Description
Service, pump, clean, inspect, and repair septic tanks and related piping and drains. Patch tank walls, replace baffles, risers, and damaged drain tile, repair underground breaks, and restore sites to safe, watertight condition.
- • Requisition parts, tools, and materials; restock service trucks.
- • Clean and disinfect areas affected by septic backups.
- • Install sewer saddles or adapters when permitted; connect laterals or tank fittings.
- • Update site sketches, maps, and digital records of tanks, lids, and laterals.
- • Perform system inspections and functional tests for maintenance, real estate, or code compliance; troubleshoot pumps, floats, and alarms, and replace components as needed.
- • Follow safety procedures for confined spaces, traffic control, and environmental compliance.
- • Drive service and vacuum/pumper trucks to job sites.
- • Communicate with dispatch, supervisors, and customers via mobile devices or radios.
- • Prepare and maintain service records, inspection reports, and repair logs.
- • Operate vacuum trucks, high-pressure jetters, and power rodders to pump and clean tanks and lines.
- • Ensure repaired pipe joints, tank penetrations, and riser seals are watertight before backfilling.
- • Withdraw cables or hoses and inspect for mud, roots, grease, or damage indicating clogs or breaks.
- • Install and change rotary knives and cutting heads to match pipe diameters.
- • Measure and mark excavation points using snakes, tapes, sondes, and camera heads.
- • Locate tanks, lids, and pipe defects with locating transmitters and CCTV; mark dig locations.
- • Clean and repair septic tanks and related structures; replace baffles, tees, risers, and lids.
- • Feed and retrieve cables, rods, or jet hoses; adjust tooling to conditions and pipe size.
- • Service, adjust, and perform minor repairs on trucks, pumps, jetters, and attachments.
- • Inspect cleanouts and distribution boxes to locate system stoppages or failures.
- • Excavate by hand to expose tanks, lids, and damaged laterals.
- • Break asphalt or concrete to access buried components, using saws, air hammers, and picks.
- • Backfill and compact excavations; restore grading and patch surfaces.
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
