ORCA Septic Restoration
ORCA is JFPEC's in-house septic restoration system, built from the technology and products we developed to restore septic tanks and seepage pits that other contractors, designers and geologists would recommend replacing. ORCA Pods are designed to add air and support the bacteria that break down solids and clear the biomat that seals seepage pit walls, and ORCA dosing units dose treatment automatically for systems in active failure. Our own crew tests, installs, services and measures every system.
Who it's for
- Owners told their seepage pit or leach field has failed and needs to be replaced
- Owners whose pit stays full, drains slowly or needs pumping again and again
- Sellers and buyers with a failed certification who want a repair path before closing
- Hillside and canyon lots where there is no room, access or budget for a new system
- Property managers and HOAs with systems that keep backing up
How the work goes
- Test before we recommend anything. We pump the tank, open the system, run a camera where needed and measure the liquid level in each pit against the cap depth.
- Run a baseline water test. A measured amount of water goes into the pit, and we read how far the level drops over 24 hours. That number is the starting point.
- Fix the cause. Roots, a broken baffle, a clogged line or too much water from the house are corrected first, so the treatment can work.
- Install the right ORCA setup. Most systems start with one ORCA Pod in the tank. If problems persist, we step up only as far as needed: a unit in the seepage pit, occasional pumping, ORCA dosing in the pit, then dosing in the tank and the pit.
- Measure the recovery. We return to read the same levels and repeat the water test, so you see the change in numbers, not just a promise.
- Service it every year. A yearly visit checks the unit, reads the pit levels and adds treatment.
What drives the cost
- How many tanks and pits the system has, and how they are reached
- Whether the tank needs pumping, risers or repairs before treatment
- Which ORCA setup the system needs: tank pod, pit unit or ORCA dosing
- An exterior outlet for the air pump, installed by your electrician
- The yearly service plan
Restoration typically costs a fraction of a new seepage pit or system, and it is done without major excavation of your yard.
What we do differently
Our own restoration technology, installed, serviced and measured by our own crew.
What most contractors would replace, we test first
When a seepage pit fills up and stays full, the soil around it has usually sealed with a layer of biological buildup called a biomat. The pit is not necessarily broken. It has stopped breathing. Many contractors, designers and geologists will recommend a new pit or a new system at that point. ORCA was developed for exactly that system, to bring it back to working order instead.
The ORCA system
- ORCA Pod (aerobic bacteria generator). Installs in the existing septic tank, with a version made for seepage pits. It is designed to add air and support bacteria that break down solids, cut odor and help clear the biomat from the pit walls.
- ORCA dosing units. Dose treatment on a schedule for systems in active failure, where the pit needs aggressive recovery.
- ORCA service. Our crew installs, maintains and measures every unit. No outside installer, no handoff.
We measure the result
Every ORCA job is measured the same way: the liquid level in each pit, a water test showing how fast the pit takes water, and photos, recorded before treatment and again at each follow-up visit. That record shows you, your buyer or your inspector exactly how the system recovered. One Hollywood Hills seepage pit went from critically full to dry in about ten weeks, with a dated photo log to show it.
When ORCA is not the answer
Bacteria can't fix a collapsed pit, a broken tank, a system that is too small for the house, or a site where groundwater has risen. If the test shows that, we tell you, and we can build the repair or replacement ourselves, from tank replacements and seepage pit drilling to a new system.
What it needs to keep working
- Constant power: the air pump needs a dedicated exterior outlet, and it has to stay on.
- A yearly service visit.
- Normal septic habits: no wipes, grease or harsh chemicals down the drains.
Learn more
- What ORCA Pods do for septic systems
- 7 signs your seepage pit is failing, and what fixes it
- Septic failed? You may not need a new system
ORCA is JFPEC's in-house brand, installed and serviced by our own crew. J.F. Prieto Engineering Construction, Inc., CA Lic. #525452, Class A General Engineering and Class B General Building.
Common questions
From the field
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