Blue Water Area Transit has started washing their buses with a new earth-friendly system that recycles most of the water used in the process. The agency installed the new state-of-the-art system last month, replacing the method they have used for more than 25 years. “We are constantly seeking ways to be more efficient and earth-friendly and this new bus-washing system will help us do both,” explains Jim Wilson, BWAT general manager. Purchasing the new $175,000 system was made possible by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s “State of Good Repair” program. “We expect to save more than three million gallons of water per year and shave 80% off of our water bill,” says Dave Frasier, BWAT director of maintenance and procurement. In addition to conserving water, the new method also recycles engine oil to reheat the water that is used to wash buses. BWAT washes an average of 70 buses per day — some of them twice a day. BWAT personnel clean them inside, outside, and underneath.
