Permits Needed for Car Wash Businesses

If your business plans to operate a car wash that will include a wastewater treatment system with design flows of 50,000 gallons per day or less, which includes a no-discharge land application system and provides for 500 gallons per day de minimis exemption under certain conditions, you must obtain a Car Wash MO-G750000 general permit.

If you or your business is capable of producing 100,000 gallons per day, or approximately 70 gallons per minute, including all wells or surface intakes, you are required to register with the department as a Major Water User. This registration is not for permitting purposes or to regulate water usage. Major water users are required by law to report the volume of water they used by March 31 of the year following the usage. Registration is required in order to submit reports.

The Major Water Users Program is established to simply gather water use data. Missouri collects water use data to better understand and manage the state’s water inventory. For more information, or to complete the online registration, please visit the Major Water Users webpage.

If your business plans to construct a public water system that will supply drinking water to the public, you must obtain a Public Drinking Water Construction Permit. You must obtain this permit if you also plan to complete the following construction projects to the water system: waterline extensions, waterline replacements, drilling water supply well, construction a storage tank, adding a disinfection system, treatment changes, building a pump station or other improvements or modifications. A public water system has at least 15 service connections or serves at least 25 people at least 60 days out of the year. If your business plans to connect to a permitted public water system, then you are not required to obtain this permit.