Erie resident urges city advisory council to consider ozone laundry technology

The City of Erie Environmental Advisory Council met June 25 and heard public comment from Dave Heberly, an Erie resident and laundromat owner, who described installing small ozone-generation units in washers and urged the council to consider the technology’s environmental and cost benefits.

Heberly said he has operated self-service laundromats in the Erie area for more than a decade and that he has used ozone technology at his home and in one of his laundromats. He told the council the units generate ozone on-site and route ozonated cold water into machines, reducing the need for hot water and substantially lowering detergent and chemical use. He said several manufacturers now sell small, attachable units; the models he described cost about $400 each.

“It's way better financially. It's way more sustainable. Doesn't use hot water,” Heberly said, describing ozone as a “very strong oxidizer” that provides sanitation with little added detergent. He also told the council the laundromat he referenced burned down in October and he is rebuilding it with new equipment, including ozone units.

Heberly framed his remarks as informational rather than a sales pitch and asked the council to accept material he left for members so they could learn more about the technology. He said a handful of other local users are testing the units but that broader awareness is low and some people associate ozone with negative connotations.

The council did not take action on Heberly’s request at the meeting. Public comment was listed as an accepted item on the meeting’s agenda and Heberly’s materials were noted as submitted to the record.