Alaska Waste Expands into Septic, Portable Toilet Rentals in Mat-Su

Sewage disposal has long been a problem for borough communities, however. The only public wastewater treatment facilities in Mat-Su borough serve Palmer, Wasilla, and (seasonally) Talkeetna. Twenty years of study and discussion has not yet led to a centralized facility to serve the greater area. Thus, private haulers like Alaska Waste truck the sludge to Anchorage for dumping.

The Mat-Su Borough commissioned a study in 2007 to look at options for reducing the significant cost of transporting its sewage to Anchorage. The study found that the “average round trip from the outskirts of the MSB is 80 miles and takes about two hours, including the time it takes to dispose of septage at the receiving facility in Anchorage.”

In 2011, the Mat-Su Borough launched a Wastewater and Septage Advisory Board—later renamed the Water and Wastewater Advisory Board—to develop a plan for local treatment. By May 2022, that board had advanced a preliminary engineering report, but three months later, the borough assembly passed a resolution “directing staff to discontinue efforts toward a septage treatment facility project,” according to the advisory board’s 2023 goals.

The cause wasn’t dropped entirely, just put on hold. Pease says Alaska Waste and other septic waste pumping companies continue to work with the Mat-Su Borough on plans for a regional septage treatment plant. Population growth in the meantime drives both of the new services Alaska Waste has added.

Portable toilets are indispensable for building sites, and with a high rate of new home construction, the Mat-Su Borough drives demand by that factor alone. Lack of portable toilets has even delayed some projects, Pease says.

New construction also requires additional septic tanks, given the area’s lot-based plumbing infrastructure, and each property requires individual maintenance. At some commercial properties, new construction might also increase demand on existing septic tanks, Pease says. For instance, additions to strip malls often don’t expand the underlying septic capacity. More users on the same system requires more frequent servicing of the tank.

Trained Truckers

For a standard house, Pease estimates a septic tank needs emptying every three to five years. This can vary with use, however, and depends on the number of occupants. He estimates that commercial strip malls need service every one to three years, but that frequency also varies.

Because Alaska Waste already had existing septic operations elsewhere in the state, Pease says the company brought a supervisor from Ketchikan to oversee the Mat-Su Borough expansion. The company has also cross-trained some drivers and will add new positions as it scales up equipment. “We’re investing in equipment and people,” Pease says. While the portable toilet business runs more seasonally—it also supports outdoor events such as weddings or fairs—septic maintenance is needed year round.

All of Alaska Waste’s new Mat-Su Borough septic orders so far have come from existing clients who have garbage pick-up service, Pease reports. The company announced the new service in the app that many customers use to pay their bill. Phone representatives also mention it during customer service calls, and the company promoted it at a recent home show where Alaska Waste exhibited.