Sewer industry issues more complex than surface impressions might suggest

The sewer and septic service business is more complex than you might think.

Those in the business must keep abreast of evolving technology and myriad federal, state, and local regulations. Workers must comply with county board of health standards and Iowa DNR licensing requirements.

And with customers ranging from homeowners to factories to municipalities, people skills are important, too.

Richard and Faith Miene started Miene's Septic Service Inc. in 1973 with a single used pump truck, operating out of their home to sell septic maintenance services for mostly residential customers.

Today, son Rick owns and operates the business out of a shop in Robins, where Richard still works part time and Faith serves as office manager. The company's range of septic services includes installation of conventional and alternative septic systems, system maintenance and repair, and conducting legally mandated inspections and testing.

The business also provides site development and maintenance services such as excavation, land clearing and grading, sewer and water hook-ups, tiling, and snow plowing. But septic services remain the backbone of the business.

'Septic is at least 60 percent,” Faith Miene said. 'The rest is everything else.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nearly a quarter of American households depend on septic systems to treat wastewater. Existing systems require regular maintenance and occasional repair and replacement, which means steady work for the septic services industry.

Because an improperly designed, installed or maintained septic system poses risks to public health and the environment, keen regulator interest is the norm in the septic services industry.

Iowa law requires a permit for the construction of a septic system to be issued by the local county board of health or county sanitarian. Requirements vary from county to county, but all systems generally must meet certain standards for system design, separation distances and soil testing.

The rules are intended to minimize pollution from contaminated wastewater.

Among the various rules and regulations is Iowa's Time of Transfer septic system inspection law, which took effect July 1, 2009. It requires a septic system inspection before any sale or transfer and is designed to weed out septic systems that are not functioning properly. Inspectors must be state-certified.

Corey Kadlec said the Time of Transfer law has been the 'bread and butter” of his business.

A one-man operation, Septic Services of Iowa primarily provides state-certified time of transfer inspections and septic tank pumping. The business recently added septic installation work after Kadlec completed the Iowa Onsite Wastewater Association (IOWWA) septic installer training program.

'I'm a big outdoors person and a conservationist,” he said. 'If I can make sure septic systems are properly getting rid of waste, then I can help conserve the environment, and that's personally rewarding to me.”

With each county having different standards for septic systems, Kadlec acknowledges it can be a challenge to keep track of all of the different regulatory requirements.

Performing sewer work for a municipality requires knowledge of yet another set of standards, according to Nathan Maher, vice president of his family-owned Roto-Rooter franchise in Cedar Rapids.

'Municipalities have different rules but the same guidelines,” he said.

One challenge in dealing with municipal requirements can be getting approval to use new technology that makes the job easier.

For example, cured-in-place pipe liner technology has the ability to rehabilitate deteriorating pipe without having to dig up floors or disturb nearby utility lines. Although the technology was introduced about three years ago, Roto-Rooter just received approval to use it on a project for the city of Cedar Rapids.

With franchises in six other Eastern Iowa counties, Maher is hopeful that other municipalities in the area will soon follow suit.

'Typically, if something gets approved in Cedar Rapids, others will approve it also,” he said.

As with septic services, technology used in sewer services work is constantly evolving. Roto-Rooter's equipment includes three different liner systems and two pipe bursting systems for trenchless pipe rehabilitation, hydroevacuation equipment, and 30 cameras used for pipe inspections and locating.

'A common misconception of the business is people not realizing the sophisticated technology involved,” Maher said.