Writing in the Texas On-Site Wastewater Association newsletter, Perry Burney of Aerobic Septic Service Co. in Azle reports on the aftermath of legislation that eliminated maintenance contract requirements and allowed homeowners to make their own repairs.

He reports service technicians are finding more and more systems with lids not screwed down, lightweight lids substituted for heavier childproof ones, or coverings like wood, boards, plywood, 5-gallon buckets, and water meter lids. This last item caused the death of a 3-year-old in Denton County in 2009 when she fell through and drowned.

Burney also sees more large repairs. “Many people moving to Tarrant County don’t realize that their system needs maintenance because no one tells them,” he writes. “By the time we get the call, a minor repair has escalated to a major problem.”

Johnson County has mostly mobile homes. Driving through those areas at night reminds Burney of red-light districts because of all the blinking alarm lights. “I will guarantee you that those people have no intention of repairing the problem,” he says.

Calendar of Events

June 5-6

Trenchless Technology Road Show, Scotiabank Convention Center, Niagara Falls, Ontario 330/467-7588; www.trenchlessonline.com.

June 28-30

State Onsite Regulators Alliance, Captains of Industry, and National Environmental Health Association Conference, Marriott Marquis and Marina, San Diego, Calif. 800/624-8301; www.nesc.wvu.edu/sora.

Training & Education

Alabama

Licensing classes are the joint effort of the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association (AOWA) and University of West Alabama (UWA). Courses are at UWA Livingston campus unless stated otherwise:

• June 21-22 – Continuing Education Class, Dothan

• July 12-13 – Pumpers Class

• July 18-20 – Advanced Installer I Class

The first day of Continuing Education classes is for installers and the second day is for pumpers and portable restroom operators. Call the training center at 205/652-3803 or visit www.aowatc.uwa.edu.

California

The California Onsite Wastewater Association is offering these NAWT classes:

• June 26 – Installation of Onsite Systems (NAWT course), San Diego

• June 28 – Outreach (NEHA schedule), San Diego

• July 26 – Low Pressure Pipe Drainfield and Drip Dispersal Design, Chico

Call Kit Rosefield at 530/513-6658 or visit www.cowa.org.

Florida

The Halifax District of the Florida Environmental Health Association will host a septic system training program June 4-5 at the Volusia County Health Department in Daytona Beach. Guest speakers include Dave Gustafson of the University of Minnesota, Bob Rubin of North Carolina State University, and Gil Longwell of the Onsite Institute. Visit www.halifaxfeha.com.

The Florida Onsite Wastewater Association Training Center is offering these courses:

• June 19 – Operations and Maintenance A, Fort Myers

• June 20 – Operations and Maintenance B, Fort Lauderdale

• June 21-22 – Alabama and Florida Combined Training Sessions, Dothan, Ala.

• July 10 – Operations and Maintenance A, Gainesville

Contact FOWA at 321/363-1590 or www.fowaonsite.com.

Georgia

The University of Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture is offering its Onsite Wastewater Management class on July 26 in Gainesville. Contact the Continuing Education Center at 770/229-3477, conteduc@uga.edu, or www.ugaurbanag.com.

Iowa

The Iowa Onsite Wastewater Association has a Habitat for Humanity Systems Installs course June 14-15 in Waverly. Contact Alice Vinsand at 515/225-1051, execdir@iowwa.com, or visit www.iowwa.com.

Kentucky

The Kentucky Onsite Wastewater Association has a continuing education course for certified installers on June 15 at the Bluegrass Community Technical College in Lawrenceburg. Call 270/401-2301 or visit www.kentuckyonsite.org.

Minnesota

The University of Minnesota Water Resources Center has these classes:

• June 5-6 – Inspecting Onsite Systems, St. Cloud

• June 7 – Soils Continuing Education, Rushford Village

• June 14 – Soils Continuing Education, Detroit Lakes

• June 19-21 – Soils, Rochester

• June 27 – Soils Continuing Education, St. Cloud

Call Nick Haig at 800/322-8642 or visit www.septic.umn.edu.

