New Westminster, BC onsite wastewater guide

Septic systems in New Westminster: permits, records, inspections and property checks

New Westminster provides an Engineering and Public Works route for information about sewer connection length and location, plus municipal sewer maintenance guidance. Fraser Health remains the health-authority route for onsite sewage filings and system records.

First questionSewer or onsite?
Local lensMetro Vancouver
Before buyingRecords + condition
Before workLocation + capacity

First, confirm this property’s wastewater service

A city-area guide cannot tell whether a specific parcel is connected to sewer or has an onsite system.

Health authority / onsite records route

Use the health authority route below for onsite-system guidance, filings or records. Confirm sewer connection separately with the municipality or utility.

Open health authority onsite-wastewater page →

Onsite system confirmed

Find the parcel’s system approvals and verify current rules with the responsible local authority before work.

Start with provincial guidance →

Service unknown

Check utility bills and permit records; ask the local authority to confirm current service before planning an onsite inspection or repair.

How to confirm service →
Provincial rule: British Columbia’s Sewerage System Regulation requires an authorized person to plan, construct or supervise most onsite sewerage-system work covered by the regulation, with filings made to the health authority before construction and certification after completion. Open provincial / regional onsite-wastewater authority →

New Westminster: verified service and approval steps (October 2026)

The City states that connection length/location information for a plumber may be obtained from Engineering and Public Works during business hours. The city also documents sewer service maintenance responsibility and disconnection on demolition; those are not septic-system permits.

Next step: Ask New Westminster Engineering for the parcel’s sewer service record and whether an active connection is recorded. If an onsite system is claimed, request prior records from Fraser Health and confirm the next steps with an Authorized Person.

Direct research sources

Verification boundary: Connection records alone do not establish full service or private sewage compliance. This page provides a defensible local research route, not approval of an individual system.

Who approves septic work around New Westminster?

British Columbia’s Sewerage System Regulation uses an Authorized Person model. For typical residential systems, an Authorized Person files the required system information with the regional health authority and later files certification after construction.

For records, ask for the filing/record of sewerage system, site plan or as-built information, and any letter/certification on file. The municipality may control building or zoning issues, but the regional health authority is the key onsite-sewerage records route.

Official sources for this guide

If sewage is backing up or surfacing, stop using affected fixtures and contact a qualified professional or the responsible authority. Never enter a septic tank.

Start with these official sources

Sources rechecked 15 October 2026. Municipality connection/record services are distinct from onsite permits, and property conditions must be confirmed.