Atkins has recorded many top 10 hits, starting in 2003 with “Honesty (Write Me a List)’’ from his first album entitled Honesty. A familiar voice on country radio for almost a decade, Atkins struck gold in 2006 and 2007, when his singles, “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)’’ and “Watching You,’’ hit No. 1 and were named the top country songs of the year by Billboard magazine.
In 2010, Atkins hit with “Farmer’s Daughter,’’ and he’s currently touring with his fourth album, with a title cut “Take a Back Road,’’ which hit No. 1 just a few months ago.
The Industry Appreciation Party – with its festive atmosphere and 25-cent tap beers –begins at 5 p.m. Both the Industry Appreciation Party and Atkins’ live performance are included with full Expo registration. Learn more at www.pumpershow.com.
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And not just see it. Touch it, feel it. Check out the quality of manufacture like you never could through a website or a brochure. Expand on your knowledge of new products by talking to the manufacturer’s reps on hand to help you at the Expo. And if you want to compare similar products head to head, you can do it easily at the Expo.
Planning your visit to the Expo’s hundreds of exhibitors has never been easier. An interactive floor plan, a complete exhibitor’s list and other tools to help in your planning are available at www.pumpershow.com.
Check it out and register online for the Expo.
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And the education opportunities continue on Tuesday, Feb. 28:
And on Wednesday, Feb. 29:
http://pce12.mapyourshow.com/5_0/sessions/session_results.cfm?type=date&date=02/29/2012
If you take nothing else away from the Expo than the myriad of educational opportunities, the trip to the Indiana Convention Center will be well worth your time. But, as I will show over the next four days, there are many reasons why Expo registration is the best business development bargain you’ll ever encounter. Stay tuned.
For complete information on the Expo, go to www.pumpershow.com.
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We’re celebrating Christmas in February right here at Pumper.com.
This photo was sent in by Brenda Stepule, of Stepule’s Sanitation Service, Inc., Glastonbury, Conn., in response to a column I wrote about decorating pumping rigs for the holidays.
Alaskan company Peninsula Pumping, featured in the November issue of Pumper, received a lot of good public relations for their Christmas display of a lighted vacuum truck. So Peninsula owner Sean Cude and I issued a challenge to other pumpers to show off their own decorated work vehicles.
Stepule’s took up the challenge, and as Brenda wrote, they were glad they took the time to light up one of their trucks over the holidays.
“We were inspired to spread holiday cheer in our town too,” Brenda said. “Decorating the truck was a challenge, but once we displayed it downtown several nights during the holiday season, we realized it was so worth it to see all the smiles! People loved it. They took pictures and stopped to talk to our guys about it. And a picture was sent into our local newspaper too.”
As Brenda explained, “We parked the truck at a local busy shopping plaza. And we drove it home or back to the shop each night and a couple times it was driven home with all the lights on! Lots of people saw it then, too (going by their homes). We used a generator for the electricity.
Did you decorate your service truck for the holidays? If so, tell me your story at editor@pumper.com. And don’t forget to send a photo!
]]>A recent news account out of Pennsylvania featured a homeowner bemoaning the bill for $140 every three years to service her septic tank. In a newspaper story, she voiced frustration because she hasn’t been able to hook up to the municipal sewer line that comes within a half-mile of her home.
Whoa. Did I read that right? Has this homeowner stopped to do the math? Before she complains about paying what amounts to less than $50 per year to maintain her septic system, the homeowner should calculate her projected costs to be connected to the Big Pipe. First of all, there will be the hookup fee for the sewer line. Then she will receive a bill in the mail – probably on a quarterly basis – for her share of the community sewage treatment
Based on my own experience paying a sewer bill, I expect the complaining homeowner’s cost for sewage treatment will rise substantially when she gets her wish and connects to the municipal system
Sure, there are instances when it makes sense for homeowners to connect to the municipal system. And often it’s required when a system expands. Abandoning a septic system is sometimes inevitable. But septic system users should be encouraged to compare their pumping and maintenance costs to what they would pay for city sewer service. They might find out that tried-and-true onsite system offers a good value.
