The Ontario Clean Water Act, 2006 identifies sewage storage, including septic systems, as one of 22 activities that can pose a significant threat to drinking water.
This makes it very important that you have your system maintained, inspected, and upgraded if needed.
If you have a septic system, and you are located within 100 metres of a municipal well, or you are in the most vulnerable part of the municipal well’s two-year time-of-travel zone, your septic system may be assessed as a significant threat to municipal drinking water sources. If so, your septic will need to be inspected through a septic re-inspection program, under the Ontario Building Code, which began the Spring of 2015.
Septic systems, when properly designed, constructed and maintained, effectively reduce or eliminate most human health or environmental threats posed by pollutants in household wastewater. However, septic systems do require regular maintenance and they can fail. Failed systems pose a serious public health risk and can contaminate surrounding ground and water, and enter drinking water systems far beyond the property boundaries. There is significant potential to cause serious illness and even death.
Please consult some of our free septic system resources in the Documents section.
Click on this link for our septic fact sheets: Septic fact sheets
The Ontario Onsite Wastewater Association (OOWA) has released a new video for homeowners addressing the basics of how a septic system functions as well as best management practices.
Watch the video now:
