Companies and residents express concerns about increased septic service rates in Brunswick County

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, NC (WWAY) —Residents and septic companies are feeling the financial pinch, just three months after the county increased the price for septage disposal.

One Brunswick County woman says she has sticker shock, after getting her septic tank cleaned. She learned that the rate increase trickled down to her, after the company increased the service cost to combat the county’s septage disposal rates.

Septage trucks disposing waste at the West Brunswick Water Reclamation Facility saw a 150% rate increase.

Robinson septic tank has been in business since 1962, Jacob Hewett, co-owner of the business, says he expected to eventually see a rate increase from the county as it continues to grow, but not as big as the one that went into effect in July of this year.

“For a truck this size, it was $80 and it went up to 200. I understand they had to go up on the price. I knew they would eventually. I didn’t know what they would go to, but I hate it for my repeat customers, because whereas I was able to charge $300-350, not even a year ago, I’m now at $400-450 dollars,” said Jacob Hewett with Robinson’s Septic Tank.

According to a Brunswick County Spokesperson, changes to the septage receiving fees were necessary for the long-term viability of the program.

The county says the existing equipment was installed in 2008, and operation and maintenance costs have increased.

Shallotte resident Robin Moody is a customer of Robinson’s Septic Tank. She says she gets her septic tank serviced once a year, and learned of the rate change after her tank was cleaned earlier this month.

“I had no clue. I told him I had no clue what was coming. There was nothing saying, oh –the septic’s going to be changed, it’s going to be raised. There was no forewarning, whatsoever. Until I made that phone call, saying my septic needs to be emptied, and that’s when he explained it to me, –and that’s when I called like 7 other companies, and they all said the same thing,” said Robin Moody, Shallotte

Moody says septic tank services are a necessity, but the rate increase is hurting the wallets of many people. She hopes the rates will be decreased, to help residents and the companies.

“We have to have it, there’s no other way around it. Food prices are going up, everything’s going up, but we’re in a private community. We’re not in these big communities, where these $500,000 houses have sewer systems. You’ll never see a sewer system in this —this neighborhood,” said Moody.

Brunswick county says it does not have control over what fees private businesses charge for their services, and Septic haulers do have the option to dispose on a NC DEQ permitted land application site. The county also says it had to invest $55,000 in capital expenses to accommodate the volume of septage it is receiving.