Professional Pooper-Pumpers!

Yeah, I know that title is lame. But I got your attention, I hope!

Trying to get a septic system serviced in Juneau has been a frustrating experience for many of us for many years. I could probably rant for a while about it, but let's just say the only company providing the service over a vast geographical area just didn't have enough time, equipment, or manpower to keep up with the demand.

A few months ago, I was driving home and saw a WHITE septic pumper tanker. (The others in town are a different color). Since I was near the Auke Bay Ferry Terminal, I was just sure it was being shipped somewhere and had to be offloaded from the ferry only to be reloaded once they figured out where to put it based upon destination. Given the size of the truck, I could imagine they were just on the road turning it around.

Surprisingly it pulled onto another road nearby and neatly parked in a driveway. I almost put my car in the ditch rubbernecking to get a better look. Cars were behind me and I needed to go home and start dinner so reluctantly I kept going. Honestly, five minutes later, the whole thing slipped my mind.

A few days later, I noticed the truck was back in that driveway but once again, I was in a rush. Other times, I'd drive by and look for it but it would be gone. Finally, I found myself with time and the truck was there. I called the number on the side of the truck and left my contact information.

I really didn't expect a call back very quickly. I received a call back within an hour. One of the owners chatted with me for about 10 minutes. Yes, they were new in the business. No, they were not part of the other company. Yes, they could pump out systems, but they were not certified on installs (yet). They were just pumpers. They were also Firefighter/EMT's with Capital City Fire/Rescue, so this was what they were doing on their days off.

Once again, the entire incident slipped my mind, until one Friday evening, standing outside on my deck, I noticed a bad smell. First I checked the circuit breaker on my electrical panel, and sure enough, I'd thrown the breaker. I turned it off, waited a few minutes, turned it back on and waited. The pumps started doing their thing and I forgot about it. The next day, I noticed that it was off again, and spent a little more time fiddling around. By 3:00PM I realized the problem wasn't so simple.

Desperately I looked for the number and of course I couldn't find it. Finally, I called one of my best friends, Karen Wright. She is also my ad representative with the Capital City Weekly. It took a few minutes, but she finally found enough information that I was able to track down a home phone number for one of the owners of Juneau Septic Services.

After apologizing for calling them at home, I explained my problem to the wife. It was now 4:00PM on Saturday. I figured my neighbors and I were stuck with the stench and annoyance for at least a few days. However, I was surprised to find out they could come out on SUNDAY. No extra charge - they worked those days off from the fire department and helped people as quickly as they could fit them in.

My system was serviced on Sunday, at about 2:00PM. All parts necessary to get my system operational were brought along, and it is now on a regular schedule for pumping and inspection. The courteous and friendly gentleman showed my husband a few things he could do regularly that would prolong the life of our system. He gave me a few cards, and I told him I'd put a link on my website. I did so, and received a nice thank you. Then I got the idea to share with the rest of Juneau.

Good service from true professionals shouldn't be kept secret.

If you'd like to reach Juneau Septic Services, here is their contact information:

Jason Tarver or Sloan Swendsen - 523-3272 - juneausepticservices@gci.net

Tell the WORLD about GOOD stuff!