Septic bed.

Sewage and Septic Systems

Home Health and Wellness Public Health Inspections and InvestigationsSewage and Septic Systems

COVID-19 and your septic system

While many of us are currently spending more time at home, septic systems are receiving more waste water each day than usual.

Follow these tips to help reduce the stress on your septic system:

Conserve water and try to spread water use over the course of the week, especially laundry.
Do NOT put food, compost or grease down your drains.
Avoid excessive use of bleaches and harsh cleaning products.
Consider having the septic tank pumped if it has not been done in the last three to five years. This will increase the space available in the tank for the sewage coming in.
Clean the effluent filter in the tank (these will be in newer tanks only).
Holding tanks will need more frequent pumping. PLAN AHEAD and set up pumping appointments before the tank is full.
Make an appointment for an annual maintenance inspection if you have a treatment unit.
Check for leaking plumbing inside the house.
Do NOT put backwash waste from a water softener into the septic system.

This is also a good time to inspect the sewage system and make changes on your property that will help prolong the life of your sewage system.

Inspect septic tank lids for signs of cracks or evidence of sewage leaking out.
Make sure that surface water from gutters and sump pumps is directed away from the septic tank and leaching bed area.
Check for signs of malfunction (e.g. grass over the leaching bed is unusually spongy, sewage odour in the yard, surface ponding of sewage and/or algae growth around the septic tank or leaching bed).
Do NOT plant shrubs or trees in the area of the leaching bed.
Do NOT drain hot tub or pool waste water to the septic system or on the ground in the area of the septic system.

Building permits for sewage systems and building addition applications

Building permits for sewage systems and building addition applications continue to be accepted and reviewed during COVID-19.

Durham Region Health Department is responsible for approving the design and building of private sewage systems in Durham Region. The City of Oshawa is an exception.

Septic permit applications

You need to fill out an application to get a permit for a septic system. The application can be used to get a permit for:

A new septic system
Septic tank replacement
Repair of an old or malfunctioning septic system

Property roll numbers must be filled out on all applications.

Complete both the permit to construct or repair form and schedule A

See our application submission options

Please note that applications submitted without the applicable payment will not be processed.

See our payment options

Employee safety is the Region’s top priority.

Please ensure sites are cleared of any hazards or obstacles so our inspectors can complete the required inspections safely. If our inspectors are unable to access the site safely a follow-up inspection will be booked when the site is cleared.

Unsafe conditions may include, but are not limited to:

Excessively wet/muddy conditions.
Snow/ice covered lot.
Site restrictions/obstructions preventing a safe path.

Additional resources

Fee schedule (fees increase on April 1 each year)
Lot diagram

Building addition applications

Use the building addition application form when a building department asks for our comments when you are applying for an addition to your home or for a new structure on your property (e.g. garage, pool). Property roll numbers must be filled out on all applications.

See our application submission options

Please note that applications submitted without the applicable payment will not be processed.

See our payment options

Additional resources

How to locate your private sewage disposal system
Fee schedule (fees increase on April 1 each year)
Lot diagram

Application submission options

Submit your application

Electronically

Drop-off

*Email applications to buildingapplications@durham.ca

Please do not use the building applications email account to send us general inquiries. Please email all general inquiries to ehl@durham.ca.

All applications must contain all four (4) pages of the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Application for a Permit to Construct or Demolish (2014) completed and signed by the applicant, two (2) pages of Schedule A and a sewage system design drawing.
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Payment is sent separately.

Please note that applications submitted without the applicable payment will not be processed.

See our payment options

*Durham Region Health Department recognizes that the use of email is a commonly used and preferred form of communication.

By submitting your permit electronically, you acknowledge and understand:

You are agreeing to be contacted by email to process your application.
Sharing of personal and/or personal health information via email should be kept to a minimum.
Any personal and/or personal health information that you provide to us via email will only be used to respond to your message and/or process your application.
While steps are taken to protect the privacy and security of emails, sending and receiving emails over the internet is not secure. We cannot guarantee the security of any messages sent or received.
You may withdraw your consent to the use of email at any time by contacting us.
Do not use email for emergency or urgent health care matters.

Notice of collection

Personal Information is collected under the authority of the Building Code Act, 1992, s.8(1.1). This information is collected and used for the purposes of processing your application, to contact you regarding your application or for future correspondence related to the maintenance and functioning of your private sewage system. Questions about this collection and use of information should be addressed to Durham Region Health Department, Manager, Health Information, Privacy and Security at 605 Rossland Rd E., P.O. Box 730, Whitby, ON L1N 0B2, (905) 668-7711.

Health Department drop-off locations

The following Health Department locations will accept drop-off applications Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)

101 Consumers Drive, Whitby (east entrance)
181 Perry Street, Port Perry (Drop off box is located inside the east entrance of Township of Scugog office on the first floor)

Public health inspectors are available by phone should you have questions about sewage systems, the permit application process or your specific application.

**Please note that these are drop-off locations only. There is no staff onsite to process payments or to answer questions. All documents must be clearly labelled with the property owner’s information and required payments must be in cheque form or may be submitted via e-transfer.

Please note that applications submitted without the applicable payment will not be processed.

See our payment options

Payment options

Fee payment options

Interac e-transfer

By cheque

Fees can be paid by sending payment to healthpayments@durham.ca.

Please note that applications submitted without the applicable payment will not be processed.

