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Toughest Summer Jobs 2017: Septic Services

Big Bend Septic Tank Company
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Watch "Toughest Summer Jobs" on WTXL ABC 27 Wednesdays at 6 and vote for who you think has the Toughest Summer Job. 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Summer mornings in Florida are humid, but they're usually quiet. While most of us are still getting ready for our day, those with Big Bend Septic Tank Company are already hard at work.

“We like to try to start early," says Doug Kelly, an equipment operator for Big Bend Septic Tank Company. "Not necessarily so we can end early. That would be nice, but so we don't feel rushed. We don't just try to avoid the issues of heat, but just so we can do the job right." 

And the company has been doing it right for over 30 years.

Being in business for that long, Big Bend Septic Tank Company has seen a number of jobs, with each one being a little different and challenging, from encountering old tree stumps to digging up hard clay.

"The one today is about as simple as you can get," explains Dennis Gray, the owner of Big Bend Septic Tank Company. "It'll take about four hours from start to finish. It all depends on how many tanks. Some can take over a day."

Installing a septic tank, no matter how many, is no easy task. Luckily, heavy machinery is here to help.

"You're taking about not just a matter of hours difference," says Kelly. "It could be days difference without heavy equipment. And that much more punishment on your body, especially in the summer time.

Crew members are encouraged to take breaks often during these hot summer days because the heat takes a toll.

Kelly continues, "Its dangerous. You now, you're fine one minute. You're seating and you don't even realize that you're about to dehydrate. Then you get lightheaded and you can literally end up in the hospital as a consequence of that."

Despite the heat, Dennis Gray and his team truly enjoy working with each other and the job they do.

"The good thing about it, you go to a different place every day," says Gray. "You've got a different scenery every day."

It's their efficiency, hard work, and perseverance, that brings Big Bend Septic Tank Company into the running for the title of "Toughest Summer Job."