Septic systems near the water's edge

Ontario Building Code minimum distances

Ontario Building Code Part 8, Article 8.2.1.6.

Septic tank

• At least 15 m from a lake, river, stream or pond.
• 15 m from a well.
• 3 m from a property line.

Leaching bed

• At least 15 m from a lake, river, stream or pond.
• 30 m from a well, or 15 m if the well has a watertight casing at least 6 m deep.
• 5 m from a building.
• 3 m from a property line.

A raised bed adds twice its raised height to the leaching bed distances. That increase is Sentence 8.7.4.2.(11).

Your township may require more. The larger distance applies.

Work at the shoreline

Filling or dredging below the high water mark, or placing structures on shore lands, can need a work permit from the Ministry of Natural Resources under the Public Lands Act. In the Sault Ste. Marie area, the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority also regulates work near shorelines and wetlands. We have worked with the MNR on specialized water's edge jobs.