Valley Drilling Co pumps septic tanks across the Morongo Basin: Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Twentynine Palms and Morongo Valley. Call (909) 795-6164. We pump 7 days a week, answer from 8 AM to 8 PM, and after-hours emergency calls are answered too.
We've been a family septic business since 1950, based in the Cherry Valley and Redlands area. Highway 62 brings us up from the pass into the basin.
Is Yucca Valley on Sewer?
Parts of it are. The Hi-Desert Water District has been building a sewer system in phases, starting with the central part of town. Most homes in the basin are still on septic, and outside Yucca Valley nearly all of them are.
If your home is already connected, you're done with pumping. If it isn't, keep pumping on schedule until it is. A neglected tank can fail before the sewer ever reaches your street. When your turn comes, the old tank has to be pumped and taken out of service. Our septic to sewer conversion page covers that.
Desert Soil and Your System
Most of the basin is sandy, decomposed granite soil cut by washes. Sand drains fast, which helps leach lines and seepage pits keep up. It also means poorly treated water reaches groundwater quickly. Nitrate in the groundwater is a big part of why the regional water board pushed Yucca Valley toward a sewer.
A tank pumped on time holds back more solids and sends cleaner water to the soil. It also keeps your leach lines or seepage pit from clogging.
Granite outcrops and boulders make some tanks hard to reach, especially around Joshua Tree and Yucca Mesa. Wind drifts sand over lids. If you can't find yours, we'll locate it.
Vacation Rentals Fill Tanks Faster
Short-term rentals are everywhere near Joshua Tree National Park. A two-bedroom cabin that sleeps six every weekend puts far more through the tank than the retired couple who used to live there. Guests also flush things they shouldn't.
If you run a rental, plan on pumping more often than the 3 to 5 years a typical home needs. Book the pump-out on a weekday between guests, and post a short note in the bathroom about what not to flush. Our list of signs a tank needs pumping is worth sharing with your cleaner.
Towns We Cover in the Basin
- Yucca Valley, including Yucca Mesa, Pioneertown, Flamingo Heights and Landers
- Joshua Tree, from the Highway 62 corridor out to the north side of town
- Twentynine Palms and Wonder Valley
- Morongo Valley, at the top of the grade
County and Regional Rules
Septic permits in the basin go through San Bernardino County, or the Town of Yucca Valley or City of Twentynine Palms depending on the property. The Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board sets the groundwater rules. Routine pumping doesn't need a permit from you. Repairs and new systems do, and we'll tell you what applies before any work starts.
Buying a desert property? Get an escrow inspection before you close. For the rest of the High Desert, see our Hesperia and High Desert page, our Apple Valley page or the San Bernardino County page.
New to septic? Start with septic tank pumping and how often to pump a septic tank.
Morongo Basin Septic Questions
Do I still need to pump if the sewer is coming to Yucca Valley?
Yes, until your home is actually connected. A full tank can back up or damage your leach lines in the meantime. When you do connect, the old tank has to be pumped and taken out of service.
How often should a Joshua Tree vacation rental be pumped?
More often than a regular home. It depends on tank size and how many guests you have, but many busy rentals need it every 1 to 2 years. We can suggest an interval after we see how full the tank was.
Do you come out to Twentynine Palms and Wonder Valley?
Yes. We pump septic tanks across the Morongo Basin, including Twentynine Palms, Wonder Valley, Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, Landers and Morongo Valley.
Sand covered my septic lid. Can you still find it?
Yes. Buried and drifted-over lids are common in the desert. Finding and uncovering them is part of the job.
Who regulates septic systems in the Morongo Basin?
Permits go through San Bernardino County, or the town or city depending on the property. The Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board oversees groundwater rules in the area.
Need a pump-out in the Morongo Basin?
Call (909) 795-6164. We answer 7 days a week, 8 AM to 8 PM, and after-hours emergency calls are answered too.
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