It is often said that relationships are the key to business. For this reason we were delighted when Katie Salsbury and Paul 

Hook of Intermountain Aquatics contacted us with an opportunity to participate in a complex residential wastewater treatment and disposal project in Victor located on the eastern most edge of Idaho. This joint effort may be the first between our two companies’, but we are hoping to lend our experience and expertise in many eastern Idaho projects to come.

Set in the heart of the Teton Valley and just west of the Rocky Mountain Range, Victor is one of the most beautiful places in Idaho. Home to just 1800 residents, this little home-town community has caught the eye of many potential full and part time residents recently. And for this reason, the protection of land and water resources is of paramount importance to preserve these resources for future generations. Intermountain Aquatics has literally made it their business to improve and protect Victor’s natural landscapes.

Offering environmental planning and design-build habitat restoration services, Intermountain Aquatics saw an opportunity to provide wastewater design-build resources to their clients as well. Due to groundwater, nitrogen and regulatory restrictions, secondary wastewater treatment systems may be needed on many future residential and commercial construction projects in Teton Valley. Through extensive research, Paul Hook, Intermountain’s Senior Wetlands and Watershed Scientist, determined that Orenco’s AdvanTex wastewater treatment packaged system demonstrated features, benefits and value above and beyond the other available solutions. During Paul’s research,R.C. Worst & Co. also stood out not only as Orenco’s exclusive AdvanTex dealer in Idaho, but as a company capable of lending early support in this new venture.

After a positive face to face meeting, both companies agreed that this project would be an excellent opportunity to explore the possibility of installing drip wastewater disposal tubing at, or above grade which is currently not allowed by Idaho Rules and Guidance. As an opportunity to evaluate new technology and methods, an Experimental System Permit would be required to install and further evaluate drip technology in the proposed manner. Because the Experimental System process would cut into the project timeline, it was decided to table this project until a later date. At which time, the required application would be completed, and a design created for the experimental drip disposal system. Once that permit has been issued, the experimental system could be installed, its performance documented, and a presentation would be prepared for Idaho’s Technical Guidance Committee. Until then, a conventional shallow drip system is planned for this project. It just so happens that this installation is for Katie’s own home under construction, and in late fall, we got the go ahead to deliver the system to the site. Because the home included over four bedrooms, Orenco’s new larger AX25RT was needed. The trailer was loaded with our prefabricated AFS Drip Dose Tank including all additional parts, and Orenco shipped the treatment package directly to the site. Allen Worst was on his way with boots on the ground to aid in the installation. With the help of Scot Green Excacation and Jason Chircop, Field Scientist for Intermountain Aquatics, we began by setting the Old Castle Precast septic tank on the morning of October 23rd. A day later, the Orenco AdvanTex AX25RT system was delivered and installed. Orenco’s new advertising campaign, “Dig, Drop, Done” held true with very little installation work beside the piping and electrical connections.

Next, some adjustments were made to the drip fields and dose tank locations, but quickly their installations were underway. Scot Green scarified the drip field area, then Allen and Jason began installing the Geoflow Wasteflow PC drip tubing using a Ditch Witch 410 vibratory plow unit. Once the tubing was in place, the drip manifold was assembled and connected to each drip lateral through Geoflow’s Lockslip fittings. Then, the drip dose tank was installed and connected to the drip system supply and return manifolds. After the final connections are made, and start-up is completed, this system should provide years or reliable service for Katie and her family. Check back here for more information on the upcoming experimental drip disposal system planned for Spring 2013.