New England

The New England Onsite Wastewater Training Center at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston has these courses:

• June 6 – Soil Basics for the Onsite Wastewater Contractor

• June 13 – Advanced Soil Morphology

• June 14 – Hands-On Component Installation

• June 21 – Bottomless Sand Filter Design and Installation

• June 27 – Advanced Soil Morphology

• July 12 – Microbiology for Wastewater Professionals

• July 26 – Surveying Techniques for the Wastewater Professional

Call 401/874-5950 or visit www.uri.edu/ce/wq. For soil courses, call Mark Stolt at 401/874-2915 or email mstolt@uri.edu.

North Carolina

North Carolina State University has these Web-based courses:

• June 6 – Cycling of Water Through Soil

• June 13 – Chemistry of Soil

• June 20 – Role of Soil in Plant Nutrition

• June 27 – Soil Ecosystem

Call Joni Tanner at 919/513-1678 or visit www.soil.ncsu.edu/training.

As we describe the success we have had with such systems in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the discussion usually turns to a statement like, “Our state tried these systems and we had problems, so we don’t use them anymore.”

In our view, this is unfortunate, as it severely limits installers’ ability to use what is in fact a conventional technology to solve some of the most common soil problems. So, over the next several articles, we will break down the installation of these systems into their components and show where installers have had problems, leading to the conclusion that the systems are too difficult to install or just do not work.

At the surface

This month we begin at the beginning: preparation of the surface where the aboveground system will be installed. The first layer of any aboveground system is the original soil surface. We like to point out that the installer is using an aboveground system precisely because there is some soil problem that needs to be overcome. That means good installation principles of Keep it Dry (KID) and Keep it Natural (KIN) need to be followed even more closely than when installing a conventional system in a deep, well-drained soil.

For proper hydraulic performance, there needs to be at least three feet of natural or clean sand above the limiting soil condition. This provides the necessary separation distance from the infiltrative surface where the septic tank effluent is applied to the limiting soil layer.

The three-foot separation distance is a Minnesota requirement; many states require four-foot or five-foot separations, so check your local regulations. You can use any combination of good soil and clean sand to provide the separation distance. However, recognize that you need at least one foot of natural, unsaturated soil to construct a mound. Unless the soil under the mound will transmit liquid both vertically and horizontally, the mound will not function properly.

You need to inspect the area where the mound or at-grade will be installed to evaluate the soil condition. This evaluation assures that the KIN principle is followed. A soil surface that has been smeared or compacted or otherwise made unsuitable for the movement of liquid will not recover its capacity to transmit liquid without a great deal of additional time and effort.

If the mound is simply placed on this damaged soil regardless, effluent will likely seep out the toe of the berm, and the system will be classified as failing in a very short time. As a side note, the discharge pipe from the pump to the mound or at-grade area should be installed before soil surface preparation. The trench excavated to install the piping should be carefully backfilled and compacted to prevent seepage.

Keep it clear

All vegetation longer than two inches must be removed, along with any dead organic debris, leaves and woody material. This often means mowing the grass to two inches or less in height and then raking the entire area. This may involve some hand labor.

One question we often hear is: “What if the site is wooded? Do I need to remove the stumps?” The answer – contrary to what you may have read elsewhere – is that trees should be cut as close as possible to flush with the ground and the stumps left in place. Hauling or pulling stumps will likely cause damage through compaction of the soil.

The total area that will be under the mound or at-grade berms should be roughened to break up the existing sod layers and provide a transition zone between the original soil and the sand you will place to construct the mound. You can prepare the surface with a moldboard plow, a disk, or a backhoe using the bucket teeth. We call this turning the greenside down.

Moldboard plow furrows should be thrown upslope and should run perpendicular to the slope. There should be no dead furrow under the mound. If you use the backhoe technique, the operator needs to move around the perimeter, reaching toward the center. Do not drive to the middle and work the area, then drive back out – this can cause considerable damage to the soil’s ability to transmit liquid.

Work dry soil

You can use a disk to roughen the soil surface and to break up the sod, but take care not to compact the deeper soil layers. Rototillers should not be used to prepare the surface.

