Disposal of Aircraft Rinse Water Fact Sheet from North Carolina on the Disposal of Aircraft Rinse Water. The Problem Rinse water from washing aircraft spray equipment or from washing out pesticide mixtures left in the bottom of spray tanks contains substantial amounts of active pesticide ingredients, and presents waste disposal problems. Nationally, as well as in North Carolina, increased attention is being focused on pesticide waste disposal.
Scientists now recognize pesticides as a threat to groundwater quality and drinking water supplies.
This could contaminate drinking water supplies, kill fish, or damage the environment. Rinse Water And Water Contamination Agricultural aircraft which have 150 to 600 gallon spray tanks retain 6 to 10 gallons of field strength pesticide in the spray system after completing a job. Three to five gallons can be in the bottom of the spray tank and three to five gallons can remain in the spray pump, spray booms, and connecting lines. It takes 60-80 gallons of water to wash an aircraft spray system when changing from one pesticide to another. At airports where many agricultural applicators rinse in the same area, draining rinse water onto the ground may cause serious water contamination problems.