Last update: March 15, 1999

Just a short note on early containment technology that RAHSCO Cleaning Systems was aware of in the 1970's and 1980's.

Portable Wash Pits (Containment Devices) were made several ways:

1. Flat tarps which were bought from tent and awning companies, they were shored up with 2x4's, PVC pipe, corrugated drain and sewer pipe, sand bags, and Pool Cover Water Bags (there were a lot of Mobile Power Wash Operators who did Swimming Pool cleaning so Pool Water Cover Bags was a natural for them).
   
   
2. Flat Metal Containment Pads with sides about 6 inches to 1 foot high. A lot of these were common for rail road application. Usually these were made out of aluminum so that they were light weight and could easily be moved. Delux Cleaning Supply introduced a smaller version in the December 1986 issue of "The Wats Blaster" for Kitchen Exhaust Cleaners
   
   
3. Wooden enclosures wash pads with 2X4's duct taped to the floor.
   
   
4. Vinyl Pools made for other applications. A child swimming pool like you can buy at K-Mart was common.
   
   
5. 55 Gallon Drums, 55 Gallon Plastic Trash Cans on casters, 5 Gallon Buckets, and Bread Pans were common for Vent-A-Hood and Kitchen Equipment Contract Cleaners. These items were discussed in the December, 1986 issue of the Wats Blaster in an article on "Kitchen Vent-A-Hood and Exhaust Cleaning".
   
   
6. Plastic lined pits were and still are common in the Oil Field Industry.
   
   
7. Hazardous Waste Containment Pits with Air Berms. Containment for Hazardous Waste has been common for many years and taught in our Universities starting in the 1980's. Companies doing this type of work in large industrial plants (In Texas this is most common for the Petroleum Industry.) have been using these procedures for years.
   
   

Portable Dams were made several ways:

1. From fire hoses with the ends capped off. The more common was to use a vinyl fire hose that would collapse flat when not pressurized. They were filled with sand or water. Ends were typically capped off by rolling the ends two or three turns then clamping with a heavy spring clamp. (A lot of Firemen operated Mobile Power Wash Companies part time so this was a natural for them).
   
   
2. 2x4's that were duct taped to the floor.
   
   
3. Sand Bags or Sand Tubes.
   
   

Drain Covers were made several ways:

1. Most common was probably sand bags lined with a vinyl trash bag so it was water proof.
   
   
2. Plumber Balloons were inserted in the drain pipe. (A lot of plumbers were using Pressure Washers to unblock sewer pipes so this was a natural for them).
   
   
3. Vinyl Pools made for other applications. A child swimming pool like you can by at K-Mart was common. I had a Contract Cleaner explain to me that as long as the water inside the pool was higher than the water outside the pool that it would seal a storm drain just fine. But be sure and fill the pool with clean water.
   
   

Water Transfer Devices:

1. Wet/Dry Vacuums
   
   
2. Sump Pumps
   
   
3. RAHSCO introduced the Wet/Dry Vacuum with an internal automatic sump pump in the December 1987 issue of the Wats Blaster. It was advertised as "Designed to pick up and discharge cleaning water from a High Pressure Washer". This product was introduced to solve a need to pump Waste Wash Water to the Sanitary Sewer.
   
   

Environmental Power Washing Reports and Ordinances