Since 2016, the CVRD has done significant work to develop and deliver a septic education program to inform electoral area residents of septic system maintenance considerations and requirements, and to investigate options for regional district involvement in enhanced septic system regulatory measures. The 2020 septic regulatory program options study identified mandatory pump-outs, and mandatory inspection and maintenance as regulatory program options for consideration. The study also assessed public and environmental health risks associated with septic systems, identifying several electoral area neighborhoods at higher risk.

The program is needed for a number of reasons including:

• Many septic systems in use are more than 25 years old. Poorly functioning systems pose an environmental and public safety risk.
• Required maintenance would help protect sensitive aquifers and aquatic and marine habitats from sewage contamination.
• Many electoral area neighborhoods were established prior to the introduction of provincial septic regulations, and include concentrations of homes considerably higher than what would be permitted under current standards.

1. Mandatory pump-outs in all electoral areas and an inspection-based program for high-risk areas.
2. All pump-outs, maintenance and inspections to be coordinated and arranged by the individual property owners.

Thank you all for posting your questions and concerns about the proposed septic regulatory program. In response to some of the concerns expressed in this early stage of program development, here’s a few key points about the program:

• The proposed septic regulatory program recognizes the existing responsibility property owners have for their septic systems. Should the program proceed, any work completed on septic systems will continue to be coordinated, arranged and funded by property owners. For those property owners who are already engaged in proper septic system maintenance practices, there would be little to no change to these practices or their costs resulting from the proposed regulatory program.
• The proposed program would introduce a regulatory mechanism to help ensure that all property owners in the electoral areas are looking after their septic systems. Whether this takes the form of a requirement for all property owners to submit maintenance and/or inspection records to the CVRD on a periodic basis, or to provide these records upon request is yet to be determined.
• Before this program would be able to proceed, the following would have to be in place:
  • The support of the province to provide the CVRD the necessary authority to impose requirements for septic systems. An Order in Council (OIC) request for this authority is planned for submittal to the province in Summer 2024.
  • The support of residents in Electoral Areas A, B and C be demonstrated either through an alternate approval process (AAP) or referendum. Should the OIC request referenced above be approved by the province, an AAP or referendum would occur in 2025.