Service facility banished my Dex-cool
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Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I've also heard that in many cities anti-freeze can be disposed of in the sewer. I think the street storm drains run into the swewer too, but might want to check with your municipal water company lol.
Actually storm drains *usually* just hit streams or lakes without any treatment other than maybe a short trip through a retention pond. NOT a good place to put antifreeze.
Ethylene glycol is one of those funny chemicals that lasts forever in a cooling system, but once you put it in the environment it actually breaks down really quickly. Lots of microbes in the soil (or in the sewage treatment process) feast on it and decompose it. Too big a slug of it hitting a commercial sewage treatment center would be bad so don't just go pouring it willy-nilly down the drain. Like Mechanicx said- check your local codes about the sewer system- they may even allow it.
The reason that there's any concern about it at all is because its so poisonous to mammals BEFORE it starts to break down. A puddle of it where a dog, cat, or whatever can drink it is deadly. But once its in the soil or the sewage treatment plant, its history long before it can ever get into water supplies or groundwater.
I've also heard that in many cities anti-freeze can be disposed of in the sewer. I think the street storm drains run into the swewer too, but might want to check with your municipal water company lol.
Actually storm drains *usually* just hit streams or lakes without any treatment other than maybe a short trip through a retention pond. NOT a good place to put antifreeze.
Ethylene glycol is one of those funny chemicals that lasts forever in a cooling system, but once you put it in the environment it actually breaks down really quickly. Lots of microbes in the soil (or in the sewage treatment process) feast on it and decompose it. Too big a slug of it hitting a commercial sewage treatment center would be bad so don't just go pouring it willy-nilly down the drain. Like Mechanicx said- check your local codes about the sewer system- they may even allow it.
The reason that there's any concern about it at all is because its so poisonous to mammals BEFORE it starts to break down. A puddle of it where a dog, cat, or whatever can drink it is deadly. But once its in the soil or the sewage treatment plant, its history long before it can ever get into water supplies or groundwater.
Yeah I guess most cities don't connect the storm drains to the sewer. But like you said antifreeze isn't all that hazadorous once it gets in the drain system. It gets contaminated with some metals and chemicals after being used in an engine though so it's probably best if not recycling it to at least flush it down the sewer so it gets treated.
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