In this month’s editor’s column, entitled “Set the Record Straight,’’ I called on Florida pumpers to hammer home the importance of periodic septic tank maintenance. The industry is being assaulted with a campaign of ignorance and misinformation from public officials trying to squash any progress toward a mandate for tank pumping in the state.
After a statewide septic inspection bill was adopted, then repealed by the state legislature, the state passed a reasonable five-year tank inspection requirement for 20 counties with first-magnitude springs, those counties where a malfunctioning septic system would most threaten the state’s groundwater supply. In the past few days, the 16th of 20 counties, Citrus County, voted to opt out of the inspection mandate.
Pumpers I spoke to in Florida say homeowners, by and large, have an attitude that if their system isn’t broke, it shouldn’t be pumped or inspected. Some people fighting the inspections say they are unnecessary and meant to line the pockets of service providers. Opponents throw out costs of eight to 10 times what the average pumper charges for service to scare the public.
One pumper, Wayne Crotty, of WB Septic & Site Work in Live Oak, Fla., told me the situation is dire:
“Not a day goes by that I don’t pump a system that hasn’t been opened in 30 years. You can almost walk on the solids. There’s more sludge than water. These systems go into failure and (homeowners) just take the washing machine off of them and run it into the backyard. There’s no enforcement and no inspections and you get into a sanitary nuisance situation.’’
You can read my full column here:
http://www.pumper.com/editorial/2012/10/set_the_record_straight
If you’re pumping in Florida, what do you think of the current situation? If you are in another part of the country, what’s your reaction to this ongoing controversy? Give a shout out to let us know about the regulations for inspection and pumping in your region.
Post your comments right here or send me an email at editor@promonthly.com.
