Straight Flush Sewer LLC

10/15/2026

A little shout-out to Dev, owner of Brookside Shell in Abrams! 👋

I’ve known the original owners for years—great people—and today I had the pleasure of meeting Dev, who’s owned the place for several years himself. Really nice guy!

It’s been a while since they’ve needed me, but today brought a septic system headache. When you’re not on city sewer, things can get complicated fast. Several tanks, each with its own job—and nobody wants to stop at a gas station with no working plumbing!

After three hours working outside in the rain, we got things flowing again and connected Dev with a plumbing company for the repairs still needed. Hopefully, it’ll be many years before they need me again!

Before leaving, I grabbed a hot slice of pizza fresh out of the oven and a drink. After getting soaked all afternoon, that hit the spot! 😂🍕

Looking around, I was impressed. Nice big space and plenty of good things to eat and drink. Whether you’re heading to Green Bay or back up north, stop at Brookside Shell in Abrams and say hello to Dev.

Good people deserve a little recognition. Glad we could help!

—Jason, Straight Flush Sewer

10/13/2026

“This will work for now, until something better comes along.”

That’s what I thought when I took a job at a plumbing company as a teenager.

On October 12, 1992, the phone call came telling me I’d been hired. I was 16, turning 17 on the 19th. I’d shown up early for the interview without knowing much about interviews—and even less about plumbing.

But I understood what mattered: show up every day, work hard, and don’t let down the family friend who vouched for me or the family name I carried.

My hours were 3:30 to 5 after school. Put away fittings, sweep floors, vacuum carpets, take out garbage. Totes and totes of unused fittings came back from job sites. Putting them away was almost like sorting mail.

Once in a while, a plumber needed an extra hand, and I’d help on a job.

Pretty good gig. Especially when I figured summer would mean having all day to fart around before working my hour and a half.

Apparently, nobody else had agreed to that arrangement. 😂

School ended, and suddenly I was working eight to twelve hours a day.

And shoveling. Oh my goodness, the shoveling.

I’m not sure they believed in backhoes back then.

“Take Jason. Have him dig that hole.”

So I dug. And dug. And still handled my duties back at the shop. I made more money that summer than I could’ve imagined. I started buying my own clothes and shoes, paying my own bills, and helping at home however I could.

Then came my first sewer call.

I still remember the customer and the job site. Water backed up throughout the basement. My first assignment was helping get the machine down the stairs.

I watched the technician work the cable while things floated around us. Then he said, “Hey, I got it!”

Right in the middle of that water, a whirlpool formed. The basement started draining.

And just like that, I was a little kid again.

Spring snowmelt. Green rubber boots with felt liners. My dog beside me. Digging little ditches to drain the driveway and sailing my G.I. Joes between puddles in a little boat my dad made.

Watching that basement drain gave me the same excitement.

I was hooked.

Those machines didn’t bring the cable back automatically. Somebody had to pull it out by hand and feed it into the drum. That somebody was usually me.

The guys would brag about how good Jason was at pulling cable. The more they complimented me, the harder I worked—and the longer they got to sit and watch.

Looking back, I may have been the victim of some pretty effective management. 😂

By senior year, we were talking about my future. They wanted to keep me full-time, with an apprenticeship eventually becoming an option.

That winter, bitter cold shut school down for about a week. I spent roughly twelve to fourteen hours a day for seven days underneath mobile homes, thawing frozen sewer and waterlines.

No Under Armour back then. Just stiff cotton clothes that pretty much guaranteed you were going to freeze.

But I enjoyed the work and the challenge. We felt like a band of brothers. A bunch of tough roughnecks working outside so other people could be comfortable inside.

After graduation, I went full-time. They hired someone to handle my shop duties while I spent more time in the field.

Learning. Learning. Learning.

When an apprenticeship opportunity came along, I didn’t feel ready, and I wasn’t interested in going back to school. I think that disappointed the owners, but they were understanding.

Meanwhile, another idea had taken root: maybe someday I could start my own sewer cleaning business.

I’d gotten good enough at it that they bought equipment for me to keep on my work vehicle, manage, and take care of. That trust meant a lot.

I loved working for that company. But like a lot of young people, I wondered whether the grass might be greener somewhere else.

When I left, it never felt the same. I regretted it almost immediately. But I was too proud to ask for my job back, and I’d given the new company my word, so I stayed.

During that time, I started putting Straight Flush Sewer together.

The groundwork began in 1999: working with a bank, getting my ducks in a row, figuring out how to turn an idea into a business. My first call didn’t come until the fall of 2000.

I had less than $100 in savings, a dream, and a passion for the work.

I couldn’t afford a work van AND a personal vehicle, so I bought an enclosed trailer and pulled it with my personal vehicle.

Going to clean a sewer? Hook up the trailer.

Need groceries? Unhook the trailer.

That was my fleet. 😂

I didn’t have a heated garage. I didn’t have ANY garage. Everything stayed outside.

Frozen equipment. Frozen gloves. Day after day.

In 2005, I finally built a heated garage. If you’ve ever started your workday by putting on frozen gloves, you’ll understand just how big a deal that was.

I didn’t have a plumbing license when I started this business. What I did have was more than seven years of experience in plumbing and heating, working alongside people who taught me the trade, customer relations, job site management, and how to keep going when the job got tough.

Many of those plumbers went on to own businesses themselves. About three-quarters of the guys I’m thinking of are still in plumbing today under various company names.

