How to Start a Septic Tank Business

Summary: There are many things to consider before investing your hard earned money into the septic tank business. There are a lot of hardware and machineries needed; as with filling out tons of paperwork. Here are the things you need to know before starting your septic tank business.

The septic tank business is very closely tied to sewage treatment or domestic wastewater treatment.

Before you endeavor to enter the field of septic tank business, you must at least acquaint yourself with proper wastewater treatment. There are very strict laws (local government, federal, environmental) regarding the installation of one septic tank. An even greater number of paperwork awaits you should you finally decide to go full time into the septic tank business.

Some of the permits needed to be cleared are: septic, (water) well and zoning permit. There may also be a series of certifications you need to acquire from your state’s Planning Office, or the like.

Septic tanks come in all size and shapes. Some septic tank businesses create their own tanks. Others have a steady supplier they can rely on. In any event, you may want to decide early on if you would like to make the tanks yourself or not. If not, then it is advisable to find suppliers that can assure you of quality at a price which you can afford.

Passing the bulk of the expenses to your potential customers may seem like a good alternative, but it will not net you much profit in the end. Remember that you are running this as a business venture – so quality coupled with affordability will help you find more customers through referrals.

Primarily, the “type” of septic tank needed should fit the home owner’s requirements, the underground system and the land area. Knowledge of local geography and underground resources is more than necessary, so as to secure the tank for a long period of time.

A septic tank is but one component of a septic system. It is however, the most important of all other components; these components may include the installation of: alarms, clarified liquid effluent disposal means (septic drain field), peat moss beds, ponds, pumps and / or sand filters. With some systems, aerobic systems called bio-filters are not only necessary, but mandated by the law.

The installation process needs heavy machineries for digging through the soil and the actual placing of the tank. Unless you already have heavy machineries stored and locked up in your basement, renting one out for specific projects may prove more economical. That is, if the company hiring the machines out to you are dependable. Try to find one company which you can borrow digging equipments from: preferably one that can accommodate your requests on a short-notice basis – just in case something undesirable turns up in a project.

Home owners are likely to pay for their septic tank installation with several thousands of dollars. They would want value for their money.

An improper installation of septic tank can cause much inconvenience to the home owner. It can also wreck havoc to the environment. Pollutants inside the tanks may leak into the surrounding soil contaminating everything it touches. Some of these pollutants may include ammonia, carbon dioxide, methane and sulfate based toxic gas. Contaminated soil can become over saturated with phosphate, which in turn can cause eutrophication of the surface water.

Eutrophication is when there is an abundant accumulation of nutrients in the surface water that algae and other microscopic organisms eventually clog the shallow waters. This depletes the oxygen in the water, which in turn, makes the water inhospitable to any life form.

In other highly populated areas, groundwater pollution may occur after a badly installed septic tank, contaminating all sources of drinking or tap water.