In a modern car wash facility, whether automatic, in-bay automatic or self-serve, soaps and other cleaning solutions used are based on milder acids and alkalies designed to loosen and eliminate dirt and grime. This is in contrast to earlier times, when hydrofluoric acid, a hazardous chemical, was commonly used as a cleaning agent in the industry. There has been a strong move in the industry to shift to safer cleaning solutions. Most car wash facilities are required by law to treat and/or reuse their water and may be required to maintain waste-water discharge permits, in contrast to unregulated facilities or even driveway washing where waste-water can end up in the storm drain and, eventually, in streams, rivers and lakes.