How do you handle it when homeowners complain about septic system maintenance costs? Do you educate them on the value proposition offered by septic systems? Share your story right here. Or drop me an email at editor@pumper.com.
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Find the University of Minnesota factsheet on cold weather issues for septic systems here:
http://www.septic.umn.edu/factsheets/freezingproblems/
Here are just a few of the tips to help avoid the deep freeze
• Use water — the warmer the better — if you’re worried that your system is starting to freeze. Spread out your laundry schedule so you run one warm/hot load a day. Use the dishwasher and take hot baths. However, do not leave water running all the time.
• Keep all vehicle, animal and human traffic off the system. This is a good rule to follow all year long as compacted snow and soils cause frost to go down deeper and faster. Pay special attention to the area between the house and the septic tank.
• Make sure all risers; inspection pipes and manholes have covers. Sealing them and adding insulation is a good idea. Insulation may be added during construction particularly if the top of the septic tank is within two feet of the surface.
Are you seeing freezing systems this winter? Tell us your story right here. Or drop me an email at editor@pumper.com.
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I took a look at part of the original 30-minute Septics 101 video and noted at the end credits that no pumpers or onsite professionals were mentioned as contributors of information used in the production. Maybe there’s a chance to change that with the new video. And maybe pumpers and installers can give their feedback on a follow-up video, Septics 201, currently being tested in a pilot study. The feedback from professionals is especially important with Septics 201. Why? Because the video will be aimed at homeowners in counties that allow do-it-yourself inspections on some types of septic systems.
The original video stressed that homeowners should hire only licensed onsite system professionals to pump or inspect their systems and stated that, on average, tanks in traditional systems should be pumped every 3-5 years. But the video also stated that careful homeowners can go “10 years or more’’ before pumping the septic tank. While this pumping frequency may be adequate in a small number of cases, I hope the statement isn’t what homeowners take away from the video as a good yardstick in every situation. People hear what they want to hear, after all
I think the health department producers of these videos could benefit from the real-world experience of onsite system designers, installers and pumpers. And expert advice from these professionals will become even more critical as some homeowners are allowed to conduct do-it-yourself inspections at the risk of tainting groundwater and sickening people if they fail to recognize a problem.
Here’s a link to the original video:
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The EPA reported that four in 10 households in the U.S. depend on a septic system to treat wastewater, but that “in far too many cases, these systems are installed and largely forgotten – until problems arise.’’ According to a story issued by Vermont environmental protection officials, 55 percent of that rural state’s residents rely on septic systems, the highest percentage in the U.S., just ahead of Hew Hampshire and Maine.
If you have an opportunity to talk to customers this week, remind them about the importance of caring for their septic systems and moderating water usage and toilet flushing as much as possible when their guests arrive for a New Year’s Eve party. Tell them their system was designed for a certain number of people in the house and that 100 revelers might overtax the septic tank.
You can offer a solution to handle the additional wastewater requirements of a large party, one that is especially smart in a warmer climate: Place a portable restroom on location to divert some of the flow. The modest fee customers will pay for a portable restroom is a wise investment when you consider the damage that can be done by overusing a septic system.
Tell customers to use their septic systems responsibly and they’ll enjoy New Year’s Eve free of a wastewater disaster!
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But I wish for you a peaceful and happy holiday spent with friends and family! All the best to you and your hardworking crew!
If you have a question or comment about this blog, drop me an email at editor@pumper.com.
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For a little background on the Classy Truck contest, click over to my editor’s column in the current issue of Pumper: http://www.pumper.com/editorial/2011/12/back_to_basics
It’s easy to vote. Go to the ballot here: http://www.pumper.com/classy
Click on the button below the photo and description of your favorite truck. Hit the “vote now’’ button at the bottom of the page. That’s it. One vote is allowed per IP address.
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