In some cases we have seen installers use a scraper or tracked vehicle to remove the upper portion to the soil, either to stockpile the topsoil or for ease of construction. In no case should any surface soil be excavated or moved more than one foot from its original position. Failure to observe this rule is one large cause of mound and at-grade failures.

One final comment: Since these are problem soils, often high in clay content and sometimes wet, the KID principle is key. Remember, if you can take a sample of the surface soil and roll it into a wire 1/8-inch in diameter, the soil moisture content is above the plastic limit, and the soil is too wet to begin construction. You need to wait until the soil is dry enough to fall apart when you try to roll it into a wire.

During rainy, wet periods, it may be difficult to wait, but waiting will pay dividends in system performance. Once you have prepared the soil surface, start construction immediately. Do not allow rain to fall on the prepared surface, or you will have to let it dry and rework it.

In the coming months we will cover other important aspects of mound and at-grade installation.

Henry Higgins

The classic musical “My Fair Lady” was all about language – how speaking well or poorly helps separate people into castes.

There have been language divides in the onsite industry, too, though not as deep as the one between ‘Enry ‘Iggins and his pupil Eliza Doolittle. The Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment (www.onsiteconsortium.org) has tried to bridge terminology barriers by creating a Decentralized Wastewater Glossary. You can think of it as a sort of Esperanto – universal language – for the onsite field.

The glossary isn’t new – the first edition came out in 2007 and a second in 2009. But I hadn’t really looked closely at it until recently. Now that I have, I consider it a great resource, both as a tool for promoting consistent terminology and as a way for people new to the profession to learn about it. Almost anyone in the industry would be well served by spending some time with it.

What drove the drafters

The document’s drafters said their aim was to define the management requirements for sustainable, long-term onsite system performance, as befits an industry that wants its offerings to remain a permanent component of the nation’s water treatment infrastructure.

“The final definitions were chosen on the basis of the best fit to the industry as a whole as determined by a wide group of stakeholders, and the result is a collection of terms that illustrates the broad landscape of decentralized wastewater treatment,” the introduction states.

Part of the aim was to get past regional disparities in terms. Professionals who spoke to groups from around the country or who attended national trade shows found some trouble communicating because people used different terms for the same thing.

In reviewing the glossary front to back, I found fewer such instances than I expected. Still, a meaningful number of terms now come with “see” references that direct the reader to the preferred term, as identified during the glossary review process. For example, “Septic System: see wastewater treatment system, onsite (OWTS).”

The chosen term

Another high-profile change has to do with what people from different (or even the same) parts of the country called the leachfield or drainfield. Now the preferred term is soil treatment area (and you will note that our “Basic Training” columnists Jim Anderson and Dave Gustafson use that term exclusively). Here are several other terms as identified in the glossary – the preferred (“official”) term is listed second:

Aggregation – soil structure

Cess pit – cesspool

Clogging mat – biomat

Curtain drain or French drain – interceptor drain

Effluent filter – effluent screen

Freeboard – headspace (the space above the water line in a septic tank)

Fixed film process – attached growth process

Greywater – graywater (just for consistency in spelling)

Header pipe – manifold

In-ground system – below-grade

Leaching pit – seepage pit

Wisconsin mound – mound (my home state loses a bit of its identity)

Observation port – inspection port

Outhouse or privy – pit toilet

Packed bed filter – media filter

Pump station – lift station

Zone of aeration – vadose zone

Are you up to speed?

Now, this glossary is a useful tool, but how much impact it has depends on how widely it is accepted. The onsite consortium doesn’t have a big budget with which to advertise it, let alone any authority to direct industry members to follow it.

So consider this an ad for the Decentralized Wastewater Glossary. Go see it at the consortium website. Consider downloading a copy (it’s free) for your own use and for your team. It’s educational, it’s fun, and it’s evident from the content just how much quality effort the authors and reviewers – all volunteers – put into it.

Henry Higgins in “My Fair Lady” lamented, “One common language I’m afraid we’ll never get.” Well, now the onsite industry can have one – if its members only have the wisdom to learn and start using it.

