Frequently asked
Septic Questions, Answered
Parksville Septic Systems gets asked the same handful of questions on most driveways, so we've put the answers here. You'll find how we file a system with Island Health, what separates a Type 1 from a Type 2 and a Type 3, what the work costs, how often to pump your tank, and what we check on an inspection. Ask us anything that isn't here.
Do I need a permit for a septic system in BC?
In BC there's no permit you pull yourself. We file the system with Island Health under the Sewerage System Regulation, as the Authorized Person on the job, and when the work is done we send in the Letter of Certification. Our septic filing guide walks through how it works.
What is a ROWP or Authorized Person?
BC only lets certain people file a septic system, and the name for them is Authorized Person. We hold that standing as a Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner, a ROWP, which covers Type 1 and Type 2 work. A Type 3, or a site that's genuinely complicated, needs a professional — usually an engineer. You can't file your own as a homeowner, however handy you are.
What are Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 septic systems?
A Type 1 is the basic setup — a tank and a drain field. Some run on gravity, some use a pump, and the treatment is the same either way. A Type 2 has extra treatment gear on top of that, so it costs more to buy and more to put in, and it suits tighter soil or a high winter water table. Of the three a Type 3 carries the most gear, and it goes on the tightest sites. We design and file Type 1 and Type 2 ourselves. On a Type 3 a professional does the design and the filing, and we build it.
How much does a septic system cost in the Parksville area?
A new system generally runs from about $15,000 for a straightforward Type 1 to $45,000 or more for a Type 2 on a difficult site, with Type 3 systems custom-quoted for the site. Pump-outs run around $250 to $500 and inspections around $300 to $700. Our septic cost guide breaks down the ranges. Your own number comes out of the visit, in writing.
How often should a septic tank be pumped?
For most households we say every 3 to 5 years. A smaller tank or a fuller house pulls that in; two people in a big tank can stretch it. Book your tank pumping on that rhythm and the solids stay where they belong, in the tank and out of your drain field.
What are the signs a septic system is failing?
Drains running slow, fixtures gurgling, sewage coming back up indoors, ground gone soft and spongy with a bright green stripe over the drain field, a smell near the tank — any of those means you want us out for a septic repair before it gets worse.
Do I need a septic inspection to sell my home?
No law says you have to, but buyers and lenders ask for one most of the time. In a point-of-sale septic inspection we open the tank, look over the drain field, run water through to see the field takes it, and read the Island Health records — usually inside the subject-removal period, so nobody is arguing about the septic on closing day.
Which areas do you serve?
We cover Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Coombs and Nanoose Bay, and we come out to the acreages around French Creek, Errington and Whiskey Creek too — all of it inside the Regional District of Nanaimo. Have a look at our service areas page for each community.
What should I have ready when asking for a septic quote?
Send us the property address or the PID, any Island Health records or an as-built you already have, how many bedrooms the house has, where the water comes from (a well or the town), roughly how big the lot is, and whether you want a new install, a repair, a pump-out or an inspection for a sale. The soil and the water table we sort out ourselves when we come out.
Ready for a septic quote in Parksville?
Tell us about the property and the job, and we’ll come out and look. We work right across the Regional District of Nanaimo, and the visit costs you nothing.