Septic Systems in Sooke

Are you on the sewer or on septic?

The Sewer Specified Area is the part of Sooke that is connected to the District's sanitary sewer system. Properties outside the Sewer Specified Area rely on septic systems. Sewer service is funded by the users who are connected to the sewer system, through annual sewer service fees.

What does the District ask of you as a septic owner?

The District of Sooke asks you to pump the tank as needed, protect the drainfield with no parking, compacting, or heavy planting, and watch for signs of problems such as odours, slow drains, or wet spots.

Which authority issues your building permit here?

The District of Sooke does, under Building Bylaw No. 780, 2020. The work it lists includes constructing a new building or structure, alterations, additions or repairs to an existing building or structure, plumbing work, and connecting to a municipal sanitary or storm sewer system. A Sewer Connection Request is listed as a possible additional approval.

Occupying a building before approval may result in fines of up to $1,000 per day. Book a building inspection at least 24 hours in advance, and we book it for the work we do.

Which areas is the District studying for sewer?

The District of Sooke names Town Centre, Henlyn Drive (east of Erinan), North Otter Point / Burr Road, and Helgesen Road as under study for future sewer service. Your property outside the Sewer Specified Area is on septic today, and we look after it as it is.

What septic work do we do in Sooke?

We install new Type 1 and Type 2 systems for Sooke properties. We repair drain fields, distribution boxes, pumps and floats, and we clear blockages and lines. We pump tanks out and service the effluent filter on schedule. We also run real-estate and pre-purchase inspections and write the report.

What about grey water from the laundry and the sink?

It counts as sewage the moment it leaves the building. You can put it on a garden, but only through a designed system that has a filing behind it, only below ground, and only on crops nobody is going to eat. Running it out onto the surface is against the law, the same as running raw sewage out there.

How many people live here?

The District recorded 15,086 residents at the 2021 Census. Some of those households are plumbed into the municipal system. The rest have a tank, a distribution box and a field sitting out of sight, and that is who we work for. We check an address against the boundary before we say anything else about it.