Problem

A homeowner in Sharon, Mass., spent thousands on a new porch and landscaping and wanted to disguise the 3-foot-tall vent pipe from the onsite system in the yard.

Solution

Kevin Orlando of All Seasons Septic Service in Stoughton suggested the Dirty Bird yard ornament or pedestal with birdbath from BS Design Corp., a concealment device with a serviceable charcoal filter that addresses odors. The unit comes in three colors to match any decor.

Result

The homeowner has a focal point instead of an eyesore and guests don’t realize it vents an onsite system. 866/968-9668; www.thedirtybird.com.

Filters bring back clientele

Problem

The owners of Tall Timbers Campground in Sussex, N.J., were losing business due to odors from a vented onsite system.

Solution

Septic Experts in Sussex installed a Puraflo peat fiber treatment system and teed Wolverine Brand activated carbon vent filters from Simple Solutions Distributing to 20 laterals servicing mobile homes. Workers installed Super Wolverine filters with solar fans on pump stations to circulate fresh air through the system, reducing gas concentrations and eliminating odors.

Result

After two years, the campground is odor-free and the filters are still using the original carbon. 973/846-7817; www.industrialodorcontrol.com.

At first, he took every job that came his way and found himself working in his home state of Missouri as well as Kansas. New to the business, he kept his eyes open, eager to learn. He quickly recognized that businesses focused on a few niches prospered more than those that did everything.

“I also discovered that two older excavating contractors in the area would soon be retiring, and their departure would be an opportunity for me,” he says. “These things led me to focus on onsite system installations.”

Dooley has never regretted his decision. Working in six counties within a 50-mile radius of Raymore, Mo., he specializes in new systems and replacement drainfields, relying on a wide range of technologies with a heavy emphasis on low-pressure distribution. His stock-in-trade during 33 years in the business has been close attention to detail on every job.

Must be right

Dooley never wanted to grow into a multiple-crew operation, although he easily could have. “I’m particular,” he says. “Every aspect of every job must be done right. I want to be on every job, every day.” That keeps him focused and in touch – with customers, emerging technologies and regulators. With a hands-on approach, he learned every task needed to construct a successful system. He also learned what wouldn’t work and discovered the best, most efficient ways to get the job done.

“Over the years, the basic services and necessary skills have not changed a lot, but the details sure have,” Dooley says. He considers himself too old (at age 70) to change jobs now, but definitely not too old to keep learning new technologies.

“Originally, we worked jobs in two states, but work became so plentiful that we have restricted ourselves to jobs in Missouri,” he says. Six-day work weeks were common in the early days; today he has no trouble filling a five-day schedule, and he does not see the pace slowing further.

Managing costs

When it comes to equipment, Dooley takes a conservative path. “I never wanted to work to pay off my equipment,” he says. Rather than buy brand new, he looks for used machines with about 500 hours on the meter. He does not own a dump truck, preferring to buy aggregate delivered, so that it arrives exactly when and where he wants it. That eliminates job site and home-based stockpiles. Dooley once owned a dump truck but, “I could not justify the cost for the little value I got from it.”

He regularly rents the specialized vibratory plow needed to install drip tubing into slit trenches six to eight inches deep. “We use our equipment to handle all of the other installation tasks, including tank excavations, manifold and return line trenches, and final grading,” he says. “It just seems to work best that way.”

The equipment pool, carefully chosen for diverse capabilities, includes a 1998 Case 580 Super L backhoe and a 2004 John Deere 250 skid-steer handle – these two machines handle nearly all tasks on job sites. When a machine reaches about 5,000 hours, Dooley sells it and replaces it with a newer machine.

The right jobs

While equipped for almost anything, Dooley is selective when considering jobs: He scrutinizes every project before accepting it. He will not work for a customer who tries to dictate the system technology without considering site conditions. If the system is not right for the site, he will pass.

“I sometimes discover an overflow pipe to a ditch,” he says. “This is not a solution. It merely transfers the problem while making it less noticeable. I want to provide permanent solutions, not sell Band-Aids. I will not expand an existing absorption area that will delay, but not prevent, a total absorption area replacement.”

