Read what people have to say about how Dave's advice ensured they have the best septic system
Nothing beats hearing from people who’ve already been through the process. From lifestyle block owners to those fixing costly mistakes, these testimonials show how independent advice made all the difference. Dave’s clients appreciate his honest guidance, practical solutions, and the peace of mind that comes with getting it right the first time.
"It is wonderful to have someone independent"
"I was having some problems with old Tank, so called on Dave to discuss options. He was very helpful and provided a summary of relevant options along with approximate costs. It is wonderful to have someone independent with a wealth of knowledge and experience to call upon."
- John Jansen
"Highly recommend his services"
"Dave carried out a site inspection and provided a detailed report with clear recommendations. His communication was professional and easy to understand, and his expert knowledge was evident throughout. The report was thorough and offered practical options tailored to my situation. Highly recommend his services."
- Oonagh Taru - Australia
"Can't recommend him enough!"
"Dave is knowledgeable, responsive, and generous with his advice and expertise. Can't recommend him enough!"
- Nathan Lynn-Watts - Hutt Valley
"Dave provided invaluable information"
"Dave provided invaluable information regarding our waste treatment requirements. I highly recommend discussing your needs with Dave before making decisions on your investment."
- Mark Wilkinson (Tararua)
"Dave provided immediate responses and a wealth of knowledge"
"Dave Miller contacted me regarding advice on septic systems after I made contact and was of considerable assistance with immediate responses and a wealth of knowledge!! I have no hesitation in recommending Dave should you need his services."
- Colin McNab (Gisborne)
"I can’t recommend Dave highly enough"
"I can’t recommend Dave highly enough. If you need a new wastewater system / septic system then he is the go to person for information and advice. It’s not a decision you want to get wrong, and Dave helped us navigate a huge array of information and marketing to get clarity on what would actually work well for our needs for many years to come. Thank you so much Dave!"
- Del Gorton (Arrowtown)
"Great expert advice"
"Dave has been great in providing expert advice while we consider buying a property with an old septic tank system. We will certainly be calling on his services should we go through with the purchase!"
- Phil Sanders (Taranaki)
"Dave gave me very clear advice and was extremely helpful"
"Emailed Dave late one evening in a bit of a panic about a blocked sewage system. Woke up and he had already responded. Gave me very clear advice and was extremely helpful in working out what was going on. Will be the go to person in the future for any further advice. Thanks Dave."
- Simon B (Horowhenua)
"Contacting Dave has proved a brilliant move"
"We needed to review our lifestyle block septic treatment system and found the range of systems (and costs) featured on Google bewildering. Contacting Dave has proved a brilliant move. Dave's experience and independent advice has allowed us to fully understand the ins and outs of the different systems and chose the one best suited for both our environmental and financial needs."
- Keith Young (Manawatū)
"Dave provided excellent advice…we were very pleased with the outcome"
"Dave provided excellent advice when we had problems with an existing septic system and needed to make a decision about repairing or replacing it. We were very pleased with the outcome. Would recommend contacting Dave before making a decision about repairs or replacement."
- Michelle Mudgway (Hawkes Bay)
"Dave is an honest, hardworking and committed to doing the best by his clients"
"Dave is an honest, hardworking and committed to doing the best by his clients. He provides impartial professional advice and is friendly and down to earth. We would recommend Dave to anyone who is needing advice on their septic systems. Thanks Dave!"
- Emily Sheridan (Horowhenua)
"EXCELLENT SERVICE - highly recommended"
"EXCELLENT SERVICE - highly recommended. Dave provides exceptional service. His professionalism and expertise are highly valued by local councils, tradesmen, and septic installers. His independent advice is invaluable and will help you save money while ensuring you get the best system for your specific circumstances."
- Tracy Gee (Whanganui)
"Great service, prompt attention, very knowledgeable and helpful..."
"As expat Kiwis looking to build back in rural NZ we couldn't find anyone to advise us on what we needed for a sewage system - and we couldn't get a consent without council approval. We were also horrified at the costs that were being bandied around. We sent Dave our building plan, he visited the property, worked out what was needed and designed the system which flew through the consent process. It cost a lot less than our future neighbour's system and we are very happy with the result."
