To build the professional image of the septic service industry, we must recognize the bad actions of a few who disregard the environmental protection that the vast majority hold sacred and uphold. That’s where Ray Caldwell comes in.

The owner of All-Out Sewer and Drain, Longview, Wash., was convicted last week of 25 felony counts for violating the Clean Water Act, six counts of mail fraud and two counts of making false statements in connection with years of illegal dumping of septage. According to the U.S. Attorney in the district, Caldwell’s long history of illegal dumping continued even after U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials raided his business in 2012.

Caldwell was accused of pumping septage directly into the city sewer system to avoid paying dumping fees. These repeated incidents threatened public health by potentially overloading a municipal treatment system and allowed Caldwell to avoid paying an estimated $300,000 in disposal fees. He was found guilty in a trial last week and faces up to three years in prison for each felony conviction.

During testimony in the case, Caldwell said he pumped trucks into a 10,000-gallon storage tank rather than haul it to a treatment plant. According to news accounts, he pumped what he described as the “gray water,’’ which he likened to “laundry water, tub water kitchen water and sink water,’’ into the sewer system. He told the court he didn’t think he was dumping a regulated substance for free. “It never occurred to me. I just thought it was water,’’ Caldwell said in his testimony.

Caldwell admitted to dumping waste into the sewer at least 75 times in the summer of 2012, acts caught on surveillance videos. He was arrested while pumping the contents of the holding tank directly into the sewer.

You can read more details about Caldwell’s testimony here:

Caldwell testimony

You can read about the convictions here:

Conviction report

The vast majority of septage haulers operate legally, professionally and follow all the rules. They take their responsibility to care for the environment seriously and handle waste in a safe and ethical manner. Unfortunately, bad situations like these can have a negative impact on the entire industry. While we abhor the practices outlined in this case, we should not be afraid to talk about them and try to bring light to the many thousand reputable pumpers who are dedicated to providing a valuable public service.