Ontario · Permits & rules · 2026
Ontario Septic Permit Authority Directory: Who to Call in Every Region
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.
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The Single Biggest Mistake: Calling the Wrong Office
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.
Principal authority assignments in Ontario change through provincial regulation and municipal agreements. We verify the information in this directory at the time of writing (May 2026), but confirm with the listed authority before submitting any application. If a listed contact has changed, your municipal tax office will direct you to the current principal authority for your property.
Central Ontario — Cottage Country and Rural Areas
Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU)
Principal authority for Part 8 across most of Simcoe County and Muskoka District. Offices in Barrie, Midland, Collingwood, and Orillia. Note: Muskoka area municipalities handle permits independently — see Muskoka section below.
Phone: 705-721-7520 (Barrie main)
Web: simcoemuskokahealth.org
Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA)
Part 8 principal authority in some NVCA municipalities by agreement. Separate development permits also required under O. Reg. 41/24 for work near Georgian Bay, wetlands, and watercourses throughout the NVCA watershed.
Phone: 705-424-1479
Email: permits@nvca.on.ca
Web: nvca.on.ca
Township of Muskoka Lakes
Issues Part 8 permits for properties within the Township. Active Sewage System Maintenance Inspection Program (SSMIP) for waterfront properties.
Phone: 705-765-3156
Web: muskokalakes.ca
Town of Bracebridge / Town of Gravenhurst / Town of Huntsville / Township of Lake of Bays
Each Muskoka area municipality handles Part 8 permits through its own building department. Contact the building department of the specific municipality where your property is located.
Bracebridge: 705-645-5264
Gravenhurst: 705-687-3412
Huntsville: 705-789-1751
City of Kawartha Lakes — Building and Septic Division
Sole Part 8 authority for all of Kawartha Lakes. Records back to 1974. Inspectors available by phone 8:30am-10:30am weekdays.
Phone: 705-324-9411 ext. 2126 (north) / 1312 (south)
Email: septicpermits@kawarthalakes.ca
Web: kawarthalakes.ca
Haliburton County Municipalities
HKPR transferred all septic permitting to local municipalities. Contact the building department of your municipality:
Dysart et al: 705-457-1740
Highlands East: 705-447-0051
Minden Hills: 705-286-1260 x 209
Algonquin Highlands: 705-489-2379
Eastern Ontario
Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (RVCA)
Part 8 principal authority for several municipalities in the Rideau watershed, in partnership with Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority.
Phone: 613-692-3571
Web: rvca.ca
Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA)
Part 8 principal authority for municipalities within the Mississippi Valley watershed, in partnership with RVCA for some areas.
Phone: 613-259-2421
Web: mvc.on.ca
Peterborough County Municipalities
Peterborough Public Health transferred all septic permitting to local municipalities as of November 17, 2024. Each township in Peterborough County is now responsible. Contact your local township building department directly.
Trent Lakes: 705-738-3800 ext. 233
Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield: 705-292-9507
Douro-Dummer: 705-652-8392
City of Peterborough
City of Peterborough Building Division now handles all septic permits within city limits (transferred from PPH November 2024).
Email: residentialpermits@peterborough.ca
Phone: 705-742-7777 ext. 1892
Web: peterborough.ca
Renfrew County and District Health Unit
Principal authority for Part 8 permits throughout Renfrew County including Pembroke, Arnprior, and surrounding townships.
Phone: 613-735-8654
Web: rcdhu.com
Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Public Health
Principal authority for Part 8 in Kingston area, Frontenac County (bedrock Shield country), and Lennox and Addington.
Phone: 613-549-1232
Web: kflaph.ca
Northern Ontario
North Bay Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA)
Part 8 principal authority for Nipissing District and most of Parry Sound District (Township of the Archipelago excepted). 10-working-day permit review timeline from complete application.
Phone: 705-474-5420
Web: nbmca.ca
Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU)
Principal authority for Part 8 across Northwestern Ontario. Records retained 35 years. Phone permit inquiries available.
Phone: 1-800-830-5978
Email: permits@nwhu.on.ca
Web: nwhu.on.ca
Algoma Public Health
Principal authority for all of District of Algoma. Digital payments available.
Phone: 705-759-5286
Email: ehclerical@algomapublichealth.com
Web: algomapublichealth.com
Sudbury and District Health Unit
Part 8 authority for Greater Sudbury and several specific northern municipalities designated by the Building Code Act.
Phone: 705-522-9200
Web: phsd.ca
Porcupine Health Unit
Principal authority for Part 8 across the Cochrane District.
Phone: 705-267-1181
Web: porcupinehu.on.ca
Timiskaming Health Unit
Principal authority for Part 8 throughout the District of Timiskaming.
