Frequently Asked Questions

Should your current disposal system not function as intended or cause or contribute to a health hazard, and Langford sewers are available fronting your property, you will be required to connect as ordered by the Island Health Authority.

City Council passed a bylaw requiring all properties, that have a sewer main available, to be connected by the end of 2019. All properties that receive a sewer main after the bylaw date will be required to connect either by the end of 2019 or within one year of the sewer main being available for connection, whichever is later.

Property owners are consulted during construction of mainline sewers in order to select a suitable location for each individual sewer service with the goal of minimizing cost and disruption to the property. It will be up to the property owner and his/her contractor to determine the on-site details.

Individually, however, it may be desirable in some instances to utilize a common trench. Common trench installation may require the property owners to provide a private easement. Such an easement would require filing with BC Land Titles office.

Choose a qualified plumbing contractor to connect your house to the service provided at your property line. You might consider organizing your neighbors to engage one contractor for your block which may result in a cost saving.

Complete a WSES Service Application and pay the appropriate fees after which WSES will issue a Sewer Authorization form.

With the Sewer Authorization in hand, you or your contractor can obtain a plumbing permit from the City of Langford for a nominal fee of approximately $50.00, not including any damage deposit.

After your contractor completes the connection, the connection will be inspected by the City of Langford. All on-site works are to be constructed to the BC Plumbing Code and any applicable bylaws or regulations.

For those requiring pumps, see also “Low Pressure Sewer Systems and Grinder Pumps”.

When construction begins in your area, a WSES contractor will place a colored stake at the proposed sewer service location and hand deliver a letter to each property.

The letter will suggest the staked location is the “preferred” location based on the current engineering design, however, should you prefer a different location, contact information is provided in the letter to allow you to meet on-site with a senior construction inspector to review and determine a suitable alternate service location.

Remember to plan your connection carefully; you will not be able to use your plumbing system during the connection and testing of the service connection.

Work on private property (other than municipal easements) will be the owner’s responsibility. Conversely, private residents cannot work within the municipal road right-of-way. Any sewer works within the municipal road right-of-way must be completed by WSES.

Yes. All on-site works are the responsibility of the homeowner. You are encouraged to solicit prices from various plumbing contractors to ensure you get a fair price. Ensure the plumber/contractor has a valid business license to work in the City of Langford.

WSES can provide a list of capable contractors if requested.

A typical residential home can be serviced by gravity with a 100mm (4") diameter service. Duplexes or multi-family units may require 150mm (6”) diameter connections.

Low pressure sewer services are typically 40mm (1-1/2”) or 50mm (2”) in diameter.

We encourage residents to obtain several quotes to ensure a fair price. The on-site costs will vary from property to property; most homes should be able to connect at an approximate cost of $4,500 to $10,000.

Those homes with extensive landscaping and a long service trench will most likely be more expensive. Other cost factors include rock blasting, pavement and concrete driveway or sidewalk restoration.

Low pressure sewer systems are very often installed in low lying areas, areas fronting lakes and environmentally sensitive areas. LPS systems cost less in comparison to conventional gravity sewer systems due to smaller pipes and shallow narrower trenches.

LPS systems rely on each house being equipped with a pump which grinds raw sewage into a slurry and delivers it into a small diameter pressure distribution system which eventually discharges into a conventional gravity collection system.

LPS systems are engineered designs requiring that all grinder pumps be alike. These designs utilize specific types of grinder pumps which operate in conjunction with each other.

You typically only need a pump under the following conditions:

1. If your main floor or basement (with plumbing) is lower than the gravity sewer main in the street
   In this situation, you may install a grinder pump or a solids handling pump, provided it meets all bylaw requirements.
2. If you are serviced by a low pressure sewer system
   Even if your home is higher than the street you will still require a grinder pump as sewage must be ground to a slurry to pass through the small diameter distribution system to the point of discharge, which will most likely be higher than your home.

In ether situation, you should consider installing a WSES approved grinder pump.

The property owner is responsible for installation, operation and maintenance costs of the grinder pump.

The preferred grinder pump assemblies consist of a high density polyethylene (HDPE) chamber approximately 72” tall by 30” – 36” in diameter. A remotely mounted electronic control/alarm panel is also supplied.

The City of Langford has adopted certain preferred grinder pump packages as the standard grinder pump unit for low pressure systems based on the outstanding performance, long term warranty and excellent repair records.

If your property is serviced with sanitary sewer by a low pressure sewer (LPS) system, one of the preferred grinder pumps has most likely been utilized in the design of this LPS system.

While it is not mandatory to use the preferred models, the LPS system you are connecting to is a pressurized system which has been engineered with these models in mind. Among other features such as a built-in anti-siphon valve, the preferred pumps are designed to work together should several of the individual pumps come on to the system at one time. Alternate pumps may not have this capability.

While an alternate pump may be able to pump against the static head of the system, it may not be suitable under certain dynamic conditions. For this reason, we require that you retain the services of a Professional Engineer (registered in the Province of British Columbia) to review any alternate pump selections and provide us with written confirmation that the chosen alternate pump will operate satisfactorily under both static and dynamic conditions. Alternate pump installations must also be approved by the City of Langford. 

Despite the fact that this information may be required, WSES cannot assure satisfactory operation of an alternate pump installation while operating on a LPS system. Furthermore, WSES cannot be held responsible for any damages that may arise from installation of any pump other than the preferred model the system may have been designed for.

The manufacturer’s report the preferred grinder pumps have been known to operate for up to 10 – 15 years without incident providing they are properly maintained.

The preferred grinder pumps have efficient 1hp or 2hp, 240v motors using very little energy. Annual operating and maintenance costs are expected to be approximately $40 to $50 per year.

Unless you have a standby generator, your pump will not operate during power outages.

Typically, during a power outage domestic water consumption is reduced. The preferred units have adequate storage for approximately 7.5 hours at a reduced inflow rate.