SludgeHammer Group, Ltd
336 S. Division Road, Petoskey, , United States

Mission

The mission of SludgeHammer Group, Ltd. is to help solve the world’s  wastewater treatment and reuse problems by providing safe,  environmentally appropriate, efficient and effective microbial biotechnology for residential, community, industrial and marine use.

Corporate Leadership

The SludgeHammer Group’s Northern Michigan corporate headquarters is located for optimum manufacturing and distribution throughout the United States and internationally. Since 2001, our regional distributors and installers have served customers from California to Maine, Louisiana to New York and globally in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Latin America, Africa, China, Malaysia, Australia, Libya, New Guinea, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the British Virgin Islands and the Caribbean.

OFFICERS:

Inventor and President Dan Wickham, PhD, is based in northern California, served in the United States Navy and has practiced ecological research and science since 1972. He directed the Marine Aquaculture Facility of the University of California-Berkeley and continues to lead SludgeHammer to assure we stay at the forefront of wastewater biotechnology.

CEO Buzz Jenks has helped to guide the company from the start. After serving in the United States Air Force, he graduated from Michigan State University and has since accumulated over 35 years of experience in manufacturing, marketing and contracting. His focus is strategic—creating world-wide opportunities for SludgeHammer.

Our Excellent Staff

Kathy Beer, Director of Operations, brings accounting and operations management expertise to the Corporation. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Lake Superior State University and has 30 years of experience managing high-income producing, multiple-lawyer firms.

Collin W. Jenks, Operations Manager, brings more than eight years of experience in construction, as well as five years experience in SludgeHammer international sales, service, installations and troubleshooting in the field.  Collin also spent 12 years as a competitive snowboard coach in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.  His undergraduate studies were at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan.  His diverse knowledge and strong work ethic make him a valuable member of the SludgeHammer team.

Elijah D. Hoaglund, Outside Director of Technical and Service Operations, brings more than 15 years of experience in the construction industry, many of those managing his own masonry business.  Eli has experience in management, estimating and project mobilization.  He has been employed with the SludgeHammer Group, Ltd., for six years and has logged hundreds of hours in the field.  Eli has been instrumental in the research and development departments of the corporation, suggesting and implementing new products with an eye toward innovation.

Harry Luzius, Engineer, has more than 25 years of experience in the field of civil engineering. He has designed and administered the construction of several million-dollar projects, including sewer collection systems, lift stations, and wastewater treatment systems. Harry is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at Westpoint and earned a Master of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

Septic systems fail. And the reason they fail is the soil in the disposal field clogs up with slime from the anaerobic (unoxygenated) bacteria that were once in your digestive system. The very protective coating that allows this bacteria to do its job in your gut ultimately ruins the typical septic system. Until SludgeHammer, you had only two very costly options—you could repair or replace your system. The SludgeHammer is built to give you a third, and better, option.

Waste and unoxygenated bacteria are the primary reason for failure of traditional septic systems. When large colonies of these anaerobic bacteria migrate from the septic tank to the disposal field they produce a mucus-like layer of slime, or biomat, which clogs the pores of the soil so air cannot circulate. Additionally, as they grow, this anaerobic bacteria creates large amounts of nitrate, a toxic element when produced in large quantities, which can, over time, seep into the local water table. The usual solution at this point is to pump the waste and clogs from the septic tank and start a new disposal field—costly solutions to a now avoidable situation.

A New Solution To An Old Problem

Wherever you find people and water, you’ll find wastewater. And where you find wastewater, you’ll find the headaches that go along with maintaining septic systems. The EPA estimates that 95% of all septic system failures are caused by clogging from colonies of bacteria that journey to the disposal field producing soil-clogging slime called biomat. Eliminate this biomat and you extend the life of your system and drastically reduce the need for septic tank pumping or budget-busting septic field replacement—the problem conventional septic systems cause.

Low Maintenance and Easy to Install

All SludgeHammer systems designed for residential use fit into existing septic systems. No new tanks or retrofits are necessary—just a small air pump and the SludgeHammer system to let nature do what it does best.

Septic System and Leach Field Remediation

SludgeHammer systems installed into residences with already clogged traditional septic systems have effectively cleaned up and remediated their old systems. Instead of needing to entirely rebuild a septic system, installing a SludgeHammer unit allows homeowners to revitalize their septic systems at minimal costs.

Certification

SludgeHammer has passed the rigorous testing to gain IAPMO certification. This means SludgeHammer technology is proven to restore leach systems clogged by organic biomat at a rate of at least 2.5 times that of aerobic treatment alone. Instead of rebuilding an entire septic system, installing a SludgeHammer unit allows homeowners to rehabilitate their septic systems at minimal costs.

SludgeHammer also meets the NSF 40 Standard as a Class 1 Advanced Treatment Unit. This rigorous testing included keeping the system at its maximum standards for six months while also inducing stress from high capacity days such as wash days and power outages. All through these trials SludgeHammer still maintained high levels of wastewater treatment, and proved that it is an excellent and select choice for any home seeking long-term wastewater treatment solutions.

Water Reclamation

SludgeHammer not only clears up and reclaims clogged and inefficient septic systems, it creates reusable water perfect for irrigation. New Mexico’s SludgeHammer distributor, Water Management Associates, is one of the leading proponents of water capture and reuse in the country. Richard Jennings, founder of WMA, has a long history of building systems in New Mexico that allow homeowners to capture much of the rare, precious rainfall for landscape maintenance. When he discovered SludgeHammer technology, he realized he could include wastewater in his water budgets. Linking the two water sources allows homeowners to preserve their drought-threatened landscaping in this water-poor area. This application is possibly the most important contribution SludgeHammer technology can make in our increasingly water-threatened world.