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Septic Re-Inspection2026Tiny Township
Tiny Township Septic Re-Inspection: What You Have to Do
Tiny’s mandatory re-inspection program checks a different area each year on a roughly six-year cycle: Tatham Engineering does a visual surface inspection, and you arrange and pay a licensed hauler to pump the tank and send in a written report of its size and condition by the deadline in your letter (October 31 in 2025). Here is what fails, what happens if it does, and how to get ready.
Updated October 2026 · Georgian Bay Siteworks, the site work division of ICFHome.ca
Insured to $2,000,000Site work division of ICFHome.caBuilding since 1979250+ projects in Simcoe County
What the Program Is
Tiny has no municipal sewers. Every home and cottage relies on a septic system or holding tank. The Sewage System Re-Inspection Program exists to make sure those systems are maintained, and it is mandatory if your area is called.
Each year a different part of the Township is inspected, and it takes about six years to get around the whole Township. You get a letter when your property is included. According to the 2025 notice letter, vacant lots and systems installed in 2015 or later are not inspected. Properties in a Wellhead Protection Area got a separate version of the letter.
What You Have to Do
Stage 1: visual inspection
Tatham field staff inspect from the surface during the non-winter months. You do not have to be home. They leave a note, and they contact you if they need you.
Stage 2: pump-out and report
You hire a licensed sewage hauler to pump the septic or holding tank and give you a written report on the tank’s size and condition. You make sure Tatham gets a copy.
From the 2025 letter:
- The report had to reach Tatham by October 31, 2025. Check your own letter for your deadline.
- If you had the tank pumped in the two previous years (2023 or 2024 in that letter), you did not need to pump again, but you still had to send that hauler’s written report.
- Owners of advanced treatment units send the latest service report instead.
- Haulers will expect the tank lids exposed before they pump.
- Questions go to Tatham at 705-527-0119 or sewagereinspectionprogram@tiny.ca.
Builder truth: every hauler in the area gets the same rush in September. Book in spring and you will not be digging for lids in the rain on October 30.
What Fails
The Township’s program page and the 2025 letter list the deficiencies inspectors look for:
| Deficiency | Usual fix |
|---|---|
| Deficient septic or holding tank | Repair or tank replacement, permit $337 |
| Effluent level above or below the tank’s operating level | Diagnose: plugged outlet, leaking tank, failed bed or pump |
| Leaching bed problems | Repair, or replacement under a new permit ($637) |
| Vehicles on the tank or bed | Move the parking, reroute the driveway |
| Trees, roots or dense vegetation in the bed | Remove trees and roots; may need line repair |
| Structures, patios or hard surfaces over the bed | Remove them |
| Deck posts on tanks | Relocate posts, restore access |
| Fire pits in the bed | Move the fire pit |
| Deficient greywater systems or outhouses in disrepair | Repair or decommission |
How often does this happen? A report on the 2023 program by the Federation of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations said 1,257 inspections found 120 deficient lots, about 1 in 10, with more expected once outstanding tank reports came in.
What Happens If You Fail
If a deficiency is found, you are notified in writing and you must take the steps needed to correct it. The Township’s page does not list fines or a set deadline for corrections, so read your letter carefully and call Tatham if anything is unclear.
Small fixes, like moving a car, pulling a sapling or moving a fire pit, cost nothing but effort. A bad tank or a failed bed needs a permit and real money. Roughly $25,000-$50,000 in 2026 for a conventional, filter or raised bed replacement, and $35,000-$65,000+ for tertiary. See septic replacement for what that job looks like. Design of the new system goes through SepticReplacement.ca.
How to Get Ready
- Find your system. Pull the permit and as-built with a records search ($112 with a letter, $32 without). Knowing where the lids are saves the hauler time and you money.
- Expose the lids. Dig down or, better, have risers installed so the lids sit at grade for good.
- Book the hauler early. Ask them up front for the written report on tank size and condition. Pump-outs run roughly $400-$800 in 2026 per HomeStars; size, travel and digging move the price.
- Walk the bed. Move cars and trailers off it, take out saplings, move the fire pit, and get the deck posts off the tank.
- Send the report. Keep a copy and a note of when and how you sent it.
- Fix deficiencies properly. Repairs and replacements need a permit through Tatham.
Most of this is covered in our septic care guide.
Re-Inspection Letter on the Counter?
We dig out lids, install risers, clear trees and roots off beds and do permitted repairs and replacements across Tiny.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Tiny Township septic re-inspection program?
A mandatory program where Tatham Engineering visually inspects septic systems in a different area of the Township each year, about a six-year cycle, and owners submit a pump-out report.
Do I have to be home for the Tiny septic inspection?
No. Inspectors check from the surface, leave a note, and contact you only if they need your help.
What do I have to send in?
A written report from a licensed hauler on your tank’s size and condition after a pump-out, or the latest service report if you have an advanced treatment unit.
What happens if my septic fails the Tiny re-inspection?
You are notified in writing and must correct the deficiency. Minor items like moving a vehicle are free; a failed bed needs a permit and replacement.
How much does a septic pump-out cost for the re-inspection?
Roughly $400-$800 in 2026. Tank size, travel and whether the lids are already exposed move the price.
Are newer systems included in the Tiny re-inspection?
According to the 2025 letter, vacant lots and systems installed in 2015 or later are not inspected.
