Pressure washing costs in Albuquerque

An oil spot on an Albuquerque driveway comes with a local recipe. The Middle Rio Grande stormwater team, formed in 2004 by the city, Bernalillo County, the arroyo flood control authority and other agencies, tells residents to soak up fresh oil with wipes or granular coconut husk. Once it's dry, wet the stain and scrub it with a stiff brush and a paste of baking soda and water. Let that sit 10 to 60 minutes, then repeat as needed. And keep the oil and grease out of the storm drain.

The rinse water has a rule of its own. The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority counts any water other than rain that flows or sprays from a property into the public right-of-way, or onto the property next door, as water waste. The ban covers every Water Authority customer and anyone else in its service area, even someone who isn't using the utility's water. So a crew that brings its own tank still can't send the runoff down your street.

Enforcement starts with a warning. The first time staff see water waste at a property, there's no penalty, and the Authority says every property owner gets at least one warning notice before any fine. After that, the penalty climbs with each new violation.

If you just bought the house, the seller's record doesn't follow you. A past violation stops counting once a new owner gives the Authority a recorded sale document, and any violation drops off after 365 days.