Eric Morris handles most of the Jensen Pumping service calls. His wife, Jenna, sometimes helps on weekends or after-hours calls. Their son, Keaton, helps through the summer months.
Second-generation owner Eric Morris provides septic pumping, inspections and maintenance across central Iowa.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Out of sight, out of mind. That well-known phrase could describe the relationship rural homeowners have with their septic tanks. Flush a bathroom stool and walk away with no thought about what happens next — unless gray water, or worse, starts to back-up in the basement.
Getting the truck into position and running hoses to access septic tanks varies at each location. In this case, Eric Morris was able to position the truck on level ground nearby and use a short hose between the tank and the pumper truck.
Jensen Pumping Service is part of a family-owned business that began in 1977.
Frank Jensen was born in Audubon County. As an adult, he worked for Fairbanks Morse Co. installing weighing scales in Iowa and later worked at a steel plant in Des Moines.
In 1969, Jensen started working for the city of Guthrie Center. In 1977, while still working for the city, he started Jensen Sanitation. In 1985, he left his city job to run the sanitation business full time. He also started a second business pumping septic tanks.
Frank and his wife, Cheryl, settled into a home south of Guthrie Center, and raised two daughters there. Daughter Jenna started dating Eric Morris in 2005, and the couple married in 2007.
“Jenna was pretty much involved in her dad’s business since she was born,” Eric says. “I got involved on a limited basis when we started dating to help out here and there, then became fully involved in 2010. Frank fought a long battle against cancer. He stepped away from the business in 2022 and passed away in June 2023.”
Frank Jensen started Jensen Pumping Service with this flatbed truck and a 500-gallon tank mounted on the back.
“Neither of us works for the garbage company anymore,” Eric says. “Jenna now works for Farm Bureau Financial Services in Guthrie Center. I do the septic pumping full time, along with doing time-of-transfer inspections of septic systems when a property is sold.”
The couple lives in Panora and have two children. Daughter Makayla and her husband Sean have a 6-year-old son and live in Adel. Son Keaton will turn 15 in July.
Morris says the Iowa Department of Natural Resources recommends a septic system be pumped every three to five years.
“Guthrie County has Lake Panorama residences on a four-year inspection schedule,” he says. “After an inspection is done, the county sanitarian makes a recommendation to the homeowner based on the findings. For fulltime residents, it’s a good idea to keep tanks cleaned out at least every four to five years. It is better to be proactive and do regular maintenance than to have an emergency on a weekend or holiday. Regular maintenance also can save the cost of backups and damage to finished basements.”
This photo of Frank Jensen with a new Jensen Pumping Service truck was taken in July 2014. Jensen founded the pumping service as part of the sanitation business he originally started in 1977. Jensen passed away in June 2023.
“We have a license with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to land-apply. We have a few different locations we use, where we have agreements with farmers,” Morris says.
Annual filter cleaning was recently added to the services Jensen Pumping offers.
“We clean filters every time we pump a tank, but these should be cleaned annually to prevent backups,” he says. “A septic tank serving a single-family home probably needs pumped every two to four years, so those filters don’t get cleaned annually. If the filter becomes clogged with sediment it will stop the liquid from going out of the tank. That leaves only one place for it to go — back into the home.”
Morris says homeowners can do this work themselves, but for those who don’t want to, the cost is $100 for the annual filter-cleaning service.
Most regular customers of Jensen Pumping are in Guthrie, Dallas and Adair counties.
“However, I have been as far south as Winterset and east to Des Moines,” Morris says. “I will travel where needed.”
Many of Morris’ customers are at Lake Panorama. The Jensen Pumping Facebook page is filled with photos he has taken of Lake Panorama views while pumping septic tanks.
“One thing Lake Panorama homeowners should keep in mind is that when the spring embargo is on, the pumping truck is too heavy to be on the roads there,” Morris says. “Customers who know they will want their septic systems pumped in the spring will need to plan ahead.”
The business includes two trucks. One is a back-up in case the main truck is down for some reason. There are no employees.
“It is mainly just me running the truck and doing the inspections,” Morris says. “Our son helps me in the summer months, and Jenna helps if we get a weekend or after-hours call.”
When a customer calls, Morris quotes an estimated price.
“We have a base price, then things like difficulty and travel distance affect it. Most homes around Lake Panorama get done for the base price,” he says. “If I travel 45 minutes away, the price is higher.”
Morris says Jensen Pumping is unique because it’s not a business that he and Jenna had to purchase and then operate.
“It is a business that Frank started in 1977 and built from the ground up and is still run by family today. We continue to work at building it up and expanding,” Morris says. “Frank said all customers should be treated as if they were our only customer. Work for them and treat them right. That’s what we continue to do today.”
To reach Jensen Pumping Service, call or text Eric Morris at 641-757-0893, or email ejmenterprisesllc@gmail.com. n