Treatment chemistry can handle ethylene or propylene glycol just fine, in fact it is just the thing it is looking for.
The local "transfer station" which is really just a location with a huge number of large dumpsters that local residents can take their trash since there is no residential trash pick up here and then the dumpsters are carted off to a County landfill some miles away, accepts used motor oil, paint and antifreeze once a month.
I have a gallon of something in an antifreeze jug that I found in my crawl space when I moved into my house. It has been opened, I looked inside and it is not used motor oil so I assume it is some type of antifreeze that a previous owner bought to top off the reservoir in his car and only used a few ounces.
Anyway, I'm taking it to the transfer station at the next available date. I have a septic tank and there is no way I would pour anything like that down the drain. Besides, the closest auto parts stores that accept things like used motor oil are a 70 mile round trip.
I suggest anyone that is unsure what to do with their old hazmat fluids go online and check with their local city or county hazmat departments. Most will have information regarding where and when such items can be disposed of. That includes old batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, electronics and other items that we shouldn't toss in the trash.
I have a gallon of something in an antifreeze jug that I found in my crawl space when I moved into my house. It has been opened, I looked inside and it is not used motor oil so I assume it is some type of antifreeze that a previous owner bought to top off the reservoir in his car and only used a few ounces.
Anyway, I'm taking it to the transfer station at the next available date. I have a septic tank and there is no way I would pour anything like that down the drain. Besides, the closest auto parts stores that accept things like used motor oil are a 70 mile round trip.
I suggest anyone that is unsure what to do with their old hazmat fluids go online and check with their local city or county hazmat departments. Most will have information regarding where and when such items can be disposed of. That includes old batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, electronics and other items that we shouldn't toss in the trash.
Correct, you should never put glycol into a private septic system.
Has nothing to do with cancer. Public sanitary sewer is usually the preferred disposal route for ethylene and propylene glycols in low volumes. Even ethylene glycol although initially toxic to many microbes, quickly (days) breaks down into a food source for them. Not appropriate for septic as the initial micobial toxicity may be an issue for such relatively high concentrations -even if transitory.
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Yes I do understand and my reaction was a generalization of the situation
I guess my more precise complaint is there will be no real recycling process for all chemicals and materials until it is profitable or until a natural resource has been depleted
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