Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / Fraser Health has ordered the owners of a home (pictured) on Reid Road in Chilliwack to connect to a municipal sewer system after an environmental health officer had reasonable and probable grounds to believe domestic sewage was discharged onto the property. The tenant says there has been raw waste leaching into her yard for almost a month, describing it as free-flowing. 

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Sewage discharge at Chilliwack home

Update: Fraser Health confirms it is working with a Chilliwack property owner to rectify a leaky septic tank

Nov 13, 2024 | 9:40 AM

UPDATE 11 A.M., THURSDAY: A Fraser Health spokesperson has confirmed that it is working with the property owner of a Chilliwack home to ensure public health standards are met.

According to a statement from spokesperson Nick Eagland, Fraser Health environmental health officers typically follow up on reported health hazards in the community, including concerns related to onsite sewerage systems such as septic tanks. “This helps to ensure property owners are in compliance with applicable public health legislation,” Eagland said.

Original story below from Wednesday morning, Nov. 13 at 9:40 a.m.: 

CHILLIWACK — Kimberley Mcgaw-Richardson is living a nightmare after discovering raw sewage seeping from the septic tank of the rental home where she lives in Chilliwack.

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“Literally there has been raw waste leaching into the yard for almost a month and now it’s free flowing,” Mcgaw-Richardson told Fraser Valley Today Tuesday (Nov. 12). “I’m just so frustrated. It’s a hard issue to navigate. This morning the landlord told me that they were going to backfill with mud, meaning the mud they’ve excavated. Health wise, this is very unsafe.”

Fraser Health Authority has confirmed Mcgaw-Richardson’s fears. According to an unauthorized discharge report written by Fraser Health, a site inspection was conducted on October 31 at the Reid Road home in response to a reported septic system malfunction. The inspection was carried out by Jessica Hibbs, an environmental health officer from the Fraser Health Authority. The order dated November 1, 2024, was addressed to the owners of the Reid Road home who reside in Surrey, and obtained by Fraser Valley Today.

At the time of the inspection, Fraser Health discovered an exposed concrete septic tank, located underneath of a house extension, with a hole in the side of the tank.

Image: Fraser Health Authority / Exposed concrete at the Reid Road home as documented by Fraser Health.

To corroborate that domestic sewage and/or effluent was being discharged insert onto land, fluorescent “tracer” dye was flushed down the toilet. Not long after, the dye was observed surfacing immediately at the side of the septic tank and into the backyard.

Image: Fraser Health Authority / Fluorescent tracer dye that was found surfacing at the side of the septic tank and into the backyard.

Per section 3(1) (b) of the Sewerage System Regulation, Fraser Health says it is the duty of the owner of every parcel on which a structure is built or located to ensure that all domestic sewage originating from the structure does not cause or contribute to a health hazard. In accordance with section 2.1(1) of the Sewerage System Regulation, the discharge of domestic sewage or effluent onto land or into surface water is a prescribed health hazard.

Hibbs wrote in the unauthorized discharge report that Fraser Health had reasonable and probable grounds to believe the property owners contravened the Sewerage System Regulation pertaining to domestic sewage and/or effluent discharging onto land.

The home owners have been ordered to connect the home to a municipal sewer system by November 29. Fraser Health says it may conduct another inspection to ensure compliance with the order, adding that failure to abide by the terms of the order may result in the issuance of a violation ticket, prosecution or other legal action.

Mcgaw-Richardson says she worries about the health implications for future tenants of the home.

“I’m sure E. coli is a risk. I worry about future tenants,” she said. “What if they have auto immune issues, cancer, a child or animals? Our dog got very sick about 3 weeks ago with a massive auto immune allergy flare-up and has been on Prednisone since. The vet asked if there were any environmental changes. Not sure how to deal with what’s happening.”

The home in question was built in 1976. It was last purchased in April 2021 for $800,000, according to B.C. Assessment.

A spokesperson for the City of Chilliwack says septic tanks are the responsibility of the property owner under the regulatory authority of Fraser Health.

“Although the City would not have a role in the current situation with the septic tank, our records show that there is a connection to the City’s sanitary sewer available at the property line for the property owner to connect to. A permit would be required for inspection tie-in and billing,” said Jamie Leggatt, director of communications and legislative services for the City of Chilliwack.

Mcgaw-Richardson said Wednesday morning that the City of Chilliwack has attended her home and advised the landlord the correct way of fixing this.

“They said they will follow through,” Mcgaw-Richardson said.