Washing area : Wastewater Solutions

The washing area: to specifically recover phytosanitary effluents

The sprayer washing area must be specifically designed to collect water contaminated by plant protection products. This means that you need a well-sized, watertight area with a slope (2% minimum) that sends all the water to a manhole to separate rainwater and other washing water from plant protection effluent. There are several systems that can be used to achieve this separation. There are often manual quarter-turn valves or plugs. But there are also more practical methods, such as guillotine systems or PVC pipes. Make sure that the system for diverting the channels is easily accessible to avoid any risk of error.
Regarding the position of the manhole, it can be in the middle of the wash area (diamond-shaped area) or on one side of the area, which allows easier access.

It is important to consider installing a screening system at the manhole. The equipment likely to be washed in the wash area is often dirty, full of soil or leaves in particular. It is therefore important to retain most of these solids to prevent the outlets from clogging. If the grape harvesting machine is also washed in the same area, a third specific channel must be provided for this water.

Systèmes permettant la séparation des eaux de pluie, de lavage divers, des effluents phytosanitaires

What happens to the waste water?

Typical diagram of a washing area with 3 outlets

Plant protection effluent outlet Crop

protection effluent must be directed to a specific collection system. A pre-treatment system (sand and oil separator) is recommended but not compulsory, depending on the system chosen. Then, in all cases, you must either have a validated system for treating phytosanitary effluents, or have them treated as hazardous waste by an approved organisation for the elimination of this type of waste. Please note that certain distances must be respected for the temporary storage of effluents prior to treatment, in particular in relation to water sources (50 m) and property boundaries (5 m if stored in a closed area or 10 m if stored outside)

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At the rainwater and miscellaneous washing outlet The

pipe discharges all the water back into the environment. It is advisable to install a water pre-treatment system upstream. Washing water from various machines can be contaminated with hydrocarbons and organic matter. A sand and oil separator system should therefore be installed

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At the possible outlet for washing water from the grape harvesting machine This is

considered to be wine-growing effluent. As such, if the farm vinifies the grapes, this effluent must be sent to the same collection and treatment system as the cellar effluent. If the farm does not vinify the grapes but cleans the grape harvesting machine on the farm, this third outlet must still be provided with a specific collection system.

Designing the washing area: questions to ask yourself

Before building a wash area, it's important to ask yourself a few questions:
Is my project located in a water catchment protection zone, near a watercourse or in a sensitive area?
Is my project close to the product storage area?
Are there any plans for a collective area nearby?|
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What is the size of the largest machine that will be washed at my site?
What is the average volume of phytosanitary effluent to be managed over a treatment campaign? And in particular, what is the volume of water used to wash each machine?
For private wineries, and if a grape harvesting machine is washed on the farm: is it possible to connect my washing area to the collection and treatment system for my winery effluents?

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