catch basins

[Anonymous]

I have a number of clients who want catch basins in underground garages cleaned on a regular basis.
Since this is a business I could expand, I’d like to hear any suggestions on ways to do this quickly. I could go the route of pumping the surplus water and then using a catch basin spoon, but I was wondering if anyone knows of a type of pump or vacuum that could do this (from a pickup truck) that isn’t too big or too expensive.

[SylvanLMPParticipant]

Get a copy of Pumper or Cleaner..these are the sewer and drain publications. Try
http://www.cleaner.com/ Good luck say Sylvan Sent you

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SylvanLMP

[camdenParticipant]

Thanks Sylvan, I’ll do as you suggest.

[hjParticipant]

Just some comments if you want to do this legally. The contents of a garage catch basin usually contain grease, oil, and other contaminants. These are considered hazardous materials and as such the water cannot just be pumped into a sewer or other area. And the solids have to be disposed of in an approved area. It is expensive to dump and, therefore it is expensive to the customer. You cannot do it with a pickup truck since you may have to carry many gallons of materials. And the requisite pump system is also very large. This is why the companies that do this work have Vactor systems with very large integral tanks. They also have very large insurance policies to cover the potential liability.

[camdenParticipant]

Thanks HJ…these are some of the issues that I need to sort out. The reason I wanted to go with the pickup is because of height restrictions, in one case as low as 6’4″. I assume that the size of the equipment is why many of these underground structures haven’t been targeted by conventional catch basin cleaners. Obviously in many cases it is easier/cheaper for the owner to hire a “kid” to clean out the catch basin and dump the contents in a dumpster. The price point that can support the equipment, disposal fees and a profit may be hard for some customers to swallow.

[hjParticipant]

The 6’4″ height might also preclude using a “honey dipper” to clean them out, since they are usually 10′ long. “Midnight dumpers” can always beat the price of a legitimate cleaner, and they usually know the spots where they can avoid detection and being caught. The environment to them is not as important as making a buck.

[camdenParticipant]

Thanks for your comments, they have helped. I’m in the process of getting prices of dumping legally (I first need to calculate how much material I’ll be dumping per load which means I have to figure out what size truck I’ll use etc. etc. etc….this stage of the game, when you don’t know what you’re doing yet, can be difficult and fun all at once. If dumping fees are restrictive and clients aren’t willing to pay, I won’t go into the business. I’m hoping that they will pay; we’ll have to see.

[Author]

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