Overview of the Sewerage System Regulation

The Sewerage System Regulation  replaces the old Sewage Disposal Regulation. This regulation along with the companion document, the Sewerage System Standard Practice Manual, shifts the focus of managing on-site sewage systems through the application of an outcome based approach to wastewater management which allows for greater flexibility in terms of how these systems are regulated.

The regulation covers:

  • Systems which process a sewage flow of < 22 700 L
  • Single family systems or duplexes
  • Combination of sewerage systems which address different buildings on a single parcel of land
  • Structures which serves 1 or more parcels on strata lots or on a shared interest of land.

The regulation requires that:

  • Discharges do not cause or contribute to a health hazard
  • Only authorized persons construct and/or maintain on-site sewage systems --  training and certification of persons installing and maintaining wastewater systems
  • Systems must be designed in accordance with the regulations including adherence to strict performance standards
  • The authorized person files applications for construction or alteration of a system with the health authority
  • Establishes maintenance requirements for the system.
  • Ongoing system records be kept, ensuring industry and owner accountability.

New on-site sewage systems must also ensure that that they obtain the proper certificates and approvals from other government Ministries and ensure that they comply with requirements under the Sanitary Regulations under the Health Act, the Subdivision Regulations under the Local Services Act and any applicable municipal or regional district bylaws which may exist concerning the construction of these systems.  (For information on the relevance of these regulatory measures, please see Regulations/Legislation).

Larger wastewater systems are addressed by the Ministry of Environment under the Municipal Sewage Regulation under the Environmental Management Act.  For more information on the management of municipal systems or for systems with flows greater than 22,700 L/day, please refer to the Ministry of Environment Web Page on Municipal Sewage.