In a recent story in the Murrysville Star in Penn Hills, Pa., frustrated homeowner Carol Raabe lamented paying $140 every three to five years to get her septic tank pumped. She told the newspaper she would prefer being hooked up to the city sewer that stops a half-mile from her home.

Raabe’s concerns stem from a proposal by the local sanitary authority to be the sole hauler of septic waste in the township. Under the proposal, which should be a concern for pumpers in the area, the authority would charge homeowners 22 cents per gallon to clean septic tanks.

“It’s not fair to make a captive audience of us,’’ Raabe said. “The fees would be a lot less if other communities were a part of this.’’

So the homeowner is understandably upset with a potential increase in her pumping bill. But to clamor for a sewer hookup because her septic service bill rises is a great example of not seeing the forest for the trees. Let’s do the math: Carol now pays $140 every three to five years to maintain her septic system. That comes out to an annual cost of between $28 and $47 for sanitary services.

How do you suppose that cost compares to the monthly or quarterly bill Carol will get when the sewer pipe comes to her house? Add to that the cost of her hookup to the sewer system. Someone should pull Carol aside and explain the great deal she is getting from her local pumping professional and by maintaining a functioning septic system.

A well-cared-for septic system is one of the homeowner’s greatest bargains, continually doing an important job for a reasonable cost. This is clearly a message the industry needs to hammer home to millions of users like Carol.

What about the proposal to make the sanitary authority the sole provider of septic pumping at 22 cents per gallon? The newspaper story says other haulers currently charge 4 to 10 cents per gallon for the same service. What conclusions do you draw from those numbers?