Ontario Septic Permit Authority Directory: Who to Call in Every Region

The Single Biggest Mistake: Calling the Wrong Office

In Ontario, the authority that issues your septic permit is not the same in every region. It might be a health unit, a conservation authority, or your municipal building department — and that answer has changed for several regions in recent years. Calling the wrong office delays your project. This directory lists the current principal authority for every major Ontario region so you call the right place first.

Under Part 8 of the Ontario Building Code, the “principal authority” for private sewage systems is the body responsible for reviewing permit applications, conducting inspections, and issuing Certificates of Approval. The Building Code Act designates each municipal council as the default authority, but it explicitly allows the province to designate health units, conservation authorities, or upper-tier municipalities to serve this role instead — and across Ontario, all three types of authority are in use, sometimes in different parts of the same county.

The landscape has also been changing. Peterborough Public Health transferred its septic permitting to local municipalities in November 2024. HKPR (Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge) did the same. The North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority is currently subject to a proposed transfer for several municipalities in its jurisdiction. What was accurate two years ago may not be accurate today. When in doubt, call your municipal tax office and ask — they will either handle it or point you to who does.

Central Ontario — Cottage Country and Rural Areas

Eastern Ontario

Northern Ontario

Southern and Southwestern Ontario

How to Find the Right Authority If You Are Not Sure

The fastest reliable method for any property in Ontario: call your municipal tax office — the office where you pay your annual property taxes — and ask who issues septic permits for properties in your area. They will either handle it themselves or redirect you to the correct authority. This works because every property in Ontario has a municipal tax relationship, even if the septic permit goes to a health unit or conservation authority.

The OOWA (Ontario Onsite Wastewater Association) also notes that if you confirm who the principal authority is, they will provide application forms and explain their specific requirements. Application forms are standardized provincewide but each authority may add their own supplemental forms.

Conservation Authorities: A Separate Permit From the Septic Permit

Across Ontario, Conservation Authorities have regulated development near water, wetlands, and natural hazards under the Conservation Authorities Act. Since April 1, 2024, Ontario Regulation 41/24 created a standardized provincial framework governing CA permits, replacing the previous system of individual CA regulations.

A CA permit is required for development — including septic system installation and replacement — when the work occurs in or near a regulated area. The regulated area includes lands adjacent to lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, floodplains, steep slopes, and the Great Lakes shoreline. The CA permit is a separate application, a separate fee, and a separate review from the septic permit.

Key CAs relevant to Ontario cottage country and rural areas: NVCA (Simcoe County / Georgian Bay), Kawartha Conservation (City of Kawartha Lakes), RVCA / MVCA (Eastern Ontario), NBMCA (Northern Ontario), Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) (Lake Simcoe watershed), Otonabee Region CA, Crowe Valley CA, and several others across the province. Each has an interactive property map on their website where you can confirm whether your property is in the regulated area.