Letters

Reader cautions against washing membranes

I enjoyed NRCA's Director of Technical Services' Jason Wilen's article "It's a wash," July issue, pages 26-31. However, there was one crucial shortfall. In California, the Environmental Protection Agency will heavily fine a contractor if he or she is caught washing a roof without capturing and filtering the water. It cannot be washed to the ground nor dropped into the storm drain system.

Be careful; the fines are thousands of dollars!

Randy Reber
Premier Roofing CA Inc.
Spring Valley, Calif.

Wilen responds: Mr. Reber raises an excellent point. In the article, two manufacturers' washing recommendations include cautions related to wash water runoff. Additionally, in the article's Final Thoughts section, it is noted cleaning in-service cool roof membranes only should be attempted once local regulations associated with cleaning, such as a roof water runoff requirement, are determined.