Where these regulations apply

1.01   These regulations apply to the subdivision of all land in the Province except land

(a) within a municipality,

(b) regulated by a bylaw under section 938 of the Municipal Act, and

(c) within B.C. Reg. 274/69, the Community Planning Area Number 24 (Gulf Islands) Regulations.

[en. B.C. Reg. 424/87.]

Minimum parcel requirement

1.02   Where any bylaw adopted under the Municipal Act contains a minimum parcel area requirement that is in conflict with a minimum parcel area requirement in these regulations, the parcel area requirement of the bylaw shall apply, provided that the requirements of sections 6.04, 6.05, 6.06 and 6.07 are met.

[en. B.C. Reg. 424/87.]

Regulations apply where there is no bylaw

1.03   Notwithstanding section 1.01 (b), where a bylaw does not regulate a matter covered by these regulations, these regulations apply to that matter.

[en. B.C. Reg. 424/87.]

Purpose

2.01   The purpose of these regulations is to assist in assuring the safe, healthful, equitable, efficient, economical and attractive subdivision of land for the benefit of the community as a whole.

Definitions

3.01   In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:

"approval" means approval in writing from the authority having jurisdiction;

"approving officer" means approving officer designated as such pursuant to the Land Title Act;

"building regulations" means regulation of construction of buildings by a building code adopted pursuant to the Local Services Act or to the Building Regulations Division of the Municipal Act¹;

"community sewer system" means a common sewer, or system of sewerage or sewage disposal, which serves 2 or more parcels;

"community water system" means a system of waterworks which serves 2 or more parcels and which is owned, operated and maintained by an improvement district under the Water Act or the Municipal Act, or a regional district, or which is regulated under the Water Utility Act;

"cul-de-sac" means a length of local highway made for vehicular use, the end of which is designed to be permanently closed by the pattern of subdivision; or which is terminated by a natural feature such as inaccessible terrain, so that there is no alternative vehicular route to another highway;

"frontage" means that length of a parcel boundary which immediately adjoins a highway other than a lane or a walkway;

"frontage road" means that length of a highway which on one side adjoins a highway designated as a controlled access highway and over which access is permitted to parcels on the other side;

"highway" includes a street, road, lane, bridge, viaduct and any other way open to the use of the public, but does not include a private right of way on private property;

"improvement district" means an improvement district pursuant to the Water Act or the Municipal Act, and for the purposes of these regulations includes the Greater Nanaimo Water District and the Greater Victoria Water District;

"lane" means a narrow highway which provides secondary vehicular access to any abutting parcel, so that the parcel may be serviced or reached by vehicles using that highway, but a lane is not a half road;

"leg" means a parcel created pursuant to section 4 (b) of B.C. Reg. 199/70² and that part of a highway at an intersection which radiates out from the point of intersection;

"medical health officer" means the medical health officer appointed under the Health Act who has jurisdiction over the area in which a subdivision is located;

"owner" means a person who is entitled to subdivide land or the person's duly appointed representative;

"parcel" means any lot, block or other area in which land is held or into which land is subdivided or any remaining portion of the land being subdivided;

"potable water" means water which is approved for drinking purposes by the medical health officer in accordance with the Health Act;

"professional engineer" means a person who is registered or duly licensed as such under the provisions of the Engineers Act;

"Regulations Governing Sewage Disposal" means those regulations contained in B.C. Reg. 202/67³, as amended by B.C. Reg. 45/68;

"serves" means actually serves, or a commitment by the owner to provide the community water system or the community sewer system in order to serve any parcel and which commitment is a condition of approval;

"site area" means an area of site required in a subsisting zoning bylaw adopted pursuant to the Municipal Act;

"slip" means the downward and outward movement of slope forming materials composed of natural rock, soils, artificial fills, or combinations of these materials, which movement may proceed by any one of 3 principal types of movement — falling, sliding or flowing — or by their combinations;

"subdivision" means the division of land into 2 or more parcels, whether by plan or by metes and bounds description or otherwise;

"walkway" means a narrow highway for the use of the walking public only;

"zone" means a zone established under the Zoning Division of the Municipal Act⁴;

"zoning regulation" means a regulation governing the use of land adopted pursuant to the Local Services Act or a bylaw governing the use of land adopted pursuant to the Municipal Act.

