Job Description for a Septic Tank Servicer

Primarily used in rural areas that aren't connected to municipal sewage systems, septic tanks collect and treat sewage before releasing it back to the environment. Septic tank servicers, also called septic engineers, maintain septic tanks and systems by flushing them out on a given schedule. Properly qualified septic tank servicers, in addition to just cleaning septic tanks, also help to maintain and even install new sewage systems.

How Septic Tanks Work

The purpose of a septic tank is to hold sewage from the connected house and help it settle. Sewage enters the tank from the house, where it runs into a baffle and is forced toward the bottom of the tank. The solids inside the sewage settle out, forming a thick sludge at the bottom. The lighter particles in the sewage float to the top surface where they create a thick scum layer. In between the scum and the sludge layers is the septic liquid. Bacteria and other organisms inside the tank break down the liquid sewage and help to render it biologically inert. This liquid then flows out of the tank where it is distributed through a drain field and dispersed through the soil.

Primary Responsibilities

The primary duty of a septic tank servicer is to empty the septic tank in a sewage system. In order to perform to the best of their abilities, septic tanks need to be flushed out and pumped every few years. The number of years in between servicings depends on the size of the tank and the amount of people that it services. A 1,000-gallon tank that serves a household of two may needed to be pumped once every four or five years, while that same tank that services a household of four people would need to be pumped every two years. In order to pump the tank, the septic engineer first breaks up the scum layer at the top of the tank. The effluent inside the tank is pumped from the septic tank back to the septic tanker truck and then back to the tank. This done to mix the sludge that settles at the bottom of the tank with the liquid layer above it.

Secondary Tasks

While pumping the tank, the septic engineer will check the tank structure for wear and tear. One of the first things that a septic worker checks is the baffles located at the top of the tank. These are metal sheets designed to help the liquid inside the septic system settle. The septic servicer will remove old, worn-out baffles and replace them with new ones as needed. Ventilation shafts, located at the top of the septic tank, are also checked by septic engineers during a tank inspection, and any missing ventilation grates are replaced and improper seals repaired.

Skill Set

Servicing septic tanks can be a physically demanding job. Septic tank servicers need to be in good physical shape and not worried about working up a sweat. Because septic tanks are located outdoors, septic engineers have to work in all sorts of weather, from blinding hot to freezing cold. Septic tank trucks are larger than a standard commercial vehicle, so a septic tank servicer has to know how to drive large trucks, which may require a specialized Class B license, depending on the size of the truck. Class B requirements vary from state to state.

Background Data

Before a servicer can legally service septic tanks, he first has to be certified and/or licensed by the state in which he operates. This requires a minimal reading and writing level at high school graduate level. Septic tank servicers can also be bonded, which assures the customer that if an accident happens because of the septic engineer, he will be protected. Some septic tank professionals are also certified plumbers. In this capacity, not only can the septic engineer service the tank, but also they can install, maintain and help plan new septic systems.