The owner who took a chance on me clearly knew how to pick people. I was fortunate to learn from some of the best.

Fast-forward to today: a shop in Peshtigo where I’ve been for more than five years, two work vans, a work truck, and equipment that’s a whole lot of fun to operate—and helps me do the best job I can.

Quite a change from unhooking a trailer to go buy groceries.

Yesterday marked 34 years since that phone call.

Thirty-four years of learning, working, solving problems, and building a business. I think that’s a résumé I can be proud of.

And I still get excited when a backed-up drain finally goes down.

Now I get to watch my boys experience that same feeling, learn the business, and put the knowledge I’ve gathered over three decades to work themselves.

That’s pretty special.

Who would’ve thought that kid putting fittings away would still be here?

I guess “until something better comes along” turned into a lifetime.

—Jason
Straight Flush Sewer LLC
Simple solutions to complex problems.

10/08/2026

Hey, Suring! 👋 I’m Jason Malke, owner of Straight Flush Sewer out of Peshtigo.

One thing I already know about Suring: your middle school girls track team was a powerhouse for 13 of the 14 years I coached at Peshtigo. Suring is also where my triple crown dream died—right on your track. 😂 Still hurts a little, but respect where it’s earned!

These days, when my boys aren’t in school or playing football, they’re helping Dad run the business. Family business, real work—and occasionally a little complaining. 😂

I’ve been in the trade since 1992, helping homeowners and businesses with plugged drains, sewer backups, and camera inspections. I explain what’s happening, show you what we find, and help solve the problem without scare tactics.

A little free advice: “flushable” wipes belong in the garbage, and hot water doesn’t make grease safe for your drains. Your pipes will remember. 😉

You’ll find a little humor, a little education, and real job photos here. Questions are welcome. Keep it respectful—rude comments and dumb s**t won’t be allowed. We’ve got enough of that in the pipes. 💩

Tell us about yourself! Own a business in Suring? Give it a shout-out below. And if you coached those track teams… we may need to talk. 😂

📞 715-732-0909
Straight Flush Sewer
Simple solutions to complex problems.

10/07/2026

AI makes some pretty cool ads. But fancy ads don’t clear plugged pipes.

Experience does. Here’s our before and after.

Straight Flush Sewer LLC
Simple solutions to complex problems.

10/02/2026

Today we say goodbye to our best pair of work boots ever. 🥾🫡

Three solid years of p**p work. Four bucket soaks. These Timberlands have seen things no boot should ever have to see—and kept showing up.

But even the best eventually earn their retirement.

At Straight Flush Sewer, we buy quality because it lasts—from our boots to our equipment. We put that same standard into every drain we clean.

Rest easy, old friends. You’ve been through enough crap. 😂

Straight Flush Sewer LLC
Simple solutions to complex problems.

09/26/2026

The owner of this rental near Niagara lives a few hours away. He couldn’t stand beside me and see what I was seeing, so I used my Meta glasses to record a 58-second, first-person video.

In less than a minute, I could show him what I found, what I did, and what I recommend next. He gets to see it from my point of view instead of having to take my word for it over the phone.

I think that’s pretty darn cool.

A sewer problem shouldn’t feel like a mystery just because you live out of town. If I can use a simple piece of technology to show you what’s going on and make the next decision easier, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

Straight Flush Sewer LLC
Simple solutions to complex problems.

09/24/2026

I had a long day and was starving, so I stopped at Figaro’s in Crivitz to try something different for dinner. I’ve had their subs before, but I’d never tried the pizza. When I spotted calzones on the menu, I decided to give one a shot. I’m glad I did—it was delicious!

The menu has plenty to choose from without being overwhelming, and the service was fast and friendly. I’ll definitely be back. If you’re in Crivitz, I highly recommend stopping in.

FLAVORS THAT SING. Take & Bake or Baked. There’s a little Figgy in Everyone!

09/23/2026

A mole?
A skunk?
A fox?

How about my kid prepping a job to fix a broken inlet pipe

Customer had plastic all the way til the last 44” into tank.

09/22/2026

Nobody wants to overpay for drain cleaning. I get that.

But what’s reasonable about picking up clothes soaked by a basement backup? Standing in dirty shower water? Or listening to your kitchen sink gurgle like it’s trying to tell you its final wishes?

When you bought your house, you expected the drains to work. When did we start settling for “reasonably” draining?

A small hole through a blockage can get water moving again. Buildup or roots left behind can cause trouble again. At Straight Flush Sewer, our goal is to clean the line—not just get through the clog. And if the pipe needs repair, we’ll show you what we found and tell you straight.

Reasonable should describe the price. Clean should describe the drain.

09/11/2026

Why is it so hard for some customers to remember our name?

Honestly, it might be one of the best compliments we receive.

Sometimes we return to a home where we’ve worked before, and everyone is shocked by how much has changed.

The last time we were there, I was several years younger. My kids were still in grade school, and I pulled into the driveway with my old truck-and-trailer setup.

Now I have gray hair, we arrive in a Straight Flush van, and those same kids are old enough to work alongside me.

When the job is done right, many customers don’t need to see us again for years—sometimes close to a decade. That may not be great for name recognition, but it says something pretty good about the work.

A lot can change between service calls. Our commitment to doing the job right hasn’t.

So save our name now. Hopefully, you won’t need us again for a very long time.

Straight Flush Sewer LLC
Simple solutions to complex problems.