Vancouver, BC onsite wastewater guide

Septic systems in Vancouver: permits, records, inspections and property checks

Confirm how the exact property is serviced before applying any septic advice. Utility, tax, permit and approval records are more reliable than lot size or neighbourhood appearance. A Vancouver postal address does not establish septic service. Confirm whether the specific lot is connected to municipal sewer or uses an onsite system.

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 →

Vancouver: distinguish a VCH filing from a City connection

Vancouver Coastal Health says an authorized person files the sewerage-system design with the health authority before construction, alteration or repair on a property outside municipal sewer. The City of Vancouver separately provides a way to find an existing water or sewer connection and has sewer-connection permits. Start with those City service records for the exact lot; VCH’s filing route is relevant only when onsite service is established.

For a buyer, ask the appropriate VCH Health Protection Office for the filing and post-installation certification, then have a qualified professional compare the record with the system on the ground. For a renovation or infill project, show the authorized person the new building footprint and drainage plan before the City drawings are final. A proposed municipal sewer connection is a City infrastructure process, not a substitute for an onsite filing. The VCH sewerage guide and Vancouver’s connection records answer different parts of the same property question.

Who approves septic work around Vancouver?

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.

Local approval route: For a verified unsewered Vancouver parcel, an authorized person’s filing goes to Vancouver Coastal Health. City sewer-connection records establish whether that onsite route applies.

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.

Regulatory and record sources

Last verified: September 28, 2026. Local and provincial/regional source routes checked. Confirm the parcel’s service status, responsible authority and current requirements before work. How we research these guides →