In Washington State, most of the on-site wastewater installation companies in our county are still home run businesses, with one or two employees who are usually family members. The business may have been in the family for 2 or 3 generations. Most of these companies work around the immediate area and don't travel out of the county. To help supplement income, companies will usually do other types of dirt work, such as clearing, road building and excavation.

This group has been a very independent lot even before they came into being called installers. Things have not changed. We are still independent in many ways.

Not a lot of people would put their life savings or go borrow 100,000-$200,00 to have a job. Installers do this. They spend that amount for equipment so they can go to work and be their own boss. The ones who survive are smart and maybe just a little crazy. (Crazy in the sense of why put yourself in this situation? Yes, I'm independent but now I have to work every day, all day to pay back the loan. The American dream, YES, I can do it!).

Installers just don't have the installation of on-site wastewater treatment systems to think about. They also have to run a business: take the calls, meet the people, bid the jobs, schedule the jobs, order the material, work with the general contractor and homeowner to install the system, comply with the on-site wastewater regulations and schedule inspections (designers and regulators), keep the books, send out bills, get paid, pay all necessary county, state and federal taxes, make sure the equipment is serviced so it's ready to work, so the process can start again!

To juggle all of these jobs and stay in business takes a very resourceful and diplomatic individual, and there are lots of us out there who have somehow managed to do it. Why we still do it, I'm not sure. It hasn't gotten easier with more emphasis on environmental protection and higher taxes.

One other thing I would like to mention about installers is that most of them are very observant and aware of the conditions of the environment in which they work. They have to know about the soils, water, trees, rocks and physical geography of the sites they will be working on or when they bid a job they will lose their shirts. They generally know a lot more than what they are given credit.

With all that we as installers have to stay in business, the regulators now want us to go to training classes on the installation of new on-site wastewater treatment systems. I think it's great! I not only think it's great to learn new ideas and techniques, but it will also help us make more money. We now have more on-site wastewater treatment systems that can be used on marginal sites and in areas of critical concern. These systems open up many more parcels of land and allow us to stay in business. Therefore, not only should we attend the classes, I think we should be helping write the curriculum and teach the classes. Who knows better about installation than installers! Remember there is a lot more to putting an on-site wastewater treatment system in the ground than just knowing about how the system works. The installer needs to think through the scheduling of the construction phases and what equipment will be best suited for the job and site. There are lots of things to think of and we as installers do that everyday.

You need to become involved - this is your livelihood. Join an association. Become vocal and be included in the decisions that are being made about our industry. The regulators and educators need your input. Without it their programs will suffer.

This page created by Roland O. Coburn
Reasearch Tech I
on 4/19/00.