To reduce the risk to drinking water sources from septic systems or septic system holding tanks in vulnerable areas where this activity is a low or moderate threat, the local approval agency of septic systems, under the authority of the Ontario Building Code (municipalities or the Board of Health), should consider including these septic systems as part of the discretionary maintenance inspection program outlined in O. Reg. 315/10. In considering these discretionary inspections, priority should be given to areas where septic systems are known to fail and where older septic systems are predominant. Further, special consideration should also be given to maintenance inspection of septic systems which are moderate or low drinking water threats in vulnerable areas where nitrate or phosphorous discharged from septic systems may contribute to identified issues.

5.08: Municipalities, and all other implementers, shall establish monitoring
programs as per Section 45 of the Clean Water Act. The information
collected through these monitoring programs shall be included in a
monitoring report that shall be submitted annually to the Upper Thames
River Conservation Authority. The information submitted to the
Conservation Authority shall be consistent with the guidance developed
pursuant to policy 5.02 where that guidance identifies items required to
meet provincial reporting requirements of the implementer or SPA.
Aspects of the guidance which are beyond that which is necessary to
satisfy provincial reporting requirements shall be considered in submitting
the monitoring reports. Monitoring reports are to be submitted by February
1 of each year following the first anniversary of the effective date of the
Source Protection Plan. Monitoring reports shall include information since
the submission of the previous monitoring report to December 31 of the
year previous to the deadline for report submission. For the first report, the
information shall include information from the effective date of the Source
Protection Plan.