In Washington State, Clallum County is working on updating its Septics 101 video aimed at consumer education about the proper care of septic systems in the environmentally sensitive 12-county region surrounding the Puget Sound. Pumpers working in the highly populated area might want to view the original video and seek to share their own input on the updated video.
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:
