Solutions for Wastewater Concerns

Let it not be said that J.T. Bohannon is afraid to get his hands dirty – very, very dirty.

As the owner of Wastewater Solutions of Oklahoma, Bohannon maintains and installs septic systems – a dirty job, which he’s more than happy to do, and with which, he’s got nearly 20 years of experience to draw from. Based in Claremore, where Bohannan is a fifth-generation resident, Wastewater Solutions of Oklahoma services customers within a 30-mile radius.

“For the last 18 years, I’d owned Cross-Bo Construction, and in that business, we did underground utilities, and I learned, just from people calling and needing septic systems put in, how much of a needed business it was, especially in Claremore,” Bohannon said. “One of the things that led me to start my own septic company was that people could very easily be taken advantage of in this business – I don’t like that, so that led me to get my own (septic business) going. After being in the construction business for so long and seeing people get gauged on a septic system.”

In his own septic businesses for a year and a half, Bohannon specializes in conventional septic system and aerobic system installation, as well as maintenance on aerobic systems.

For those unfamiliar, septic systems are underground wastewater treatment structures, typically used in rural areas without centralized sewer systems. They use a combination of nature and technology to treat wastewater from household plumbing produced by bathrooms, kitchen drains and laundry.

Unlike traditional septic systems, aerobic systems – which Bohannon has at his own home in rural Rogers County -- produce a high-quality secondary effluent (waste or sewage), which is treated, sterilized, and then used for surface irrigation.

Although the job itself can be an especially messy one, Bohannan takes it all in stride.

“You know, I’m used to it, being in the construction business for so long, putting underground utilities in,” he said. “We did a lot of sewer work – a lot of live sewer work. I think you just kind of grow accustomed to that sort of thing. It just doesn’t bother me at all.

“I’ve always compared what I do to what doctors do,” he continued. “The sight of blood makes me pass out, and I wonder every day how someone can possibly be around blood like that. I’m sure some of them probably feel the same way about me and what I do, what I’m around – ‘How can you do that every day?’, so it’s really just about what you’re used to, what you condition yourself to be around, making sure, of course, to always take precautions.”

While Bohannon said his “biggest thing” is installing new septic systems, he said he can handle repairs to older systems, as well as maintaining them through chlorination treatments or pumping services, whether at new construction or existing residential homes. The typical amount of time on a job is about a day.

Bohannon said he tries to stay within “about a 30-mile radius” of Claremore, which would include Catoosa, Owasso, Pryor and portions of Tulsa, sometimes he does make exceptions and travels further.

However, for as dirty as the job can be, something in which Bohannon takes pride in is the cleanliness of his work ethic.

“Something I think that separates me from other septic companies would be my honesty and integrity,” he said. “I’m going to tell my customers how it is. I won’t beat around the bush, but I’ll be fair about the price. I think that sets us apart.”

So, whether your septic system needs maintenance or you’re in the market for a new one, you can count on Wastewater Solutions of Oklahoma to solve your drainage problems.