Permits Issued
2,550
Total septic permits issued over the five-year review.
Environmental Health / Septic Systems
Keeping Homes and Communities Healthy
Southeastern Idaho Public Health's Septic Systems Program provides residents with information and resources for effective septic system installation and maintenance, helping protect groundwater, nearby water sources, families, and communities.
Key Numbers
Selected Septic Systems Program results from FY2019 through FY2023.
Inspections
1,903
Total inspections conducted from FY2019 through FY2023.
Installers Licensed
88
Licensed septic installers reported in the review.
Pumper Trucks
45
Licensed pumper trucks reported by the program.
Visual Summary with Expandable Data
Each image crop focuses only on the topic described in the matching data section.
Why Septic Systems Matter
The report explains how septic systems support household wastewater treatment and why maintenance matters for groundwater and nearby water sources.
Expand for septic system need data
| Measure | Reported Value |
|---|---|
| People in the nation served by septic systems | More than 60 million |
| U.S. households that depend on individual or small septic systems | 1 in 5 |
| Estimated septic systems that fail during operational lifetimes | 10%-20% |
| Environmental concern | Failing systems can release pollutants and potentially contaminate groundwater and nearby water sources. |
Five-Year Program Summary
From FY2019 through FY2023, SIPH issued 2,550 permits, conducted 1,903 inspections, and licensed installers, pumper companies, and pumper trucks.
Expand for five-year summary data
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Permits issued | 2,550 |
| Inspections conducted | 1,903 |
| Septic installers licensed | 88 |
| Pumper companies licensed | 16 |
| Pumper trucks licensed | 45 |
Types of Permits Issued
Most septic permits issued were basic permits. New basic permits made up the largest permit type shown in the report.
Expand for permit type data
| Permit Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Basic permits | 2,476 |
| Basic - new | 2,141 |
| Basic - repair or replace | 270 |
| Basic - tank only | 39 |
| Basic - expansions | 26 |
| Complex permits | 74 |
| Complex - new | 69 |
| Complex - repair or replace | 5 |
| Total permits | 2,550 |
Permits Issued Across Counties
The county distribution chart shows Bingham County with the largest share of septic permits issued, followed by Bannock and Franklin counties.
Expand for county permit distribution
| County | Share |
|---|---|
| Bingham | 36% |
| Bannock | 19% |
| Franklin | 14% |
| Oneida | 11% |
| Bear Lake | 8% |
| Caribou | 5% |
| Power | 4% |
| Butte | 3% |
Installer Types and County Distribution
The report lists 57 approved basic installers and 31 approved complex installers, with installer distribution shown by county.
Expand for installer type and county data
| Installer Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Approved septic installers - basic | 57 |
| Approved septic installers - complex | 31 |
| Total | 88 |
| County | Basic | Complex |
|---|---|---|
| Bannock | 13 | 10 |
| Bear Lake | 6 | 2 |
| Bingham | 19 | 10 |
| Butte | 3 | 3 |
| Caribou | 6 | 1 |
| Franklin | 5 | 4 |
| Oneida | 5 | 0 |
| Power | 0 | 1 |
Pumper Companies and Trucks
The report shows 16 licensed pumper companies and 45 licensed pumper trucks across the district, with Bannock County having the highest number of trucks.
Expand for pumper company and truck data
| County | Pumper Companies | Pumper Trucks |
|---|---|---|
| Bannock | 5 | 15 |
| Bear Lake | 1 | 2 |
| Bingham | 2 | 7 |
| Butte | 1 | 2 |
| Caribou | 2 | 6 |
| Franklin | 2 | 6 |
| Oneida | 1 | 1 |
| Total shown | 14 | 39 |
The report's summary shows 16 licensed pumper companies and 45 licensed pumper trucks districtwide; the county chart displays the county values shown above.
Septic Training and Installer Participation
SIPH provided septic trainings from 2016 through 2024, with 160 installers attending across five trainings.
Expand for training data
| Measure | Count |
|---|---|
| Installers attended trainings | 160 |
| Trainings provided | 5 |
No training was conducted during 2019-2022 due to COVID.
Trends in Septic Inspections
The five-year trend shows inspections increasing from 2019 through 2021, decreasing in 2022, and increasing again in 2023.
Expand for annual inspection trend data
| Year | Inspections |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 324 |
| 2020 | 365 |
| 2021 | 478 |
| 2022 | 321 |
| 2023 | 415 |
| Total | 1,903 |
Septic Inspections by County
Bingham County had the highest number of septic inspections, followed by Bannock and Franklin counties.
Expand for county inspection data
| County | Inspections |
|---|---|
| Bannock | 393 |
| Bear Lake | 128 |
| Bingham | 770 |
| Butte | 24 |
| Caribou | 107 |
| Franklin | 296 |
| Oneida | 145 |
| Power | 40 |
| Total | 1,903 |
Original Report Pages
Select an image to open a larger version, or view the original PDF.
Page 1: Program Overview and Permits
Program need, five-year summary, permit types, and county permit distribution.
Page 2: Installers, Training, and Inspections
Installer types, county distribution, pumper services, training, inspection trends, and county inspections.