Got a few minutes between appointments for septic system work? Is your smartphone or tablet handy on the road, or are you sitting near your desktop computer in the office? Then we have a bonus for you – additional Onsite Installer content is available online. Find more of the latest wastewater industry news – from product releases to videos and podcasts to my editor’s blog – at www.onsiteinstaller.com. Here’s just a sampling of the latest content you can find online:
ONSITE SEPTIC BUSINESS ON THE RISE AFTER YEARS OF DOWN ECONOMY
A recent post on the Onsite Installer Facebook page prompted a discussion with Miller & Sons Inc. Septic and Wastewater Service located in Fawn Grove, Pa., about how business has increased after years of a down economy as an indicator of how well the real estate recovery is coming along. Co-owner Susan Glackin Miller says the company has seen a steady increase in inspections and repairs. “In our area, the market seems to be improving as some of the foreclosures are starting to sell,” she says. “We work in two townships that require septic inspections by the local Sewer Enforcement Officer at the time of real estate transfers which has caused us to be busier. We also have a very long and good relationship with local Realtors and they bring us much business for their customers.”
THE POLITICS OF ONSITE SEPTIC SYSTEM INSPECTIONS
Septic system inspection procedures and policies vary considerably nationwide. Not only do states differ, but local jurisdictions have different rules and methods in place to review designs and perform field inspections. Generally, the inspection process seems logical and straightforward enough. The installer does his work, and then calls an inspector to come see and measure everything and grant a permit to operate. Installers want to follow the regulations set forth by states and local agencies. They expect that everyone in the installation process will follow the written regulations in order to properly bid jobs, perform the work accordingly and get an approval to make money and build a profitable business.
EDITOR’S BLOG: TREE BARK: THE MIRACLE TREATMENT MEDIA
Can a pile of tree bark in a giant holding tank be the answer to treating waste at a busy highway rest area? Department of Transportation officials in Colorado think so, where an innovative treatment system is replacing a septic system that failed due to heavy usage and poor soils. According to a report at the www.koaa.com website, a new system relying on Ponderosa pine bark to break down waste is now in place at a rest area. Up to 10,000 people per day were using the rest area bathrooms when the prior system failed. In the new system, the effluent will evaporate and the waste will become fertilizer, officials said. They hope the system works for 200 years and becomes a model for busy rest areas.
Check these out at www.onsiteinstaller.com/ec/2013/August.
