Septic Re-Inspections Now Mandatory

Septic Re-Inspections Now Mandatory

Dysart to Begin Mandatory Septic Re-Inspections in 2018

At its meeting on December 18, 2017 Dysart et al Council passed a by-law which will require re-inspection of septic systems across the municipality in the coming years.  The new by-law is an effort to help protect human health and our environment.  The intention of the re-inspection program is to identify and resolve potential hazards associated with malfunctioning systems.  Specifically:

  • The by-law applies to all properties in Dysart et al located within 30 meters of a lake
  • Septic systems installed within 5 years of the start of the required inspection period are exempt
  • A pump out is required as part of the inspection process
  • The inspection must be performed by an Ontario licensed septic inspector and cannot be performed by the pump out contractor
  • Property owners are encouraged to proceed with inspections and then submit copies of the inspection report to Dysart
  • When property owners fail to have inspections completed by a licensed inspector prior to the applicable deadline, Dysart will proceed with inspections and bill the property owner for the related costs.

The inspections will be performed by geographic areas as defined in the by-law.  Kennisis Lake, Little Kennisis Lake, Paddy’s Bay and Kelly Lake are all part of Area 1.  These inspections are to commence in 2018 and must be completed by the end of 2019.

Inspections completed under the program organized by the KLCOA during the summer of 2017 will be accepted and with proof of completion of required repairs this paperwork can be submitted to the Dysart Building Inspector in order to avoid the need for a further inspection.

In addition other property owners who have had a comprehensive inspection of their septic system, including a pump out, performed by an Ontario licensed inspector since 2013 (say as part of a real estate transaction) for Area 1 will be exempted if the related paperwork is submitted to the Dysart building officials.

Education related to the effective operation of each septic system is an important part of the process and so the KLCOA strongly encourages property owners to be present during the inspection of their system.

With the snow currently covering the ground it will now be months before new inspections can actually be performed.  Over the next few months we expect the Dysart Building Department will be formally communicating with property owners regarding the specifics of their planned approach to completing the now required inspections.

The KLCOA will share details of the plans and approach through our website as those details become available.  We expect this will include information related to the submission of paperwork for inspections which have been completed.

As part of its plan Dysart will be providing a list of local licensed inspectors on its website.  Mike Rahme of HomePro Inspections who conducted the program for the KLCOA in 2017 will be on that list.

As we have previously reported, the KLCOA firmly believes these re-inspections will help protect the water quality of our lakes in the years to come.  We appreciate the efforts of the Council and staff at Dysart in moving forward with this program and will offer to work with them in order to help ensure its success.

Based on requests from members, the KLCOA will consider hosting another Septic Inspection Open House in the spring of 2018 so that members can learn more about the inspection process.

Questions may be directed to jd33smith@yahoo.com, a KLCOA volunteer who is not in the septic business.