- Lena Judson (Kāpiti)
"Dave gave me very clear advice and was extremely helpful"
"Emailed Dave late one evening in a bit of a panic about a blocked sewage system. Woke up and he had already responded. Gave me very clear advice and was extremely helpful in working out what was going on. Will be the go to person in the future for any further advice. Thanks Dave."
- Simon B (Horowhenua)
"Dave went ABOVE AND BEYOND to help me..."
"After reading reviews I really want Dave to do my work, unfortunately he does not work in my area but I contacted him anyway. He went ABOVE AND BEYOND to help me and find someone suitable. A massive THANK YOU DAVE for all your time and help, it really was appreciated. If you are lucky enough to live in the area Dave Services and need an Engineer I would recommend you contact him!"
- Elish Barnett (Auckland)
"Dave has gone beyond the call of duty…and is always available and very helpful..."
"Dave's knowledge and experience has made understanding and building the wastewater system very easy. Dave has gone beyond the call of duty when it comes to advise in procuring the materials and the installation of the system. He is always available and very helpful. The plan went through the council process without a hitch. We would highly recommend Dave."
- Genevieve Nichols (Wairarapa)
"Dave has been really helpful in guiding us towards an achievable, cost-effective solution..."
"Dave has been really helpful in his assistance with guiding us towards an achievable, cost-effective solution for a new sewerage system at Strathean Retreat Centre. He worked with us collaboratively and skilfully aided us in responding to KCDC's questions. His prior experience with many systems meant he could readily answer our questions and we could proceed more quickly than we expected. Thanks Dave."
- Gabrielle Meech (Kāpiti)
"Highly recommended. I would look no further for an environmental engineer..."
"Dave is not only the cheapest, but faultless for his delivery of work and professionalism."
- Alexander Robertson (Wairarapa)
- Alexander Robertson (Wairarapa)
"I am very happy with his design and with his very reasonable costs."
"We employed Dave to design our ablution system early 2023. He responded very quickly, and always kept to the times he gave us. I am very happy with his design, and with his very reasonable costs. Thank you Dave"
- John Joyce (Kāpiti)
- John Joyce (Kāpiti)
"Dave was very professional..."
"Dave was very professional and made sure we will get the most effective waste water system. Despite the constraints of the COVID-19 Lock-down, he was able to deliver the system design in good time."
- Scott Blain (Manawatū)
- Scott Blain (Manawatū)
"Dave was extremely informative..."
Dave was extremely informative and well worth speaking to if you have issues or want a direction to sort out problems with your current system.
- Kirsty Bradley (Horowhenua)
“Dave has been exceptional in his knowledge and advice”
"Dave has been exceptional with his knowledge and advice for our new septic tank system. He was able to work under a tight timeframe and accommodate our personal needs. I would highly recommend him and his services."
- Anja Foley (Kāpiti)
“Good advice...”
"Dave Miller did my wastewater system, on-site design and site assessment for my beach house property. Good advice ensured that we purchased a quality treatment system - that we are happy with. Worthwhile getting Dave involved in the design."
- Mark (Taranaki)
“Hard to find that combination...”
"I recently contacted Dave when I was buying a property with a septic system. Having moved to the Horowhenua and never having a septic system before, his advise and help was greatly appreciated. Independent and free, very hard to find that combination anywhere these days."
- Paul Haigh (Kāpiti)
“Appreciated his knowledge...”
"Met Dave in 2017 at our site assessment for a septic system. Late 2021, we were ready to begin development of our site. Dave completed the sewerage system design. We very much appreciated his knowledge, expertise and advice. There are many systems available and many people with different views. Thank you Dave for the quality service you have provided."
- Liz Quarrie (Taranaki)
“We were delighted with the outcome”
"We were completely baffled as to the type of septic tank system needed for our new rural build until our Architect recommended Dave Miller. Dave’s expert advice on the best system for our needs was excellent. His friendly, knowledgeable advice and suggestions were discussed on a level that we could understand and we are delighted with the outcome. Thank you Dave for the wonderful service you provide."
- John Channon (Whanganui)
“I can thoroughly recommend Dave for his knowledge and expertise...”
"Dave Miller designed and arranged the installation of a Sewerage to ClearWater Treatment system on our lifestyle block back in 1996. In the 18 years since then I am happy to say that it has not missed a beat. We have an annual maintenance and service check done (at negligible cost) and other than that we have been able to forget about it. I can thoroughly recommend Dave for his knowledge and expertise in this field and I am happy to endorse him."