Phone: 705-647-4305
Web: timiskaminghu.com
The $18,950 line that never appears on a quote
A real worked example: 3-bedroom bungalow, conventional bed. Tank supplied and set, pipe, stone, fabric, one day of machine and labour, permit allowance — $13,049 with HST. The same job quoted at $32,000. The gap is design fees, markup, and labour you may not need to buy.
Two minutes on the free checker shows the numbers your own lot generates — daily flow, tank size, risk level — before anyone quotes you.
Southern and Southwestern Ontario
Niagara Region Public Health
Niagara Region is the principal authority for most Niagara Peninsula municipalities. Wainfleet, West Lincoln, and Welland handle their own permits.
Phone: 905-688-8248
Web: niagararegion.ca
Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health
Principal authority for Part 8 across Wellington, Dufferin, and Guelph.
Phone: 1-800-265-7293
Web: wdgpublichealth.ca
Grey Bruce Health Unit
Principal authority for Part 8 across Grey and Bruce Counties including the Bruce Peninsula.
Phone: 1-800-263-3456
Web: publichealthgreybruce.on.ca
Huron Perth Public Health
Principal authority for Part 8 in Huron and Perth counties.
Phone: 1-888-221-2133
Web: hpph.ca
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Principal authority for Part 8 in Hastings County and Prince Edward County (Bay of Quinte area).
Phone: 613-966-5500
Web: hpeph.ca
Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit
Principal authority for Part 8 in the Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark area east of Kingston.
Phone: 1-800-660-5853
Web: healthunit.org
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.
When you contact the principal authority, ask two additional questions beyond “do you handle septic permits”: First, is a Conservation Authority development permit also required for your property (near water, wetland, or floodplain)? Second, is the property in a Source Water Protection zone that triggers any mandatory inspection or enhanced treatment requirements? These two questions add five minutes to the call and prevent weeks of delay later in the project.
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.
What if I contact the health unit and they say they do not handle septic permits anymore?
Several health units have transferred their Part 8 authority to local municipalities in recent years — HKPR (Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge) and Peterborough Public Health are the most recent examples. If a health unit tells you they no longer handle permits, ask them to direct you to the correct authority for your specific property address. Your municipal building department is the next call.
Can I submit my application to multiple authorities to see who responds?
No — only the correct principal authority has jurisdiction over your property, and only they can issue a valid permit. Submitting to the wrong authority wastes time and does not produce a legally valid permit. The application fee may also be non-refundable. Confirm the correct authority before submitting anything.
I have a property on an island with no road access. Who handles my septic permit?
The principal authority for your property is based on its municipal location, not its accessibility. For most Ontario island properties, the municipal building department or the applicable health unit / conservation authority handles the permit — the same as for mainland properties in the same municipality. The fact that the property is on an island may affect what system class can be installed (Class 5 holding tanks are specifically permitted in some island situations), but the permit authority is determined by geography, not access. Contact your municipality first to confirm.
Quick Reference: Who Handles Septic Permits in Key Ontario Regions
✓Simcoe County (most areas): SMDHU — simcoemuskokahealth.org
✓Muskoka (all municipalities): local municipal building departments
✓Haliburton County (all municipalities): local municipal building departments (not HKPR)
✓Kawartha Lakes (entire city): City Building and Septic Division — 705-324-9411
✓Peterborough (city and county): local municipalities (transferred from PPH November 2024)
✓Northern Ontario (Nipissing / Parry Sound): NBMCA — nbmca.ca
✓Northwestern Ontario: Northwestern Health Unit — nwhu.on.ca
✓Algoma District: Algoma Public Health — algomapublichealth.com
✓Rideau Valley / Eastern Ontario: RVCA and MVCA — rvca.ca / mvc.on.ca
✓Niagara Region (most): Niagara Region Public Health — niagararegion.ca
✓Not sure: call your municipal tax office and ask who issues septic permits
Not Sure Where to Start with Your Project?
We work across Simcoe County, Georgian Bay, Muskoka, and the Kawarthas. Book a site assessment and we will navigate the approval landscape for your specific property and connect you with the right people.
SepticReplacement.ca is backed by an experienced Ontario home builder with decades of construction across Simcoe County and Georgian Bay. Independent septic advice, vetted installer referrals, and on-site assessment coordination. Not a licensed installer — just people who know how the system works and tell it straight.
Related Reading
The full Part 8 permit process from site assessment through Certificate of Approval — what to submit and what to expect.
SMDHU, NVCA, Source Water Protection, and the full approval landscape for Simcoe County properties.
Municipal building departments, the SSMIP inspection program, and bedrock conditions across the District of Muskoka.
All four Haliburton municipalities — contact details, bedrock conditions, and what to expect on a Shield lot.
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