DECLARATION OF THE TYPE OF OCCUPANCY OF A BUILDING
All buildings are considered to be occupied permanently unless a written declaration is transmitted to the municipal employee responsible for the enforcement of the bylaw, stating that the building is occupied on a seasonal basis (180 days or less per year). The declaration must be presented on the appropriate form entitled “Declaration or notice of change of type of occupancy of a building” which is annexed to the present by-law.
The owner of a building is required to advise the municipality of any change in the type of occupancy (permanent or seasonal). The notice must be presented on the appropriate form entitled “Declaration or notice of change of type of occupancy of a building” annexed to the present by-law.
A septic tank must be emptied according to the following schedule:
a) At least once every 2 years when the building it serves is occupied permanently.
b) At least once every 4 years when the building it serves is occupied on a seasonal basis (180 days or less per year).
A holding tank must be emptied as often as required to prevent waste water from overflowing in the environment.
The owner of a building that is connected to a septic tank must transmit, by any means, a copy of the bill attesting that the emptying of the septic tank was performed in conformity with the present by-law.
The proof of the emptying shall be received before December 1st of the year it was performed.
The owner of a building that is connected to a holding tank must transmit, by any means, a copy of each bill attesting that the emptying of the tank was performed in conformity with the present by-law.
Only the bills issued from qualified enterprises that have access to a disposal site authorized by the Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs are accepted as proof of the emptying.
It is important to have your septic tank emptied within the time limits mentioned above. In fact, otherwise, you could be liable to a fine ranging from $ 1,000 to $ 100,000 for an individual or from $ 3,000 to $ 600,000 for a business.
INSPECTION VISITS
The designated person is authorized to visit and inspect, between 7h00 A.M. and 7h00 P.M., any immovable, including the inside of a house, garage, barn or any other building to verify that the present by-law is respected.
The owner, the tenant, the occupant or the person in charge of the property must welcome the designated person and answer all questions regarding the present by-law.
EMPTYING OF A SEPTIC TANK BY THE MUNICIPALITY
The designated person is authorized to organize and execute the emptying of all septic tanks for which no proof have been received before the deadline established in article 8. For this purpose, the designated person is authorized to enter the property, between 7h00 A.M. and 7h00 P.M., along with the necessary manpower and equipment to empty a septic tank, from May 1st to November 30th of each year.
REIMBURSEMENT OF THE EXPENSES INCURRED BY THE MUNICIPALITY
Each owner for whom the municipality has performed the emptying of a septic tank in conformity with article 11 of the present by-law shall reimburse the municipality all costs incurred. The sums due include all costs associated with the works described in article 11.2.2. These amounts are distinct from any penalties that the owner could be charged for in accordance with Section 4 of the present by-law. As stipulated in article 96 of the By-law on Municipal Powers, the sums due to the municipality, following an intervention to maintain a private waste water disposal system, are comparable to a property tax and, as such, can be collected accordingly.
FINES
Any violation of a provision of this Regulation makes the owner of a system for the discharge, collection or disposal of waste water, grey water, or toilet effluents liable to:
- For a first infraction, a minimum fine of two hundred dollars (200.00$) and a maximum fine of one thousand dollars ($1 000.00).
- For a second infraction, a minimum fine of four hundred dollars (400.00$) and a maximum fine of two thousand dollars ($2 000.00).
When an infraction lasts for more than one day, each additional day accounts for one separate infraction and the owner is subject to one fine per each day that the infraction lasted.