For every malfunction he encounters, Dooley recommends that a new absorption area be designed based on comprehensive site evaluation, and with consideration of the homeowners’ lifestyle.

He replaces broken pipes, faulty controls or burned-out pumps like-for-like. In some cases, it’s feasible to reuse the existing treatment tank, but if there is reason to replace the tank and Dooley believes that is the best route, he will decline the job if the customer refuses the replacement. As he says, “I’m particular.”

Focused diversity

Dooley has installed a wide range of systems, including conventional beds and trenches, gravel mounds and sand mounds, pressurized trench and bed systems, drip irrigation systems and waste stabilization ponds (also known as sewage lagoons). “Each has its advantages, and I am willing to explain to a customer the characteristics, opportunities and drawbacks of each type,” Dooley says.

“When they were first introduced, we recognized that low-pressure distribution systems would become a highly profitable business opportunity. We pioneered their installation in our service area.” Today, about 80 percent of the systems he installs use that technology.

Dooley and the local regulators learned together on his first installations, and it was an opportunity to build bridges and rapport. “These systems let us both learn the technology, and the respect built in the process continues today,” he says. “Now we see this as a really simple system, and it always was, except when it was new.”

Dooley has nurtured relationships with builder developers, and they have brought opportunities not found in single-homeowner interactions­. Over the years, working in three subdivisions, he installed nearly 100 systems. The homes in each development were pretty much alike, and they were significantly different from the older properties and smaller houses for which he has installed replacements.

“These larger, high-dollar-value homes typically have six or more bedrooms,” he says. “The owners use a lot more water and don’t even think about conservation or cutting back on their use.”

Dooley works with the designers to be certain that each system is oversized to address the occupants’ lifestyle. He strongly cautions homeowners against using garbage disposals. “I tell them that every drop of water that you use is going to stay on your property, and if you abuse your system, it will let you know it in a most unpleasant way. You can’t keep doing whatever you want to and av­oid a problem forever.”

Crossing county lines

The diversity of his work and the size of his territory are made easier to handle by the regulatory scheme. “We work in six counties, all of which share a common set of state-mandated regulations,” Dooley says. “The consistency helps us. The site may hide some surprises, but we know that the regulations will not change from job site to job site.”

Inspectors are a resource Dooley cultivates and respects. There are jobs where the site evaluator, engineer, system designer, or permitting agency may miss something that he as the installer uncovers. “At times like this, you want the inspector on your side,” Dooley says. “You want him to be on your problem-solving team.”

His experience tells him that when a system reaches about 25 years old, absorption area problems begin to occur. When a system fails, especially in a catastrophic manner, the homeowner is usually desperate for a solution. Dealing with repairs, Dooley finds himself speaking with the wife more often than the husband. “Women are not ashamed to say, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t understand,’” he says. “They are willing to ask questions and willing to learn.”

Even when the husband places the initial call, the wife often handles the follow-up. As long as the customer is willing to learn and there is a satisfactory outcome, Dooley does not care with whom he speaks.

Pleasing customers

Investing in positive customer interactions is the best source of promotion, he has found. “When you solve someone’s problems, their happy voice is the best advertisement you can get,” he says. He regularly receives thank-you cards with heartfelt notes inside. His jobs may take a bit longer, but when he leaves, the site is fully restored. “Digging up someone’s beautiful yard can be devastating,” he says. “Putting everything back so the owner does not notice the disturbance is priceless – it is better than money in the bank.”

Dooley has shaped his business so that his stamp of approval is on every aspect of every job. For 14 years, his only employee was son-in-law Dan Owens, but then things changed. Owens earned a designer credential and now specializes in that area.

Finding a new employee was challenging. In Dooley’s experience, it takes at least a year to train someone in the industry and in company practices. Michael Wilcox fit the bill and has been with Dooley for 14 years. “Mike does all the field stake-outs and the heavy lifting,” says Dooley. “He looks after me when we’re in the field together.”

Dooley’s wife Mary handles the bookwork. The company’s small workforce is both focused and effective.

