Improperly abandoned septic tanks are a tragic accident waiting to happen. The unseen dangers of an empty, abandoned and weakened septic tank can lead to catastrophic consequences, and I’ve monitored several stories over the past year where people and animals have fallen into collapsed tanks.
A news account out of California a while back said that a 68-year-old grandmother had to be rescued after falling a dozen feet into an old septic tank at her home. The woman had been watering her yard when the tank collapsed. If the tank was abandoned many years ago, she may not have known the empty vessel was beneath her feet
In another story, a sheriff’s deputy in Wisconsin was trapped when he fell into a septic tank that had been neglected. During an investigation, he fell when he didn’t see snow-covered boards covering the top of the tank. Luckily, he was rescued and only suffered minor injuries.
Then there was a report this week about California firefighters called to rescue a horse that fell into a septic tank. You can read about it here:
http://www.firehouse.com/news/10811104/calif-firefighters-rescue-horse-from-septic-tank
Have you encountered improperly abandoned septic tanks while providing service? Do you have a protocol for filling in a customer’s tank when it is no longer needed or is replaced by a new tank? Making sure unused tanks are not a hazard to future generations is critically important and a matter of business ethics for pumpers. Never leave a worksite when you think an old tank could pose a danger at some point.
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