The message field of your e-transfer must contain the type of application and property address to confirm what the payment is for (see table below).

Required message field entries

Field entries
Application type	Message field entry
Building Permit	Bldg Per-address
Consent for Building Addition	Bldg Add-address
Building Permit ext	Perm Ext-BP#
Lawyer Letter	PT8 Lawyer-address
Planning Application	Comment-address

Fees can be paid by cheque made payable to "Durham Region Health Department".

Please note that applications submitted without the applicable payment will not be processed.

Septic system records

Our Health Protection Division holds the septic system records. You can access these records for free if you own the property.

How to request access to your septic system record:

For properties located in Pickering, Ajax, Whitby and Clarington call 905-723-3818
For properties located in Uxbridge, Scugog and Brock call 905-985-4889

Note:

We do not have records prior 1974.
We only have records for properties that we have received an application for.
Only the current property owner can see the septic record. The owner must provide ID and proof of ownership to see the records. The owner must provide ID and a current property tax bill as proof of ownership.

Give us as much information as you can for the property. This will help us find a record if we have one.

This could include:

Legal description of the property.
The owner at the time the septic system was installed.
The year the system was installed.

Additional resources and information

Types of sewage systems

There are five different kinds of sewage systems.

Septic tank and leaching bed (most common)

They are Class 4 systems under the Ontario Building Code (OBC).
They require a permit from the Health Department.
The size of the sewage system is based on the soil conditions of the property and the Total Daily Design Flow (Q) from the home. Q represents the size of the house, number of bedrooms and plumbing fixtures.
It is not affected by the number of people living in the house.
Septic tanks will remove solids and treat the sewage before it goes to a leaching bed. The bed spreads the liquid into the soil.
There are many types of leaching beds. A qualified sewage system designer or installer can help you to decide which leaching bed will work best for you. The types include:
- A trench system
- Filter bed
- Type A dispersal bed
Level four treatment units can be used to treat the sewage more than a septic tank can. This may reduce the size of the leaching bed portion of the septic system.
See the SepticSmart for Advanced Treatment Systems booklet for more information on these types of units.

Other resources

Holding tank

They are Class 5 sewage system under the Ontario Building Code (OBC).
The tank must be pumped on a regular basis.
They require a permit from the Health Department.

Only approved for use:

If they are used as a temporary operation of less than one year (not seasonal recreational use).
To fix or upgrade a sewage system when a Class 4 cannot fit.
If they are temporarily used until municipal sewers are available.
The municipality must make sure that approved sewage hauling continues during this time.

Greywater Pit

They are a Class 2 sewage system in the Ontario Building Code (OBC).
Only for sinks, laundry and shower waste use. No toilet waste can go into this system.
They require a permit from the Health Department.

Privies (Outhouses, portable toilets)

They are a Class 1 sewage system in the Ontario Building Code (OBC).
For human body waste only (blackwater).
A permit is not required but you must follow the rules in the OBC.

Cesspool

They are a Class 3 sewage system in the Ontario Building Code (OBC).
For human body waste only (blackwater)
Has a very short life span and is not recommended
Requires a permit from the Health Department

Maintenance Inspection Program (Lake Simcoe)

Durham Region Health Department has been contracted by the Township of Brock and the Township of Uxbridge to conduct their Maintenance Inspection Program for the Lake Simcoe Protection Plan. These inspections are being conducted to help ensure the proper operation and maintenance of sewage systems.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my property included in this program?

Your property has a private on-site sewage system and is within 100 metres of Lake Simcoe or other lakes, ponds, rivers or streams in the Lake Simcoe watershed and your private on-site sewage system was installed before January 1, 2016.

Who do I contact if I do not think my property should be included in the program?

Your township office determines which properties are to be inspected and provides the Health Department with that information. Any questions or concerns about your property being included in the program must be addressed by the Townships.

What is the fee? How do I pay the fee?

All questions about the inspection fees are addressed by the township office where your property is located. The Health Department is not involved in the fees.

Why do I need a site plan?

A site plan is required because the inspector needs to know the location of all parts of the private on-site sewage system and the well on the property to conduct an inspection.

How do I locate my sewage system?

How to locate your private sewage disposal system

What does the inspection include?

It is a visual inspection of the ground surface. No part of the private on-site sewage system will have to be dug up and we do not need to enter your home. The inspector may require a second inspection if there are any signs that the private on-site sewage system is not working properly.

What are signs that the private on-site sewage system is not working properly?

Wet spots, depressions or soggy ground area on the leaching bed
Sewage odours present in the area of the septic tank and/or leaching bed

When will the inspection take place?

Inspections will be done between late May and the end of August and only during the Health Department’s regular business hours which are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Do I need to be present for the inspection?

No, it is not necessary for you to be present for the inspection.

How do I know if my property has been inspected and the result of the inspection?

Property owners will be sent a letter telling them if their system satisfactory or is not working properly.

What happens if my private on-site sewage system is determined to be not working properly (unsafe)?

A public health inspector may issue an Order to Comply under the Ontario Building Code if it is determined that the private on-site sewage system is not working properly. The property owner is responsible for making sure that the proper steps are taken to ensure their private on-site sewage system is working properly. This includes getting the correct permits and covering the costs.

Where can I find more information about the Maintenance Inspection Program?

The package sent by mail contains background information that outlines the program and contains details about the inspection process.

For further information contact us at 1-866-845-1868 ext 4939.

Helpful resources