Name and title or job description: Glenda MacAskill, owner
Business name and location: Island Vacuum & Portables Ltd., Boularderie East, Nova Scotia, Canada
Services we offer: We pump septic tanks and rent out portable restrooms.
Age: 52
Years in the industry: 21
Association involvement: I have been a member of Waste Water Nova Scotia for 20 years and have served as executive director since 2024.
The benefits of belonging to the association: Benefits include working with other people in the wastewater industry and communicating with each other about our work and the industry. It also gives us the ability to call on members for advice and support.
Biggest issue facing your association right now: We are working collaboratively to build systems to support the future, such as efficient systems for waste disposal and people-focused systems to work more efficiently. We want to make sure the government and planners recognize and take into consideration the onsite industry when building infrastructures and systems. A lot of what we do is educate the public and people in government.
Our crew includes: Alan MacAskill, owner, and two operators. We are in the process of hiring one more person to fill a vacancy.
Typical day on the job: I respond to emails and phone calls, organize projects for employees, answer customer questions, communicate with employees and clients, maintain business records. I also consider and implement supportive efficiencies, such as new products for the winter or handheld devices for the employees — anything that makes things more efficient. I attend marketing and community events.
The job I’ll never forget: In 2010 we had a three-month pilot project where we partnered with our municipality to demonstrate a mobile dewatering truck from Norway. The Norwegian operator came here and worked with Alan to introduce the truck to customers in our municipality, which got a lot of attention. In some countries they have mobile dewatering trucks that dewater septic tanks on a schedule. In Norway, for instance, tanks are dewatered on the spot on a rotation.
My favorite piece of equipment: Our portable restroom racks (Transway Systems) on our service trucks are essential for transporting the units and they make things easier for us. It is a simple yet great piece of equipment. Our transport trailer is an Explorer manufactured by McKee Technologies.
Most challenging site I’ve worked on: We were called to service a septic system at a home perched on a mountain. The home had a fantastic view of the ocean and mountain range; however, the driveway had a hairpin turn in it, making it a somewhat dangerous situation for our vacuum truck (2015 Western Tank from Vacutrux with a 3,000-gallon waste/200-gallon freshwater steel tank and a Fruitland 500 pump). It was difficult to maneuver up and down the driveway, but we did manage to get the job done safely.
Oops, this didn’t work out as planned: Sometimes we over-commit or don’t read all the fine print on something. On one occasion a woman had strong feelings about when we should pick up a portable restroom she had rented. Usually people are flexible with pickup dates, but she said, “No, you said you would pick it up this evening.” It was three hours away and we would have been in that area the next day, but she insisted. So, I sent the driver down to get it early. It’s important to make sure you are attentive to dates, locations and details with deliveries and pickups. And planning is important to ensure you have the most efficient route, especially if you work in a large geographic area. We try to optimize our schedules and be as efficient as possible. We have done extra driving on occasion but we continue to make improvements with our planning.
The craziest question or most insightful comment from a customer: “Are you able to fish in the septic lagoon?” Our response: “Not if you’re going to eat the fish.” When we first started out in the industry, I was told that educating the public was a big part of the job. And it is. We educate policymakers and the public every day, and try to raise the professionalism and standards in our industry.
If I could change one industry regulation, it would be: I would like to see more public education on the importance of septic tank maintenance, and a requirement for regular pumping every few years.
Best piece of small business advice I’ve heard or came up with: As business owners it is important that we take care of our health so we can keep up with the workload. We often wear many hats and work long hours. I try to eat well, exercise and go to bed early. This sets up a great platform so I am able to attend to the considerable workload with flow.
If I wasn’t working in the wastewater industry, I would like to: I also work in the real estate industry and one day I would like to build homes.
Crystal ball time – This is my outlook for the wastewater industry: We need to continue to refine the technology for the purification of water to keep our population and environment healthy, safe and working well. And we should continue raising awareness of the responsibility of both the public and the wastewater industry for the upkeep of the systems. If people communicate and care, everything will significantly improve. Communication between all of us is an important element to focus on.