As he approaches retirement, Dooley ponders what lies ahead. Doing things differently has been a part of the firm’s success. It’s basics like holding grades, using a sealant to make unused tank access ports waterproof, bedding tanks in fine aggregate rather than dropping them on bare soil, and following designs with precision that attest to his being different, particular, and effective.

SJE-Rhombus redesigned its corporate website, www.sjerhombus.com. The site enables users to access information through market segments, product specifications, descriptions in seven languages, news events, video and newsletter registration.

Ditch Witch supports ‘I Make America’ campaign

The Charles Machine Works Inc., manufacturer of Ditch Witch construction equipment, has joined with other American manufacturers to support “I Make America,” a grassroots campaign to promote the growth of American manufacturing jobs. The goal of the campaign is to persuade lawmakers to pass legislation that will create more manufacturing jobs for American workers.

Puraflo peat fiber biofilter approved in Manitoba

The Environmental Services Branch of Manitoba Conservation approved the use of in-ground and mounted pads for the dispersal of the Anua Puraflo peat fiber biofilter effluent. Manitoba Conservation also approved Puraflo modules in a polishing filter configuration.

Bear Onsite receives patent for filter cartridge

The U.S. Patent Office awarded Bear Onsite owner and ML3 inventor Theo Perry a patent for his filter cartridge. Patent 8,075,774 allows for a filter cartridge with progressive filtration like its predecessor ML3 series, but with a more economical design.

Alteris SeptiCover program receives NOWRA endorsement

The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) has endorsed Alteris Inc. and its SeptiCover program as the preferred errors and omissions insurance provider for its nationwide membership. Designed for septic designers and inspectors, the program is underwritten by Darwin Select Insurance Co., a member company of Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG.

Vacuum Truck Hose Set-Up, sponsored by Progress Tank, Kuriyama of America, and Fergus Power Products, consisted of connecting two 30-foot-long, 4-inch Tiger Green hoses onto the Progress Tank and racing the end of the second hose into a riser. Tiger Green hoses went to the winner, Chris Hartman, with a time of 21 seconds. Kuriyama of America donated two more Tiger Green hoses and a 10-foot Tiger Green drop hose that were sold with proceeds going to NAWT.

Vacuum Pump Vane Replacement, sponsored by Fruitland Tool & Mfg., consisted of changing out pump vanes. A Fruitland RCF 500 Pump worth $5,200 went to winner Larry Ward II, of Hillbilly Pumping & Hauling, Joplin, Mo.

Portable Restroom Race, sponsored by PolyPortables and Allied Forward Motion, involved pushing a portable restroom through a course and using a Mini Metro Mover to pull it back to a designated mark. The PolyPortables restroom and Mini Metro Mover went to winner, Dave Kibbe of Complete Septic Service of Belcherton, Mass.

Tank Alarm Installation, sponsored by SJE-Rhombus and COLE Publishing, involved installing an SJE-Rhombus septic tank alarm. COLE Publishing awarded $100 and four 2013 Pumper & Cleaner Expo passes to winner John Hignett, of Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Cordova, Md.

NAWT also hosted training and certification Inspector and Operation and Maintenance courses and a Vacuum Truck Technician course.

Every company has to decide whether being online is worth the time and investment it involves, but one thing no company should do is ignore the impact of the online world on a business. Whatever your views on the value of being online, here are a few things to consider:

If you’re not online, you don’t exist – at least to some potential customers. There is a reason Google has become a verb. For large numbers of people, Google is the number one source of information. When they look for a septic system contractor in your area, and don’t see a website for you, but they do see one from a competitor, chances are they won’t even consider your company – and you won’t even know it.

Websites nowadays are easy to build. Wordpress.com offers free websites to anyone, and they provide lots of easy point-and-click widgets to make building a site a snap. Other websites, like GoDaddy, Homestead and VistaPrint offer even easier tools for building a website and cost less than $10 per month. Even if your efforts only bring in one or two customers, your investment of time can pay dividends.

If you don’t want to build a website, consider putting your company on Facebook, which has nearly a billion users worldwide. Many people use Facebook to learn more about companies they are considering. Creating a fan page or a group page costs no money, yet it gives you a presence online, helping you connect with customers and allowing new people to find you.

