American Liquid Waste Magazine

Innovation can be dramatic and technologically advanced, or it can be much simpler and more down to earth. In an industry that sees to some of our most basic human needs, judgments regarding “simple” and “dramatic” are in the eye of the beholder—and occasionally the distinction is not so…well…distinct. Take solar [...]

By Jim vonMeier
Right now, the spotlight is on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  Obviously, no one wanted this to happen in the first place, and no one wants it to continue, but people will give different reasons why it needs to be stopped.  Some are worried that [...]

Liquid waste haulers can be a practical group; and considering what they do all day, moving waste from place to place, that should be no surprise to anyone.  Their equipment has to be durable and easy to handle. Those two requirements have been especially important over the past eighteen months as [...]

As the enormous oil spill teases the Gulf coastline with its threat of environmental disaster, hundreds of industrial vacuum trucks manufactured and serviced by Guzzler Manufacturing are poised along beaches to help with anticipated cleanup efforts.
The 3,000-gallon, multi-service trucks generally are sent to construction areas, factories, and other [...]

Minnesota is known for quite a few things; two of its more famous attributes are cold winters and a lot of water.  The winters (with the exception of northern Minnesota) are blown out of proportion.  I talk to people in New Jersey, New York or Pennsylvania and they often say, “Oh [...]

Industrial cleaning in the sewer or wastewater industry has never enjoyed a big profit margin. Toss in a dicey economy, and contractors look for every advantage to cover their costs and enjoy a modest gain.
For that reason, the development of industrial cleaning tools, water blasting, and inspection equipment [...]

Families Fighting for Their Industry
By Jim vonMeier
Remember when plaster was used to finished interior walls? Art Beierle does.  In the 1950s, Art believed he had a lifetime of work ahead of him—until the early 1960s, when drywall was developed. 
Although plastering covered all the sins of [...]

It seems the only thing the folks at Russell Reid don’t plan for is good fortune. They study every aspect of the waste management industry, meet annually for a management retreat to strategize for the year ahead, carry out an acquisitions program, reinvest in the company according to long-term goals for [...]

People love their septic systems—or at least don’t mind them. When properly maintained, the lowly septic system is an efficient, if not especially glamorous, underground workhorse. The big selling point? No city sewer bills to pick away at the family budget. Do a load of laundry, flush a toilet, and empty [...]

By Jim vonMeier
This is the time of year where my inbox is flooded with, “We have a big wet spot in the yard…the toilets are flushing slowly…we had six inches of sewage backup in our basement.  What should we do?”  My first instinct is to answer: “Buy a [...]