Need the file on an existing system?
SIPH keeps permitted-system records beginning in 1973. Use their septic records request, not a random phone tree.
Public resource · Not a contractor
Clear septic guidance for Blackfoot and Bingham County
This site exists so a homeowner on a county road, a buyer in Shelley, or a family near the Snake River can find the same rules the health district uses—without a sales pitch. We explain Idaho DEQ and Southeastern Idaho Public Health (SIPH) requirements, point you to official forms, and keep a verified snapshot of licensed pumpers and installers.
Who we are not. Blackfoot Septic Resource does not pump tanks, install drainfields, write inspections for lenders, or issue permits. If sewage is backing up, stay out of the tank, keep people and pets away from surfacing effluent, and call a currently permitted pumper or SIPH. The old version of this domain advertised itself as a local crew. That positioning is gone on purpose.
Is it time to pump?
DEQ and SIPH still use the 3–5 year range. The calculator turns tank size and household size into a planning date, then tells you what to measure.
Something looks wrong
Backups, soggy ground over the drainfield, and sewage odors are EPA-listed failure signs. Idaho winters add frozen vents and compacted snow over laterals.
What this county actually uses
Most homes inside Blackfoot city limits are on municipal sewer. Most homes outside those lines—and many in Shelley, Firth, Aberdeen, Basalt, Moreland, Springfield, Atomic City, Pingree, and unincorporated Bingham County—treat wastewater on the lot. Idaho’s Individual/Subsurface Sewage Disposal Rules (IDAPA 58.01.03) set the statewide minimums. SIPH, Public Health District 6, administers those rules here under an agreement with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
That split matters. A Pocatello office number will not replace a test hole in your backyard. A contractor website will not replace a permit. And a parcel on the Fort Hall Reservation is not SIPH’s to permit; the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Water Resources Department issues septic permits there.
How a standard system works
Tank, baffles, effluent, drainfield, and replacement area—in the language Idaho’s Technical Guidance Manual uses, with county soils and canals in mind.
Permits, fees, and test holes
What SIPH will not accept without a plot plan, why 8–10 foot holes are required, and why published fees disagree until you call.
Inspections before you buy
Idaho does not run a statewide “point of sale” septic program. Lenders still ask. Here is what a useful inspection includes—and what it cannot promise.
Keep a log that survives a move
Store pump dates, sludge measurements, and as-built notes in your browser, then export a file you can hand to a buyer.
This week: EPA SepticSmart Week
SepticSmart Week 2026 runs September 14–18. The federal campaign is aimed at homeowners, not vendors. If you only do one thing this week, locate your tank lids, write down the last pump date, and keep vehicles off the drainfield.