Based on the Love Your Lake shoreline assessment program’s Values Survey Summary Report 2019 (see Reference Materials, below), a large number of Kahshe and Bass Lake property owners expressed concern regarding water quality in general and more specifically, about faulty or poorly maintained septic systems. As such, this overview has been prepared and is accompanied by a more detailed and specific document pertaining to Kahshe and Bass Lakes in an attempt to educate owners regarding best operation and maintenance activities as well as detecting signs of system failure.
Your septic system is a sewage treatment facility that requires careful attention to design, construction, operation and maintenance. As a property owner, this is your legal responsibility. In Ontario, the specifications for construction and maintenance of sewage systems with a flow of less than 10,000 litres per day are regulated under the Ontario Building Code, and municipalities are responsible for the inspection and approval of all septic installations. For Kahshe and Bass Lakes, the Building Department of the Town of Gravenhurst is the agency with this responsibility.
There are a number of excellent information sources pertaining to the design and installation of septic systems in Ontario. However, because anyone who is planning to have a new or replacement system installed would be required to have this work carried out by a licensed professional, this portion of the overview will simply draw attention to some of the more comprehensive publications that provide basic information on septic system design and installation. These are listed below under Reference Materials.
However, because most properties on Kahshe and Bass Lakes already have a septic system in place, the more important questions pertaining to these systems and their potential to impact our lakes include:
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To provide a better understanding of each of these questions, a more detailed document with information relevant to properties on Kahshe and Bass Lakes has been developed and can be found here.
Love Your Lake, Lake Values Survey Summary Report 2019 (Kahshe, Bass), 14 pages
Town of Gravenhurst-Personal Communication. 2019. On-Site Re-Inspection Program Process. 1 page.
Ron Pearson
Kahshe and Bass Lake Steward
November 2020