Name and title: Tanner Devine, owner
Business name and location: A-1 Septic Systems, Stillwater, Oklahoma
Services we offer: We install, maintain and pump septic systems. We also rent portable restrooms and build storm shelters.
Age: 32
Years in the industry: I’ve been in the industry full time since 2020, but have been around the septic industry since I was a kid. Our business has been in the family for three generations now. My wife Shelby and I bought the business from my aunt in 2020.
Association involvement: I’ve been a member of the Oklahoma Onsite Wastewater Association for two years and have served on the board since I joined.
Benefits of belonging to the association: The No. 1 benefit is the networking. Being part of an association with like-minded industry professionals is an asset to my business. I’ve been able to meet other business owners and form relationships that I otherwise wouldn’t have. Being a part of OOWA can help inspire others and can help inspire pride in your work and within our industry.
Biggest issue facing your association right now: We are trying to work with our state legislators to get laws passed to ensure septic systems are installed correctly and safely. There are far too many illegal systems installed every year, so we are working towards proper education and licensure for our industry.
Typical day on the job: My day starts at the shop with a brief morning meeting with employees. Then I go to our first job of the day to scope things out, meet with potential customers and bid new jobs. Throughout the day, I check in with employees and fill in wherever needed to keep up with our busy schedule. I oversee all installations of septic systems and coordinate with vendors. And all day I’m on the phone a lot.
The job I’ll never forget: We were installing several aerobic systems in a neighborhood one hot summer day. The rail truck delivering the systems was backed up to the hole. As soon as the tank was over the hole, the cable snapped, causing the tank to fall about 12 feet. Luckily, no one was near the tank when it fell so everyone was safe, but you could feel the ground shake under your feet as the 17,000-pound tank shattered. My employees still talk about this one. This was such a great reminder of how important safety is on the job.
My favorite piece of equipment: My dozer. It’s a John Deere 650. In addition to my septic business, I also enjoy dirt work, building ponds, etc. And when I’m on it, the noise gives me a nice break from my constantly ringing phone.
Most challenging site I’ve worked on: One of the most challenging pump jobs we’ve ever had was to pump out a lift station in a basement. It was three stories down and across a parking garage. It took several hundred feet of hose to reach the lift station, and when we got down there the lift station was about 35 feet deep.
Oops, this didn’t work out as planned: We were hired to replace the septic tank at a local funeral home/crematory. The utilities locating company didn’t locate the gas line supplying the burners for the crematory. So when we were excavating the old tank out, we dug through the gas lines, which of course had to be repaired. After repairing, the burners had to be reset and we unfortunately got a tour of the crematory in the process. My employees still talk about that one, too.
The craziest question or comment from a customer: Some jobs we don’t want. A customer once asked if we could pump out a septic tank in a situation where a person had passed away in the bathtub, the body had started to decay, and fluids had drained into the septic tank.
If I could change one industry regulation, it would be: I would love to see more regulations ensuring that systems are maintained during their warranty period after installation and beyond. I would also like to see that systems are being installed by licensed professionals only.
Best piece of small business advice I’ve heard or came up with: If you provide a quality and honest service at a reasonable price, you’ll have work every day.
If I wasn’t working in the wastewater industry, I would like to: Do dirt work full time and grow my cattle operation.
Crystal ball time – This is my outlook for the wastewater industry: I think the wastewater industry deserves more recognition as a professional industry. With rapid growth of communities, municipalities are struggling, and a large portion of newer homes are utilizing septic systems in our area. With this growth, we need to have properly trained and regulated licensed installers in our industry.
