When state or local environmental department officials want to slow the use of land-application of septage – and plenty of pumpers across the country are facing this issue now – how pumpers react to the potential loss of a convenient and often economical disposal option is very important.
An affected hauler could strike back and accuse the government of being anti-business, and many folks would say rightfully so. It would be easy to focus on the negative and expend a lot of time and energy fighting what’s likely a losing battle.
Or they could handle it the way René Goulet did. The owner of Goulet Septic Pumping & Design, in Green Valley, Ontario, Canada, took a different, more proactive path. And he should be applauded for it.
Confronted by Ontario Environmental Ministry authorities while land-spreading on his farm several years ago, Goulet pulled out a letter from provincial officials confirming he was within his rights to spread septage over the frozen ground. But he was told that, no, his authorization wasn’t correct. And further, he had to cease the practice immediately. In his rural area, Goulet had no other feasible options for disposal.
He could have grumbled until the cows came home and who would blame him? This was a serious blow to his small family business. But instead of dwelling on what seemed like the unfair handling of his situation, Goulet got proactive and started looking for a solution.
What happened next is the subject for our cover story, “Nature’s Way,” by writer David Steinkraus. At first the prohibition on winter land-spreading frustrated Goulet, but he soon set out to find a better way to solve his disposal dilemma. Research led him to Chris Kinsley at the University of Guelph Wastewater Centre. The pair worked with the Environmental Ministry to develop an experimental reed bed septage dewatering system on Goulet’s farm.
As you’ll read in the story, the reed bed system has been a great success, and is serving as a model for rural wastewater systems in Canada and with wastewater officials in other parts of the world who have visited the test site. Goulet is excited about his role in shaping new processes to dispose of septic waste in sustainable, environmentally friendly ways.
“I think we have to take care of the environment, and this is the family farm. My father bought here in 1950,” he says in the contractor profile. “I live here. My kids live here. I have neighbors, and I just don’t want to pollute the place.”
Goulet’s response and enthusiasm for learning about and adapting to new, greener methods for septage disposal is inspiring. At a time when too many people associate the entire pumping community with a handful of corner-cutting contractors with nasty old trucks and tired potty humor slogans, Goulet promotes professionalism, uses the latest science to solve problems, and shows a concern for the environment.
Goulet’s reed bed pilot program is good for the community, good for his business, and it definitely has a positive impact on the environmental services industry. We’re excited to feature his family’s septic service business in this issue dedicated to septage disposal management.