While the details for doing this are beyond the scope of this column, if you go to Facebook and type in the word “septic,” you will see how many onsite industry professionals are already there. Look at some of those pages and you will quickly get ideas about how you can make this social media platform work for you.

Even if you don’t have a website, your business is online – and it’s telling lies about your company. If you’ve never typed your company name into the Google search engine, you should do so. At a minimum, you are likely to find your company information on websites such as yellowpages.com, manta.com and others. Chances are also good that the information shown there is wrong. At the very minimum, you should work with those websites to make sure your information is accurate. Some will also let you post a picture of your company or include a couple of sentences about what your company does.

More troubling are the many places where disgruntled customers can post negative information about you. Angie’s List, Yelp.com, ContractorFromHell.com, Kudzu, BetterBusinessBureau.com and others let consumers vent frustrations with contractors. They’ll also use Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube to complain about the job you’ve done.

Before the Internet, it was said that one unhappy customer would tell 10 people. Now unhappy customers can tell millions – and those posts never go away. Fortunately, you can fight back. There are almost always two sides to a story, and most websites provide a mechanism for you to add your version of events.

But you can’t tell your side of the story if you don’t know that complaints are out there. A Google search will help you find websites with negative customer reviews. To find out whether people are complaining about you on Facebook or other social media sites, websites such as SocialMention.com, OpenBook.com and TweetBeep are good tools.

The decision to have a website or a Facebook page is yours. What people are saying about you online is beyond your control. But if you choose to ignore what people are saying, the consequences will hurt you, and you probably won’t even know why.

The S450TX mini skid-steer from Vermeer has a 500-pound operating capacity with 1,430-pound tipping capacity. Features include a four-pump hydraulic system, single pilot-operated joystick and choice of Kubota 24.8 hp diesel or Kohler EFI 27 hp gasoline engine. Track options include the standard 9-inch or 7-inch-wide version for tight work areas. Other features include spring-cushioned platform, LED lighting, rear panel and side shields. 888/837-6337; www.vermeer.com.

Little Beaver Kwik-Trench mini trencher

The KT 200B and KT 2400B Kwik-Trench mini trenchers from Little Beaver can trench up to 30 feet per minute. Featuring carbide-tipped teeth and a powerful drive system, the mini trenchers cut through compacted clay, road fill, asphalt and tree roots up to 10 inches thick. Powered by a 5.5 hp Honda engine with V-belt drive system, the 265-pound KT 200B can achieve depths up to 8 inches and trenches from 1 to 3 inches wide. The 430-pound KT 2400B is powered by an 8 hp Honda engine, achieves depths to 12 inches and produces trenches from 1 to 4 inches wide. 800/227-7515; www.littlebeaver.com.

Ditch Witch walk-behind trencher

Ditch Witch RT12, RT16, RT20 and RT24 walk-behind trenchers from The Charles Machine Works Inc. feature a hydraulic drive system, solid, adjustable trail wheel and skid-steer type steering. Models RT12, RT20 and RT24 are powered by 12, 20 and 24 hp Honda engines, while RT16 has a 16 hp Vanguard Briggs & Stratton engine. 800/654-6481; www.ditchwitch.com.

Norwesco seamless septic tanks

Low-profile, seamless septic tanks from Norwesco feature one-piece construction for greater strength and to ensure against leakage. Tanks are available in 500-, 750-, 1,000-, 1,250- and 1,500-gallon sizes. 800/328-3430; www.norwesco.com.

Scalewatcher water conditioner

The Scalewatcher water conditioner from Scalewatcher North America Inc. produces a varying, electronically applied force field, induced by a coil wrapped around the outside of the pipework that keeps minerals in suspension and prevents limestone from forming. Systems can treat from 1- to 80-inch pipes. 610/932-6888; www.scalewatcher.com.

Premier Tech Aqua wastewater treatment system

The Ecoflo polyethylene, ready-to-use wastewater treatment system from Premier Tech Aqua is available in nine models for greater flow and disposal flexibility. The plug-in, plug-out system comes pre-assembled (components and filtering media) and shipped to the site. 604/346-8199; www.premiertechaqua.com.

