Gabriola Water & Sewage Info

Gabriola Island properties are responsible for their own effluent treatment and their own water supply. We have no community sewer system: once you have a structure with a water system on your property you are required to have septic system. A septic system usually consists of a septic tank and drainage field. Occasionally a property cannot support a drainage field, in which case, there is a holding tank and all waste water is periodically hauled away, also known as pump and haul.

When buying an unserviced property, we recommend a “subject to” clause to make sure that a septic system can be installed at “a cost acceptable to the Buyer, in a site acceptable to the Buyer”. New septic systems run from about $20,000 to $35,000 so it’s worth the cost of the investigation before you proceed with your purchase.

Gabriola Island properties are responsible for their own water supply. We don’t have a community water system, so our homes are serviced by either a well, a cistern, or a combination of both. The average well ranges from 100 to 300 feet in depth. Not all wells will produce sufficient water for all household and gardening needs. A cistern (storage tank) can be used to store additional water… from your well, rainwater collected from your roof, or water delivered by truck.