Company Decides Not To Seek Permit To Spread Septage On Inverary Farm Property

Jeff Green | Jan 31, 2024

Community members in Inverary who have been expressing their concern over the possibility of septic tank contents being spread on a farm just north of the hamlet, are breathing easier this week.

Rick Hatton, who lives on a property adjacent to the farm, received an email last week from Mark Priddle of the consulting firm McIntosh Perry, who was working on the application for Frontenac Septic Services.

“On Thursday January 25, 2024, Frontenac Septic reached the decision not to submit an application for land spreading of hauled sewage at a property in Inverary (4797 Latimer Road).

“This decision was taken after completing studies, notifying residents and consulting with the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. Frontenac Septic appreciated the input from the community over the past few weeks and the valuable consultation with agencies and the township. Following withdrawal of the planned application, it is hoped that any tensions will be defused and the community will move forward together.”

While the email does not indicate whether the application is being abandoned because it was not likely to be approved by the ministry, or because of public pressure, Hatton said that the neighbours along his road, and the community as a whole, are pleased about the outcome no matter what the reasoning was.

The decision came five weeks after Mcintosh Perry informed neighbouring property owners of Frontenac Septic Services intention to submit an application to the Ministry of the Environment. Company officials told the Frontenac News that one of the motivations for submitting the application was an increase in the fee charged at the waste management plant in Kingston of $100 per truckload of septic tank contents, which will result in increased costs to homeowners in the region.

After receiving the letters, the homeowners informed other members of the local community of the plan, and there were a number of submissions from Inverary residents to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment expressing concerns about the potential impact on water and air quality in the township.

There are 3,000 homeowners in the former Storrington District that encompasses the Inverary, Battersea and Perth Road catchment area, and close to 8,000 in the township as a whole, not including seasonal residences. The township recommends year round residents have their septic systems pumped out and inspected by the hauler every three years, and every five years for seasonal residents.

There are no municipal sewage services in South Frontenac, so all residents are responsible for the care and maintenance of their own sewage systems, which can include a full septic tank, leaching bed system, or a holding tank, which needs to be pumped out more often.

Historically Septic haulers in the township have made use of lagoons as a tertiary treatment for septic tank contents, before spreading on fields, and according to Frontenac Septic Systems, at least one company spreads sewage directly on fields after pumping, in a similar process to the one they were developing near Inverary.

“I looked at some of the applications that are posted on the Environmental Bill of Rights website,” said Rick Hatton, “and of the ones that were approved there seemed to be minimal local opposition, so we felt that getting our voice out was important.

“I think it is important for us to move forward as a community,” he said, “and I appreciate the way the decision was announced by Mcintosh Perry and the company.

“The ownership team at Frontenac Septic Services are important members of the local business community. Since moving to Inverary a few years ago, we have seen a lot of improvements to services that are available in Inverary. Now that this matter is behind us, it is my hope that we will all move on and bring the community back together.”

The Frontenac News attempted to contact the management of Frontenac Septic Services about their decision, but did not hear back before our publication deadline.