Background
Under the provincial Sewerage System Regulation (SSR), it is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that their septic system is properly maintained and safely operated. The regulation is applied by the Ministry of Health via regional health authorities and does not extend authority to the Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) to ensure systems within the regional district are being appropriately maintained.
Since 2016, the CVRD has done significant work to develop and deliver a septic education program to inform electoral area residents of septic system maintenance considerations and requirements, and to investigate options for regional district involvement in enhanced septic system regulatory measures. The 2020 septic regulatory program options study identified mandatory pump-outs, and mandatory inspection and maintenance as regulatory program options for consideration. The study also assessed public and environmental health risks associated with septic systems, identifying elevated risk in multiple electoral area neighbourhoods.
There are approximately 9,000 septic systems in use in the Electoral Areas.
The CVRD proposed septic regulations in 2024 and completed public engagement on the proposed options. Due to known public health and environmental impacts from domestic sewage, CVRD septic regulation aimed to elevate owner awareness of risks and responsibilities, and to ensure septic systems within the CVRD were being appropriately maintained and operated.
Based on opposition to the proposed region-wide septic regulatory program demonstrated through the public engagement process, the CVRD is no longer considering a region-wide septic system regulation at this time.
The CVRD has continued to explore approaches to address risks from private septic systems and is currently developing a pilot CVRD septic system maintenance rebate program, proposed to launch in spring 2026.