Name and title or job description: Lance Petrasek, owner
Business name and location: Associates Septic Service, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Services we offer: Septic system design, inspection and pumping; soil testing
Age: 51
Years in the industry: I started doing soil testing in 1998 and septic pumping in 2009
Association involvement: I’ve been a member of the Wisconsin Liquid Waste Carriers Association since 1998, and I’m the current president. I’m also a member of the Wisconsin Onsite Water Recycling Association.
Benefits of belonging to the association: Together our voice carries a lot more weight than individually. As a group, we have a say in how we are governed. As an example, the members of the Wisconsin Liquid Waste Carriers Association were intimately involved in the latest code changes.
Biggest issue facing your association right now: We are concerned about the forever chemicals and how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will mandate their handling. Beyond that, disposal will always be an issue. More people and less land makes it harder to get rid of waste. Lastly, recruiting new members is a challenge. Until you become a part of the association, it is hard to understand the value it offers.
Our crew includes: We have eight employees — myself, one foreman/pumper, three pumpers, one soil tester and two part-time office personnel. And in the summers we hire a couple of seasonal helpers.
Typical day on the job: My day starts around 4 a.m. with paperwork. From there it could be anything — more paperwork, meeting customers, helping in the field, returning calls, doing inspections, designing septic systems or performing soil testing. My day typically ends after dinner, returning emails or calls and setting schedules for upcoming days.
The job I’ll never forget: On Feb. 20, 2018, we had several inches of snow on the ground in southeast Wisconsin and the ground was frozen. Warm rains came in and dropped about five inches in a short period of time. Our phones rang off the hook with flooded homes. One homeowner called with water leaking into his home. A large pond had formed next to his home because the water was trapped and the ground was frozen. I went with the pump truck to see if I could help. When I pulled up, I saw an enormous lake of water I knew I could not move. I went into the lowest level of the tri-level home and the outside water was halfway up the basement window. The homeowner was “keeping up” with two sump pumps and towels around the windows. I sadly explained there was nothing I could do unless the water accumulated inside and needed to be pumped out. He called the next day. They were able to keep up and eventually the water receded.
My favorite piece of equipment: The computer — I can’t think of anything else that improves efficiency more.
Most challenging site I’ve worked on: We do a lot of lake lots where the tank is way down the hill. Our trucks can’t lift the liquid so we carry pumps down to lift the waste up to the truck. This often takes three people and is very time-consuming.
Oops, this didn’t work out as planned: We pump the tanks at a fish processing plant. Normally we can land-apply the waste but one time we needed to take it to the treatment plant. After the plant tested the waste, the price to dispose quadrupled. This was an expensive lesson learned.
The craziest question I’ve been asked by a customer: On a septic inspection for a home sale, the customer said what most people always say — “The septic has been working great, never had any problems.” I pulled the cover off the tank and found an aftermarket aeration unit in the tank. The tank was riding high and liquid was coming out the top of the vent pipe on the drainfield. Of course, the owner was shocked when it didn’t pass.
Best piece of small business advice I’ve heard: At the WWETT Show in 2010, I attended a class on profitability, and it made me realize that I needed to think differently about my pricing. The advice was not to worry about your competitors, and to charge what you need to charge to make a profit.
If I wasn’t working in the wastewater industry, I would: Be doing something related to hunting. I love to hunt. That’s what I’m going to do if I retire — go hunting and enjoy life.
Crystal ball time – This is my outlook for the wastewater industry: This industry is made up of the hardest working and nicest people I have ever been around and I think it’s headed in a great direction.
