A system cannot be used until the Letter of Certification is in
Septic Questions Sooke Homeowners Ask
Sooke Septic answers septic questions from property owners in Sooke, East Sooke, Otter Point and Metchosin. Below are the questions homeowners send us — what the work costs, who is allowed to do it, and which authority issues your building permit. We reply within 24 hours.
- How much does a new septic system cost in Sooke?
- A new Type 1 system is $18,000 to $30,000. A Type 2 system is $25,000 to $45,000 or more, and so is a sand mound or a pressure-dosed field. We price your own property after a free site visit, and the septic price ranges cover every job we quote.
- Who approves a new septic system in Sooke?
- Island Health does. It receives the filing your Authorized Person sends in before construction, and checks it meets minimum submission criteria. What it does not do is approve the design — that responsibility stays with the Authorized Person who signs it.
- Who is allowed to build or repair my septic system?
- An Authorized Person: either a professional, or a Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner. You have to retain one to construct, alter or repair a sewerage system, and repair work has to be done by one or supervised by one. We hold the practitioner registration.
- Which septic repairs need filing documents?
- These need them: replacing the distribution field, replacing the septic tank, or switching from gravity to pressure distribution. Everything smaller is minor work — a distribution box lid, an effluent pump, a float switch, an effluent filter, or a short section (10 feet) of crushed distribution line.
- Can I use a new septic system as soon as it is built?
- Not yet. Your Authorized Person has 30 days from finishing to send the health authority a signed Letter of Certification, and the system stays out of use until that letter is in. We send yours, along with the as-built diagram and your maintenance plan.
- What areas does Sooke Septic serve?
- We work in Sooke, East Sooke, Otter Point and Metchosin. Sooke and Metchosin are municipalities in the Capital Regional District. East Sooke and Otter Point are unincorporated communities in the Capital Regional District's Juan de Fuca Electoral Area.
- Who issues the building permit for my property?
- It depends where you are. In Sooke it is the District of Sooke. In Metchosin it is the District of Metchosin. In East Sooke and Otter Point it is the Capital Regional District. The Island Health filing applies in all of them, because it is provincial.
- What are the signs a septic system is failing?
- Slow drains first — sinks, showers and tubs. If it carries on, sewage ponds on the surface, grey, and you will smell it before you see it. The law says you must remedy a failing system as soon as possible. Send us the address and we come out and find the fault.
- Do septic tank additives help?
- No. There have been no proven benefits to their use, and additives can in some cases harm your sewerage system. What keeps a system working is the pump-out schedule and the maintenance plan.
- Can I plant or water over my drain field?
- Grass, yes, kept clear of larger roots. Vegetables and food crops, no. Keep underground sprinkler lines off the field as well — water lines belong at least three meters from the sewage distribution field.
- Are there records for an older septic system?
- There should be records for anything built from 2005 on, and for most systems back to 1990. Older than that and records get thin. Island Health charges $50.00 per property to release them, through its Request for Release of Information form.
- Which inspection report do I need to sell a property?
- For a sale, a Performance Inspection Report would typically be used. To support a building permit application, a Compliance Inspection Report would. Either way it is $400 to $800 for a real-estate or pre-purchase inspection, report included.
- What are you registered to do?
- We hold the Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner registration. It comes from the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians Association of BC, and it covers Type 1 and Type 2 systems with a daily design flow below 9,100 litres a day. We also carry WorkSafeBC coverage.
- Does adding bedrooms affect my septic system?
- It can. More bedrooms means more daily sewage flow, and a system carrying more flow than it was designed for likely has to be updated. Where the change needs a building permit, the Building Inspection Authority may ask you for a report from an Authorized Person.
Ready for a quote on septic in Sooke?
The site visit is free, and we reply to you within 24 hours.