Notification and approval are different
Nova Scotia’s regulatory guidance points to the Activities Designation Regulations. A qualified person or professional engineer submits a notification for a conforming installation; a system that cannot meet the Standard needs an approval application. Installation, replacement and alteration use the recognized-person framework, not simply a general municipal building permit.
People and site assessment
A recognized qualified person selects a system; a professional engineer can design one, including circumstances outside the standard route. Certified installers perform installation, replacement or alteration. Ask for the site assessment, selection/design, notification or approval record and certificate of installation. The province lists the recognized roles; the correct professional depends on site conditions and design.
Municipal role and parcel status
A municipality can separately control subdivision, land use, building work and sewer connections. Confirm whether an actual property is serviced, and ask the provincial environment office for the onsite file. City-area pages that have no distinct local approval information are best treated as navigation, while the provincial process here supplies the verified regulatory answer.
Nova Scotia says a system selected or designed in accordance with the provincial Standard can use the notification process, while a system that cannot meet the Standard requires an approval application. Qualified persons, engineers, installers and septic tank cleaners have different recognized roles within that system.