- Gary Dome (Manawatū)
“We don’t know what we would have done without your assistance.”
"Thank you Dave for your excellent advice and assistance when our new sewage system packed up and the designer, installer and council walked away from their responsibility and liability for the system failure. We appreciate the way you got the three parties together and persuaded them to pay for the remedial work required. The work is now done and the system is working fine. No more sewage in the back yard and no smells either. We don’t know what we would have done without your assistance. "
- Marie & Shane (Tararua)
“Dave Miller has been absolutely brilliant from the first contact...”
"We can’t recommend Dave Miller more highly for all of your Environmental Engineering requirements. Having lived with faulty farm do-it-yourself systems for too long, we knew that when we moved and built rurally, we researched exactly what we needed, the resource consents needed and the design. Dave Miller has been absolutely brilliant from the first contact, and it has been a relief with dealing with council planners that we didn’t take short cuts so everything has happened without a hitch. Dave’s reputation preceded him when we took the resource consents to council - as soon as we said who our engineer was, they knew that the standard of work would be the best. Thanks Dave, and yes - we have told everyone to go to you direct."
- Meg Gordon (Hawkes Bay)
“I highly recommend Dave...”
"Dave gave us expert unbiased help with our existing septic system that needs replacing. He put us in touch with the right person who will install the new system and Dave completed the correct paperwork for the regional council for resource consent, as well as soil testing and site placement. He is very prompt, knowledgeable and excellent to work with.
I highly recommend Dave, when considering purchasing a septic system, it is vital to get the best information and advice. (I wish I had known Dave when we installed our now decommissioned system, as we would not have been in the position now of buying a new one.) Thanks Dave."
I highly recommend Dave, when considering purchasing a septic system, it is vital to get the best information and advice. (I wish I had known Dave when we installed our now decommissioned system, as we would not have been in the position now of buying a new one.) Thanks Dave."
- Sheree Bishop (Kāpiti)
“We really appreciated his professionalism and his ready willingness to provide advice...”
"Dave Miller helped us assess and plan our septic system for a new lifestyle block build. We really appreciated his professionalism and his ready willingness to provide advice and guidance throughout the process. His advice has saved us money and helped us avoid making costly mistakes in decision making.
There were lots of complex issues for us to get our heads around in our project as our house is not a standard build and it was invaluable having access to Dave’s independent advice and guidance and his willingness to be an ongoing advisor throughout so that we could come back to him as our thoughts developed and as questions arose. It is very hard to find independent advice when building and we really appreciated all the knowledge Dave was able to bring to our project."
There were lots of complex issues for us to get our heads around in our project as our house is not a standard build and it was invaluable having access to Dave’s independent advice and guidance and his willingness to be an ongoing advisor throughout so that we could come back to him as our thoughts developed and as questions arose. It is very hard to find independent advice when building and we really appreciated all the knowledge Dave was able to bring to our project."
- Jackie Sanders (Rangitikei)
“Fully recommend him to anyone intending to install a new sewage system...”
"When we were planning to build a family flat on my daughter’s lifestyle in Kapiti, the builder proposed a new septic tank system. I was concerned about the installation cost as well as the ongoing maintenance costs of pumps etc. I researched on Google and an Otago university lecturer. I contacted Dave who called to see me on the site.
He recommended extending and upgrading my daughter’s existing septic tank system and for a relatively small fee produced a design to satisfy the local council’s requirements. A local drain layer then undertook the work which was passed without any problems by the council inspector. The system works effectively and is not reliant on pumps. The installation cost and consultants charges were very reasonable. We were very impressed with the professionalism of Dave Miller and fully recommend him to anyone intending to install a new sewage system or to upgrade an existing one."
He recommended extending and upgrading my daughter’s existing septic tank system and for a relatively small fee produced a design to satisfy the local council’s requirements. A local drain layer then undertook the work which was passed without any problems by the council inspector. The system works effectively and is not reliant on pumps. The installation cost and consultants charges were very reasonable. We were very impressed with the professionalism of Dave Miller and fully recommend him to anyone intending to install a new sewage system or to upgrade an existing one."
- Robert Robinson (Kāpiti)