Septic Maintenance Inspection Program

• If your assigned date is not manageable you must contact our building department a minimum of 5 business days prior to your scheduled appointment.
• You, or a familiar representative, must be on site for the inspection, for the entire time frame provided.
• We ask that you hold off on any planned pump outs until after your inspection is complete. This allows our inspector's to see your tank at normal operating levels, complete flow tests, etc. 
• Your tank and pump chamber lids must be uncovered prior to your inspection. Please note, a septic tank should have 2 lids, please uncover both.
• Access to the dwelling and all accessory structures will be requested during the inspection.
• Any tools required for tank access are to be provided at the time of inspection.

• Your inspection will take up to 30 minutes.
• The inspector will request access to the dwelling to verify design flow and determine which plumbing fixture(s) to use for your flow test. The inspector will also require access to any accessory structures on site.
• A flow test from the dwelling, through the tank will be completed.
• A visual inspection of the tank, and bed will be completed.
• A measurement of sludge/scum levels will be taken using a specialized tool.
• Owners will be educated on visual components of the sewage system during the inspection.
• Following the inspection, a complete report will be emailed in a timely manner. Verbal feedback/ results will not be provided on site. 
• Properties that are inspected by municipal staff will receive a complimentary Lake Health Assessment. Staff will review the shoreline area and provide an informational grade to owners, along with suggestions for future improvements. This will not result in enforcement.

Property owners will be notified via email of their assigned upcoming inspection date. We understand that these dates may pose a conflict for some people and will do our best to be accommodating with these changes. 

Owners wishing to make a change to their inspection date are required to provide a minimum of 5 days' notice to the department prior to their assigned inspection date.

Complete our online rescheduling Request Form. Upon submission, staff will contact you to coordinate to the best of our ability. 

Properties that meet one or more of the following criteria may be removed from the septic portion of the inspection. However, even if removed from the septic portion, they remain subject to the Short Term Rental portion of the inspection.

• The system is newly installed, or has been fully replaced within the last 5 years.
• The property is served by a sewage system that treats to a higher quality that a common septic system and meets the criteria of the By-Law.
• The property is connected to Municipal Sewers.
• The property is vacant.

If you feel that your property meets any of these criteria, please contact us at septic@dysartetal.ca and staff will review your claim accordingly.

Staff will be completing complimentary Lake Health Assessments. This will include a brief review of the shoreline, as well as the remaining 30m setback. Staff will be looking for natural, or mostly natural shorelines and will be providing informational feedback to property owners on how to improve their property.

Following the inspection, property owners will be provided a score out of 100 along with detailed resources on how to make improvements should they desire. This assessment will not result in enforcement as the Site Alteration By-Law is a complaint based and this assessment is designed to be an added effort to promote lake health. 

Staff will be referencing our Site Alteration Sample Site Plan when assessing and scoring properties. 

The 2026 Program will focus on registered Short-Term Rental (STR) properties within the Municipality of Dysart et al. Each property will undergo a Septic Maintenance Inspection, a Short-Term Rental Compliance Inspection, and a complimentary Lake Health Assessment during a single site visit.

Inspections will run from May 11 to August 28, 2026 (Monday to Friday) and must be completed within this timeframe. 

For complete details regarding Short-Term Rentals, please visit the Short-Term Rental webpage.

• Sewage System Maintenance Inspection Fee - $220.00
• Partially Complete Return Inspection Fee - $100.00
• Inspection Outside of Inspection Schedule - $320.00
• Vacant Lot/ No Plumbing Site Confirmation - $100.00
• Remedial Action Septic Review - $150.00
• Remedial Action Letter - $25.00

Note: owners will be charged the Septic Maintenance Inspection Fee for each inspection attempt carried out by the Municipality. Please be sure to pay attention to your inspection date and preparation instructions to avoid unnecessary fees. The above fees are subject to annual review.

View our Frequently Asked Questions document

Remedial Actions for Bedrooms

If your Septic Maintenance Inspection resulted in a required remedial action to decommission a bedroom to return your property back to the permitted use, a Septic Review is required. This form will also be used in cases where there is an owner dispute based on the number of bedrooms recorded during the inspection. 

Please complete the septic review application form and submit the required supporting documents and fees. Following submission, a site visit will be completed to confirm bedroom count.

• Floor Plan Example
• Site Plan Example
• Fillable PDF of Septic Review Application

Complete the Septic Review Application 

Remedial Actions for Tank Components and Agreements

 Remedial Actions for Greywater to Grade

Remedial Actions for Structure within Setbacks

Remedial Actions for Constructions without Permit

Remedial Actions for Tank or Bed Compromised

Remedial Action for Pump Outs

If a property owner fails to complete the required remedial actions outlined in the septic inspection report within the specified timeframe, the municipality may issue either an Order to Remedy and/or Comply under the Ontario Building Code Act.

This legal order requires the property owner to address the outstanding issues and bring the system into compliance. Failure to comply with the order may result in further enforcement measures, including fines or legal action.

Timely compliance helps protect public health, water quality, and the long-term sustainability of our lakes and environment.

If an order is issued, the property owner is required to comply with the details outlined in the order by the set timeline to avoid further enforcement/ fees. Our fees by-law grants the municipality the authority to issue a monthly fee of $500 of all non-compliant building code orders.

How to Appeal an Order

If you feel this order has been issued in error you may contact staff at septic@dysartetal.ca and may request to have your concern escalated to the Chief Building official. If you feel the need to escalate this further, you are required to request a hearing with the Ontario Building Code Commission. Please note, municipal council does not have the authority to overrule building code matters.