The Tru-Flow Splitter system from Clarus Environmental can split wastewater effluent flows from 0.1 gpm to 30 gpm into two to five distribution lines. The lightweight and non-corrodible system is long lasting and easy to install. It consists of a diverter basin and cover, and a diverter.

The bubble-level design allows for post-construction adjustments, solving problems associated with distribution box settling. The unit may settle as much as 15 degrees front-to-back (30 degrees total) and 12 degrees side-to-side (24 degrees total) and, when adjusted, will still evenly split effluent. With a 4-inch riser to the surface, the system is easy to inspect and maintain. 877/244-9340; www.clarusenvironmental.com.

Septic chamber

The Quick4 Plus Standard Chamber from Infiltrator Systems offers high strength through a center structural column and is available in standard and standard low-profile (LP) models. The unit can be installed in a 36-inch-wide trench and a Contour Swivel Connection permits 10-degree right and left turns, making it well suited for tough terrain and tight job sites. The chamber’s 4-foot length provides optimal installation flexibility. Only 8 inches high, the LP model is 4 inches shorter than the standard model, allowing for shallow installations.

Two simple, flat endcaps are offered with the chambers. The all-in-one endcap can be used at the end of a chamber row or installed mid-trench to allow for a center feed and inlet pipe connections. Additional accessories are available. 800/221-4436; www.infiltratorsystems.com.

Gravelless drainfield

The Q2 (Q squared where Q is flow) high-efficiency gravelless drainfield product from Koi Environmental consists of interconnected pieces of expanded polymer, including expanded polystyrene, designed to maximize surface area and void space. The pieces are formed into strong, lightweight dimensional blocks 6 to 12 inches square and 5 feet long. The blocks weight 2 1/2 to 5 pounds each, and can be stacked and cut for any dispersal system design.

Design features optimize oxygen transfer and bacterial growth, allowing effluent to be channeled to the sidewall of the trench. Variable porosity of the individual pieces making up the blocks can be adapted to different soil types. Vertical channels enhance evaporation, and provision is made for aeration and heating through a channel in the bottom of the block. Insulation of the polymer improves cold-weather performance. The unit is transportable and quick and easy to install. 800/980-9898; www.koienvironmental.com.

Septic vents

Vents from Pagoda Vent Company are septic system vents that look like a yard or landscape accent. They can be installed with or without the company’s odor filter cartridges. The vents are easy to install, economical, come in three natural landscape colors, and are available in heights from 1 to 14 feet. 888/864-1468; www.pagodavent.com.

Vent filter

The 6-inch Poly-Air carbon odor-eliminating vent filter from Polylok fits on 4- and 6-inch vent pipes. It contains 5 pounds of activated carbon that removes offensive odors, such as hydrogen sulfide. The filter is well suited for odor elimination in commercial and residential applications. It is a discreet way of treating septic odors and can be installed on existing vents. A smaller version is available to cover 1 1/2-, 2- and 3-inch pipe. 877/765-9565; www.polylok.com.

Pipe stand

The STF-BTBS bow tie pipe stand from SIM/TECH FILTER, Inc. is designed for use in chamber systems where the distribution piping is suspended above the soil. The stand is independent of the chamber, allowing pipe to be installed before chamber installation and before the squirt test is performed. The unit installs by a squeeze-and-release action that makes installation quick and easy. The stand can be installed on the pipe before placing in the trench, and is easily adjusted to any desired spacing. The stand stores flat. It is available to fit 1-, 1 1/4-, 1 1/2-, and 3-inch pipe. 888/999-3290; www.simtechfilter.com.

Sweet filter

The Sweet Air Filter from Tuf-Tite was invented by Bud Sweet of Sweet Septic. The filter is a self-cleaning D-Vent filter that uses activated carbon to remove offensive odors from roof vents. It uses heat from the sun to automatically clean and refresh itself. The filter comes with a removable cap for easy carbon replacement. It fits 2-, 3- and 4-inch pipes, and custom sizes are available. 800/382-7009; www.tuf-tite.com.