Necessity… The Mother Of Invention

David Batson, owner of Batson Enterprises, was tired of working on failing headworks boxes so he invented his own. But, he’s always been a problem-solver.

“When I was working for my past employer, the guys I worked with wanted me to do setups on pumps and control panels. They needed someone capable of hooking up alarms and control panels. So, everything I dealt with was mechanical, such as float switches, pumps and time dosing panels, that was just the thing I was interested in.”

When the economy took a nosedive, Batson decided to strike out on his own. “I knew with the recession that my job for the past 10 years was tenuous. A lot of systems had been going in the past seven years, and I knew they would need servicing and troubleshooting. So, I got my finances in order and launched my own business in January 2009.”

Batson Enterprises has grown each year he has been in business. Batson’s good fortune is built on his ingenuity, reputation, and relationships that he has forged since getting into the wastewater industry in 1998.

Batson’s ingenuity paid off when he decided to build his own headworks box. “I was tired of constantly fixing headworks boxes that should’ve lasted longer.”

BATSON’S HEADWORKS BOX
“Simple to install, our headworks box is designed to replace inadequate headworks components in fresh water or wastewater treatment systems,” says Batson. “Field tested for 4 years without failing, it is proving to be more durable and reliable than other (more expensive) filtration units on the market or in the ground.”

Batson says that their headworks box is very low maintenance. Snifter (schrader) valves on the filters enable you to determine flow. “Our systems utilize a dual-valve filter system (2 filters) allowing you to simply switch flow to the clean filter so you can replace the dirty one all without having to pump the system or turn it off.”

“If a filter ever becomes completely clogged, under normal usage, our system is designed to withstand the build up of pressure. No more delays because of having to order and replace broken parts or having to pump the wastewater treatment system at your customer’s expense. The Batson Box is easy to open and easy to secure. The filters are easy to access and changing one takes about 15-30 minutes.”

Engineers looking for less expensive, more durable and more reliable headworks, might be happy with the Batson box which is designed to maintain efficient flow rates (55/110 GPM) and works with per-existing controllers. No new electronics needed.
For installers, the product comes pre-assembled. No special tools or controllers are required. Just stick them in the ground and hook them up.

Despite Batson’s experience, he does not consider himself an expert. “There’s always new things to learn in this environment of ever-changing technologies.” His passion for computers led him to establish a website which can easily be found when Googled under a multitude of search terms.

TRAINING
Alabama licensing requires ongoing training, allowing Batson to share his knowledge through classes for the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association. “I’ve been teaching the classes for about four years now and have taught in Auburn and Pellum. To keep the guys interested and awake, I have given away multimeters and two $50 bills. I love it.”

Terminology makes a difference to the customers, so when on a job, he passes his knowledge on to clients making sure they understand what is going on with their system. Batson not only answers all of the customer’s questions, but also the ones they don’t ask ensuring no surprises. “People are starving to death for honesty.”

He doesn’t take advantage of customers by using inferior products or cutting corners just to get the job done.

INSTALLING
Depending on the situation, Batson likes using several different brands, including AquaPoint, EnviroGuard, Nayadic, and Puraflo. “Being versatile is key. Different systems are needed for different sites. Aquapoint has a unique perspective on decentralized wastewater treatment and distributed sewer management. Unlike many companies in the industry, they consider decentralization as new architecture that will incorporate the onsite, clustered and central sewer approaches to wastewater treatment and management.”

“EnviroGuard and Nayadic are very simple to maintain. Puraflo has high hydraulic loading rates without ponding with physical, chemical, and biological treatment. They withstand temperature and PH fluctuations and maintain an aerobic environment. Those conditions facilitate growth of microorganisms and don’t require biomat maintenance on media. Their high retention time optimizes treatment and harmful bacteria die off.”

He acquires his tanks from Wells Septic Tank. When installing septic tanks, he prefers concrete tanks because they are cheaper until you get to a certain size and are more beneficial to use. After 3,000 gallons, he likes to use fiberglass because he says it takes very little effort to get it into the ground. “Anything over 3,000 gallons would take 15-21 days for concrete to cure.”

Batson is able to procure other supplies from the Central Supply Company.

When it’s raining, Batson advises that for every day of rain, you need to allow two days of drying when putting in fill lines otherwise it will fail miserably.

When it comes to price, Batson charges his customers the same on weekends and holidays as he does during the week. “I’ve had to raise my regular hourly rate over the years as costs have gone up, but I charge the same amount to all of my customers.”
When life gives you lemons, Batson makes great lemonade. If he can’t find the product that he likes, then he’ll design one. That constant search for a solution and the best solution has positioned Batson and Batson Enterprises to thrive in our new economy.

Story by Jennifer Taylor

Resources
■ Batson Enterprises, visit www.alabamasepticinstallations.com
■ AquaPoint, visit www.aquapoint.com
■ EnviroGuard & Nayadic, visit www.consolidatedtreatment.com
■ Puraflow, visit www.consolidatedtreatment.com
■ Wells Septic Tank, visit www.consolidatedtreatment.com
■ Central Supply Company, visit www.centralsupplyco.net

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