Still Doing Shovel Time?

Contractors weary of slinging dirt offer incentives to customers for adding risers or digging their own tank access holes before a service call

Often, a time-consuming and physically demanding part of a service technician’s job comes before he even fires up the vacuum pump: uncovering the septic tank for service.

Each pumping contractor handles this in a different way, depending on the physical characteristics of the territory and customer demand. There’s no question that installing risers makes the job much faster and easier, but getting customers to pop for the cost can be difficult to impossible.

In some areas, the point is becoming moot, since U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines have prompted some states and local governments to adopt legislation requiring risers on all new installations. But what to do about those pesky existing systems whose right to remain covered is grandfathered into most of these laws and ordinances?

These pumpers share how they deal with tank access with a mixture of positive and negative incentives for their customers.

Taylor’s Total Septic Solutions serves all of middle Georgia with septic pumping, inspection, maintenance and repair from its centrally located facility. That state’s EPA has issued legislation requiring new septic installations with a tank located deeper than 24 inches below the surface to install a riser. This was done in hopes that people would have their tanks pumped on a more regular basis if they didn’t have to endure having their yards dug up.

For grandfathered installations, company manager Tim Taylor encourages homeowners whose tank is deeper than two feet to have a riser installed. “I just don’t want to rip up their yards,” he says.

Taylor’s dig-up pumping service price covers a small range, depending on accessibility. A riser would always keep that price on the low end, but such an installation would incur additional costs of its own. “It depends on the size of the top on the tank, how much that will cost. We usually end up changing the existing tank top to fit the riser we choose.”

Taylor says he will extend a rate reduction to customers who dig up their own tanks for pumping, “only if they have the top completely off the tank before I get there, and agree to replace the top while I’m there.” He only discounts about 10 percent for this, mostly because people just aren’t interested in doing it themselves. His experience has been that once people try it and learn how much work it is, they’re glad to allow his crews to take over.

Matt Thomson performs septic pumping, maintenance, repair, installation and inspection. Pennsylvania is taking an aggressive stance against failing septic systems and the groundwater pollution they cause. It mandates risers on all new septic tank installations that are at least 12 inches below grade. Existing tanks are grandfathered, leaving Thomson more than a few that still require digging.

“We charge a digging fee to excavate a septic tank that’s more than 12 inches below the surface,” he says. That’s the negative incentive for customers to install a riser. His positive encouragement is to let them know they can get rid of the digging fee forever if they just have him put in the riser.

Communities surrounding iGo’s service territory are beginning to take an even stronger position. Many are requiring that full manholes be installed, and that every time a tank gets pumped, it happens through this portal.

“I think it has to do with the ability of the pumpers to thoroughly clean and inspect the tanks, making sure the baffles are in place. You can’t do that any other way than through a large manhole.” The local requirement is that the opening, regardless of shape, be at least 20 inches across. This serves as incentive for homeowners to pump regularly.

Roztek Environmental of Timmins, Ontario, provides septic pumping, portable restrooms, video inspection and industrial vacuum services in and around the city of 45,000 in northern Ontario. “What we generally do when a customer calls for pumping is ask them to dig up both lids on the (dual-chamber) tank. This is very important, since there are solids in both chambers. In order to do a good cleaning, you need to pump both sides.

“About 99 percent of the time, they will dig them up. If they’re too deep, we’ll recommend they build a plywood box around it with insulation so it doesn’t freeze. So the next time they have to have their septic tank pumped, they won’t have to dig two feet into the ground. This does leave their tank exposed, so many people build a ‘wishing well’ on top.” Not only does this whimsical decoration cover the exposed tank and its surrounding box, it also helps locate the access next time it’s needed.

On occasion, Cress says, his crews will help customers dig out their tanks as a courtesy, with no additional charges. There have been times when a customer has dug out one but not both tank lids, so his technicians will take care of the second lid.



Discussion

Comments on this site are submitted by users and are not endorsed by nor do they reflect the views or opinions of COLE Publishing, Inc. Comments are moderated before being posted.