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	Texas Dermatology Center      Read the Story   2118 Scenic Drive, Georgtown   (512) 868-9800           Sweet Liberty Creations       Read the Story   Downtown Liberty Hill Proprietor: Diana Kipfer   Jewelry and art studio offering classes in jewelry making and painting.       Better Than New Band Repair         Read the Story   1402 Chisholm Trail Road, Suite D Round Rock, TX 78681 (512) 388-7774 Proprietors: Karen Holrath, Twylia Baker   Band instrument repair with pick-up and delivery to Liberty Hill schools.      Tutor Doctor      Read the Story   512.731.6893 Liberty Hill, TX Proprietors: Gene and Jennifer Pollastro   One-on-one tutoring in your home. Grades K-12. All subjects. Free Consultation.        Pope Insurance Group         Read the Story   512.515.6226 12701 W. SH 29, Suite 3 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Proprietor: David Pope     An Independent Agency specializing in Personal, Commercial, Health and Life Insurance.        Circleback Charters Let Us Take You There and Back!         Read the Story   512.778.9118 PO Box 238 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Proprietor: Darryl Lee   Van charter transportation. Offering airport shuttles, day trips for groups and families, special events, shopping excursions and Hill Country winery tours.   DigiTex Printing 512.778.9191 10610 SH 29 Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Proprietor: Richard Tulp   Printing and copying services. Call or stop by for a free quote.
	Free State Media Group   512.515.7624 14251 W. SH 29, Suite B Liberty Hill, TX 78642 Proprietor: Shelly Wilkison   Professional website development. Designing websites that are  making a difference in our community by helping local businesses and organizations reach more of our neighbors.
	Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce 512.548.6343   Mission Statement: "The Liberty Hill Chamber of Commerce exists to promote the development of the Liberty Hill business community and to enhance the economic well being of our community and citizens."

(Posted: Feb. 19, 2011)

“I’m a morally obligated and ethical poo hauler.”

 

This is how local septic man Chris Tiller describes himself. He believes that his 25,000-gallon septic truck is meant to do more than just pump septic tanks. With it, he helps restore your household.

 

“I don’t care if it’s 2 a.m. If it’s an emergency, I’m going to be there, and I’m not going to charge you extra. If someone’s got kids, man, it’s hard to run a house with a bad septic system, the kids are needing a bath, they need to use the toilet. I’m the guy to call at that time,” says Tiller.

 

Tiller owns American Septic Systems, and while he may always be available in an emergency, his primary focus is making sure it doesn’t get to that point.

 

“Preventative maintenance is the key,” he said. “Nine times out of 10, if there’s an issue, the cause is neglect.”

 

Most homes require septic maintenance every three to five years, he said. American Septic Systems will do an inspection at no charge.

 

Tiller said he also received training from the Lower Colorado River Authority to perform inspection make readies for houses that are new or are about to sell. This helps to ensure the homeowners will pass the septic tank inspection.

 

Tiller made the move to Bertram from Kerrville just six months ago. Previously, he operated his septic business there with his father.

 

“We had to call this guy to come out one time, a septic guy. He spilled 30 gallons of waste in the yard and didn’t even bother cleaning it up. Not only that, but when he pumped the tank, he only removed the water from it, not the solid stuff. So we had to call another guy in. We figured we could do a better job ourselves, so we went out and bought the honey truck,” he said.

 

Tiller, who keeps a sense of humor with regard to his line of dirty work, said “honey truck” is the politically-correct term for a septic truck.

 

“Luckily, it (septic service) is becoming a bit more acceptable to talk about (thanks to) that guy Mike Rowe, from the TV show ‘Dirty Jobs,’”

 

Tiller was born and raised in McAllen. He spent eight years in the U.S. Army as a tanker and combat engineer. During that time, he received training as a combat lifesaver, essentially a combat EMT.

 

Today, he is going through the certification process in order to join the Bertram Volunteer Fire Department.

 

Tiller is also musically inclined – he learned the violin and played fiddle for the Newton Boys in South Texas.

 

Through Liberty Hill’s Williamson County Cowboy Church, where he is a member, he hopes to renew his passion for rodeo.

 

Though he is a jack of many trades, his love is mainly restoring classic cars. He has restored nearly a dozen cars from Pontiacs to Porches, and everything in between. His cell phone is loaded with pictures of his current projects, his past projects and cars he is thinking about buying.

Tiller said he has found a way to make his septic system work well with his hobby.

 

“I can’t tell you how many cars I’ve gotten because of my work,” he said. “If you’ve got an old car lying around, something I want, and you need septic work, call me and we can figure something out.”

 

What sets him apart from his competitors is a simple idea – if you have the equipment, you should use it.

 

“If you have the equipment, you have to help. You have to do it without ripping someone off,” he said. “You can’t charge someone just because it’s two o’clock in the morning. Most of these things don’t happen during business hours, and I’m not going to profit just because of that.”