Not every septic system works the same way — and not every system can be inspected the same way. Here are the types we service and inspect across the Treasure Valley.
Each of these handles wastewater differently, fails differently, and needs a different eye during inspection. Canyon is certified and equipped across all five.
The most common setup: a septic tank followed by a gravity-fed drainfield. Wastewater flows from the tank into perforated pipes set in gravel trenches, where it filters down through the soil. No pumps, no power — just slope and gravity.
What we check: tank integrity and baffles, sludge and scum levels, drainfield saturation, and any sign of effluent surfacing.
Adds oxygen to the treatment process through an air pump, speeding up the bacterial breakdown and producing cleaner effluent. These are the Bio-Microbics, Jet, Orenco, Norweco and similar units — they need electricity and routine attention.
What we check: aerator function, electrical components and alarms, effluent quality — these systems have moving parts a conventional system doesn't.
An engineered drainfield built above the natural ground, used where the water table is high, bedrock is shallow, or the soil drains poorly. Effluent is pumped up into the mound and dispersed through built-up sand and gravel.
What we check: the pump and dosing cycle, even distribution across the mound, mound condition, and any sign of effluent breakout.
Uses a pump and a network of small pressurized pipes to spread effluent evenly across the entire drainfield, instead of relying on gravity to do it. The even dosing extends the life of the field.
What we check: pump operation, pressure at the laterals, squirt-height testing, and balanced dosing across the whole field.
Effluent passes through a sand filter bed for an extra stage of treatment before it reaches the drainfield. Common near sensitive water sources or where local code calls for additional treatment.
What we check: filter media condition, dosing cycle, effluent clarity, and any ponding on the filter surface.
Tell us your address and what you're seeing — Perry can identify the system and tell you what it needs.