The Politics of Onsite System Inspection – Part 1

It may be hard to avoid conflicts between inspectors and installers, but respecting each other improves the future of the industry.

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If you’re doing any septic inspections, you may have run into conflicts with installers or other maintenance professionals. Here’s some advice: “Don’t think of the onsite industry as an individual sport where you duke it out with the [installers]. Think of it as a team sport, where when all parties work together, everyone wins.” 

While it’s a wonderful concept, the fact is many of us, on a daily basis, are duking it out over what some may consider capricious and arbitrary rulings. So how do we even attempt to meet this team sport ideal? 

Septic system inspection procedures and policies vary considerably nationwide. Not only do states differ, but also in many cases, local jurisdictions have different rules and methods in place to review designs and perform field inspections of the work. 

Generally, the inspection process seems logical and straightforward enough. The installer does his work, and then calls an inspector to come see and measure everything and grant a permit to operate. 

Both parties have a copy of the same regulations so they’re both on the same page, right?

This works fine for robots and machines, but the problem with the entire onsite wastewater industry is simple: People are involved. 

Let’s get real 

Regulations written by politicians and administrators at the state level are handed down to the local agency for application and then enforced by inspectors. At the third tier down, however, personal interpretations of the regulations and procedures complicate the structure, making it difficult for installers to understand what you, the inspector, actually want. 

Additionally, government agencies back inspectors’ decisions and they generally are not liable for damages resulting from the approval of the installation and operation of an onsite system. 

Installers are simply trying to make a living, and in doing so, want to follow the regulations set forth by the states and local agencies. They expect that everyone in the installation process will follow the written regulations in order to properly bid jobs, perform the work accordingly and get an approval to make money and build a profitable business. From an installer’s perspective, there is little room for individual interpretation. 

In short, yes, we want to work together with the installers and we want a win-win situation for homeowners, but the fact is we are two different animals. 

So where are we going to have our meeting of the minds? The common connection, of course: We’re all people and we all want to see the industry succeed.

Some might think this is a delicate and touchy topic. My response: I hope so! 

As an industry, we need to help each other by providing information that we can actually use in the field — information that can help our bottom line. 

As an inspector, you have authority over the installer’s job and are in a position to deny or delay final completion. For this scenario to have a good outcome, there must be mutual respect between the installer and the inspector. Rules must be clear and consistently applied. Both the installer and inspector have their role to play and need to do so correctly, ethically and legally as well.

All about respect

No one denies that mutual respect is essential to working together in any business; it’s the only way everyone wins. But let's look at the two types of respect: positional and personal. 

Positional respect is just that — respect for the position regardless of who currently holds it. 

If you’re driving into an intersection and even though the light is green, a person in a uniform with a gun and a badge is signaling you to stop, you do so even though he or she is a total stranger. Why? He or she is in a position of authority wherein the respect is automatic. By simply donning the uniform, he or she gets the respect. 

Personal respect is an entirely different matter. It does not come automatically with a position of authority. It must be earned over time and with a lot of hard work. Additionally, though it takes a long time to build up, personal respect can easily and quickly be lost. 

Onsite installers and inspectors have distinct positions, or roles, in terms of onsite systems. The two types of respect come into play because installers must respect the role of the inspector and inspectors must respect the role of the installer. They rely on each other to get a job done successfully and efficiently. And whether they admit it or not, each must earn the personal respect of the other.

When either side stops valuing and working toward personal respect the other side gives up on it also and the relationship is doomed. They instead will be rivals when we should all be working together to shape a great industry. 

Click here for Part 2. 



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