Make It Clear: Why You Can't Just Flush and Forget

Send us Fan Mail For the last 40 years, control panels have been an integral part of the solutions offered by Orenco Systems.  Over the years, our Controls division has branched out to meet the needs of, not just the wastewater industry, but the water industry as a whole. We provide control solutions for projects of all sizes. In this episode, we talk with Bill Cagle, the Vice President of the Con...

Send us Fan Mail Change happens all around us. Some changes are easy. Other changes are much more involved. And then, there are changes that are so profound that they change the way we think about something in a radically new fashion. It's a paradigm shift; you see a part of your world in a whole new way. Believe it or not, there have been several paradigm shifts in relation to wastewater ove...

Send us Fan Mail There's always something happening in the world of wastewater and some of those things are news-worthy. Every so often, Angela and I will look at what's happening in our industry and bring you relevant articles that are worth noting. In this episode, we will cover several interesting stories that received recent attention. You can find these articles through the links be...

Send us Fan Mail Flows in wastewater systems will vary from project to project. But intermittent flows can pose a particular problem for designers and thus require special consideration. Bill Hensley, one of our senior systems engineers, talks with us about what makes these systems unique and offers some insight into how to design a system to accommodate irregular flows.  If you have comments or q...

Send us Fan Mail In almost every industry, you could compile a list of things that seem to be "common knowledge" that are either half-truths, or just plain false. The wastewater industry is no different. If you have a company trying to sell you a product or a professional giving you their opinion, don't just take their word for it. Do your research and separate fact from fiction. If...

Send us Fan Mail High-strength waste is always a concern. However, it can be especially problematic if you live or work in an area that is sensitive to higher concentrations of nutrients. High concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorous, and even a high BOD value can present a problem for fragile environments. Keven Kelley, one of our senior engineers, joins us to talk about what high-strength waste i...

Send us Fan Mail In an industry that is governed by so many rules and regulations, it is important to keep records. Installers, service providers, and even home or business owners should be keeping records to document everything.  In this episode, we talk about what records are important to keep and why you should be keeping them. You never know when that bit of information will come in handy or s...

Send us Fan Mail As our industry evolved, influential voices inspired change, challenged conventional thinking, and invented revolutionary technologies that would set the course for future generations. Many of these industry pioneers are still active today, sharing new ideas, working on innovations, and inspiring the next generation. In this series, we interview some of these people to discover wh...

Send us Fan Mail While it's not a long list, there are still some basic things every homeowner with a septic system should know. In this episode, we talk about what you need to know about your system and why it's important.  If you have comments or questions about our podcast, you can reach us through this link . To discuss a project or talk to one of our engineers, call 800-348-9843.

Send us Fan Mail As our industry evolved, influential voices inspired change, challenged conventional thinking, and invented revolutionary technologies that would set the course for future generations. Many of these industry pioneers are still active today, sharing new ideas, working on innovations, and inspiring the next generation. In this series, we interview some of these people to discover wh...

Send us Fan Mail We work in an exciting but often misunderstood industry. Just like most of an iceberg is hidden below the surface, most people only see the small, public part of our industry that is visible when there is a septic problem. Most commonly, they see the dedicated people that maintain and install systems. But, like an iceberg, there is so much more that the public never gets to see. I...

Send us Fan Mail Lots of things come with do's and don'ts: appliances, computers, cars ... even clothes. Your wastewater system is no different. By following the manufacturer's recommendations and some common-sense guidelines, you can be confident that your wastewater system will operate with little-to-no hassle for many years. In this episode of our Do's and Don'ts series...

Send us Fan Mail Lots of things come with do's and don'ts: appliances, computers, cars ... even clothes. Your wastewater system is no different. By following the manufacturer's recommendations and some common-sense guidelines, you can be confident that your wastewater system will operate with little-to-no hassle for many years. In this episode of our Do's and Don'ts series...

Send us Fan Mail Lots of things come with do's and don'ts: appliances, computers, cars ... even clothes. Your wastewater system is no different. By following the manufacturer's recommendations and some common-sense guidelines, you can be confident that your wastewater system will operate with little-to-no hassle for many years. In this episode of our Do's and Don'ts series...

Send us Fan Mail Lots of things come with do's and don'ts: appliances, computers, cars ... even clothes. Your wastewater system is no different. By following the manufacturer's recommendations and some common-sense guidelines, you can be confident that your wastewater system will operate with little-to-no hassle for many years. In this first episode of our Do's and Don'ts...

Send us Fan Mail In part four, we finish out our series with a discussion on drainfields. Follow along as we talk with Jeff Ball about the different types of drainfields that are used in the industry. We'll discuss some tips for maintaining your drainfield to keep it in good working condition and talk about some reasons why a drainfield could fail. What better way to end the series than by ta...

Send us Fan Mail How much do you know about what happens in your septic tank? There is a lot that goes on in your septic system between your house and the drainfield. Jeff Ball, one of the owners of the company, joins us to talk about how a septic tanks works, the processes that take place in a septic tank, and why the tank is so important to treating wastewater. If you have comments or questions...

Send us Fan Mail Garbage disposals are a convenience in many homes, but their use is sometimes misunderstood by many well-meaning homeowners. In this second episode of our series, we talk with Jeff Ball about two schools of thought on the use of garbage disposals and offer homeowners some tips and tricks, do's and don'ts. (If you own a garbage disposal, always defer to the recommendation...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the first episode in our new series, "How Does It Work," where we discuss the basics of septic systems. In this episode, we talk with Jeff Ball, one of the company owners, about what's safe to flush down the toilet and what things may cause damage to your wastewater system. You can also find more information in our Homeowner's Manual at this link: (...

Send us Fan Mail Water is a scarce and valuable resource. Every year, our usable supply gets smaller and smaller as it becomes contaminated with toxic materials. The good news is we can do something about it by reusing wastewater, the water we dispose of in our sewage treatment and greywater systems. Garry-Lee Espinosa, one of our senior engineers, joins us to talk about the ways wastewater can be...

Send us Fan Mail It's hard to believe something so small and inexpensive could potentially save you thousands of dollars, but that's the beauty of having an effluent filter. Tune in to hear one of our product managers, Dave Nelson, explain how effluent filters work, how to choose the right filter for your system, and how they prevent the premature failure of your expensive downstream com...

Send us Fan Mail Wastewater from single-family homes (or even a collection of homes) tends to be pretty much the same. But for commercial systems, the waste strength can vary wildly. In this episode, we talk with Garry-Lee Espinosa, one of our senior engineers, about the differences in wastewater designs for residential and commercial establishments and why those differences matter.  If you have c...

Send us Fan Mail Water is a vital resource. So important, in fact, that we wanted to circle back around to thoughts from a previous episode and highlight some of the realities we face with such a limited and valuable resource. In this episode, we brought back our clean water expert, Geoff Salthouse, to talk about the quantity, quality, and availability of clean water, and how you can do something...

Send us Fan Mail Wastewater infrastructure is an essential part of every community. It involves environmental and economic studies, designing and engineering, installation, maintenance, and sometimes, remediation. All of this costs money. So, where does that money come from? Our guests, Mike Saunders and Bill Snyder, share their knowledge and experience with us and tell us how this essential commu...

Send us Fan Mail Across the United States, nutrient discharges from wastewater systems are being regulated at an increasing rate. Decentralized wastewater treatment systems can provide better, more reliable solutions for reducing nutrients through biological processes. In this episode, we'll talk with Bill Hensley, one of our Senior Engineers, about what those nutrients are and how we go abou...