Septage and Waste Hauling in New Mexico

What does the disposal rule say?

Septage may be disposed of only at a permitted facility, with the facility owner's consent. The rule is 20.7.3.306 NMAC, and it also requires customer invoices and disposal records to be kept.

The rule is about where the waste goes. A hauler cannot choose a convenient place, and a facility without a permit is not a valid destination for septage from a portable restroom.

The records are part of the rule. Each load should have an invoice and a disposal record, and the record should show the date, the origin, the volume and the facility. A hauler that cannot produce the records is not a hauler to use.

A hauler that gives a clear answer to these questions in the first call is easier to work with than one that answers only when pressed. The answers are kept in the service file, with the date they were given.

What does the NMED pumper application ask for?

The application asks for a trained, registered person to be present at a pumping site, and it names the NAWT Vacuum Truck Technician Training certification as evidence of competence.

The application is a form from the state's environment department. The version reviewed for this guide is the 2018 form. The current form should be checked with the department before anyone relies on it.

The point of the requirement is that a trained person is present when septage is pumped. Ask the hauler who that person is and what certification they hold, and check it is current.

What is a groundwater discharge permit?

A permit issued by the state's environment department under 20.6.2 NMAC for discharges to groundwater. Individual haulers operate under such permits, according to the sources reviewed.

The permit is the hauler's, not the rental's, in the sources reviewed. A rental company that does not haul the waste itself does not hold the permit, and the hauler's permit number is the one to ask for.

This guide does not state that a portable-toilet service needs its own NMED permit, because that was not confirmed. It states that the hauler carries the permits its work requires, and that the caller can ask which ones it holds.

What should the caller ask the hauler?

The hauler's name, its NMED permit numbers, the name of the trained person on the truck, the facility where the waste goes and a copy of the disposal record for each load on request.

Ask for the facility name and address. A caller who knows where the waste goes can check that the place is a permitted facility.

Ask for the disposal record for each load from the unit. A hauler that will not provide it is not one to use.

• Hauler's name and NMED permit numbers
• Name of the trained person on the truck
• Facility name and address for disposal
• Disposal record for each load on request

What happens at a pump-out?

The trained person connects the hose, runs the pump, records the volume and checks the unit. The site is left clean and the record goes into the file.

The unit is closed during the pump-out and the area is kept clear of foot traffic. The truck leaves the site with the load and the record, and the unit is checked for leaks and the door before it goes back to service.

Any spill is cleaned by the trained crew with the right equipment, and the spill is recorded with the time and the cause.

Who is responsible if something goes wrong?

The hauler that carries the waste is responsible for the disposal under its permits. The rental arrangement names the hauler, and the hauler answers to the office that issues its permits.

A caller who finds a problem with the disposal should write to the hauler, with the date and the load record, and ask for a response in writing.

The state's environment department is the body that administers the rules named in this guide. A caller who has a complaint about a permitted facility or a hauler should ask the department which office takes the complaint.

What does a complete service file contain?

The hauler's name and permit numbers, the trained person's name, the facility name and address, and the disposal records for each load. The file is kept with the site plan, so any question can be answered from it.

A complete file lets the site contact answer a question from the City, the owner or a neighbor without a phone call. The file should be complete before the first pump-out, not assembled after a complaint.

The file is shared with the site contact on request, and it is updated at each pump-out with the new load record.

How do the rules apply at a rural or remote site?

The same rules apply: a permitted facility, a trained pumper and a disposal record. Distance changes the route, not the rule, and the hauler plans the trip so the load goes to a permitted facility.

A remote site may be farther from a permitted facility, and the trip is longer. The hauler plans the route to the facility and does not take a shorter route to an unpermitted place.

The record for a remote pump-out is the same as for a city one. The file shows the date, the facility and the volume.

How is a septage pump-out recorded?

With the date, the unit, the time, the volume pumped, the trained person's name, the facility and the signature of the site contact. The record is kept with the service file and given to the contact on request.

A record that is filled in on the day is more reliable than one completed later from memory. The technician fills in the record at the unit, before the truck leaves the site.

The record is the proof that the load went to a permitted facility. A caller who keeps the records has the answer to any question about a pump-out.

What does a caller do if the record is missing?

Ask the hauler to produce the record for the load. If the hauler cannot produce it, write to the hauler, ask for a written reply and do not accept another load until the record is provided.

A missing record is a question for the hauler, and it should be answered in writing. The caller keeps the correspondence with the service file, so the history is clear.

This guide does not state a penalty for a missing record, because the sources reviewed do not give one. The caller can ask the state's environment department which rule applies.

What does a pumper do on arrival at a site?

Confirms the unit to be pumped, checks the access and the site, sets the hose route away from foot traffic and checks the truck's equipment before connecting anything.

The pumper checks the unit's number against the service file, so the right unit is pumped. The site contact is asked to confirm the unit and to keep guests away from the pump-out area.

The equipment is checked for leaks, the hose is laid on firm ground and the truck is parked where it can leave without backing across the path. A check before the connection prevents most spills.

How is the load carried?

In a vacuum truck that is kept closed during transport, driven directly to the permitted facility and not stopped at an unlisted place on the route.

The load is carried without a stop at any place that is not the permitted facility. The driver carries the disposal record and presents it at the facility when asked.

A truck that is found to have stopped at an unpermitted place is a serious problem for the hauler, and a caller should not use a hauler that does this.