[am. B.C. Reg. 45/2022, Sch. 3, s. 1.]

Metric conversion

3.02   In place of the measurements or non-metric units in these regulations

(a) identified in columns 1 and 2 of Schedule I, it is permitted to use the metric measurements or units shown opposite those measurements or units in column 3 of Schedule I;

(b) contained in the table in section 3 of Appendix A of these regulations, it is permitted to use those in the table in Schedule II.

Suitability

4.01   No subdivision shall be approved

(a) unless it is suited to the configuration of the land being subdivided;

(b) unless it is suited to the use to which it is intended;

(c) if it makes impracticable the further subdivision of any land within the proposed subdivision or of any adjacent parcel;

(d) if it does not comply with these regulations.

Other regulations

4.02   Nothing contained in these regulations shall relieve the owner of a subdivision from the responsibility to seek out and comply with the legislation applicable to that owner's undertaking.

[am. B.C. Reg. 45/2022, Sch. 3, s. 2.]

Intended use

4.03   The owner of any land being subdivided may be required to state in writing the intended use of any parcel being created or of any remaining portion of the land being subdivided.

Characteristics not approvable

4.04   Without limiting the generality of section 4.01, approval of any subdivision may be refused if it

(a) contains

(i) land which is subject to erosion, or

(ii) a parcel which is divided by land subject to erosion into areas not suited to the use to which it is intended,

(b) contains land which

(i) may slip when developed, used or occupied,

(ii) when developed, used or occupied may cause land on an adjacent parcel to slip, or

(iii) may be inundated by a land slip if land above on another parcel slips,

(c) contains land which is subject to flooding so as to render it unsuitable for the use to which it is intended, or

(d) contains land which because of inadequate drainage is not suitable for the use to which it is intended.

Covenant

4.05   Notwithstanding the requirements of section 4.04, the subdivision of land which is subject to any of the conditions described in section 4.04 may be approved, provided that the owner agrees in writing to registering a condition or covenant pursuant to section 219 of the Land Title Act in favour of the Crown at the time of subdivision. Such condition or covenant shall be satisfactory to the approving officer and shall restrict or prohibit the construction of buildings or structures on, and (or) the use of any parcel or part of such parcel which is subject to any of the conditions described in section 4.04.

Information required

4.06   In order that any proposed subdivision may be properly considered by the approving officer, the owner of any land being subdivided may be required to provide any of the following:

(a) topographic survey where the terrain is steep, irregular or otherwise difficult to appraise in respect of the subdivision suiting the configuration of the land being subdivided;

(b) spot elevations;

(c) a professional engineer's report on

(i) the effect on soil stability of disturbing natural grades or natural growth, or changing the moisture content of the soil by developing, using or occupying the land;

(ii) groundwater levels and conditions for as much of the year as is considered necessary;

(iii) the depth and extent of flooding and the likely frequency of its occurring.

Flagging

4.07   The corners of any proposed parcel for which approval is being sought, or the location of places where any tests required for approval are taken, shall be clearly flagged if required by the approving officer.

Highways

4.08   The clearing, construction, grading and surfacing of all highways and all drainage shall be in accordance with Appendix A attached to and forming part of these regulations.

Community water systems

4.09   (1) The design of any community water system to serve the subdivision shall be in accordance with the requirements of any authority having jurisdiction over the system pursuant to

(a) the Health Act and the Water Utility Act,

(b) the Health Act and the Water Act, when an improvement district has an applicable subdivision bylaw pursuant to the Water Act, or

(c) the Health Act and the Municipal Act, when a regional district has an applicable bylaw setting out the terms and conditions of any extension to its community water system,

as the case may be.

(2) The community water system approved pursuant to section 4.09 (1) shall be installed as approved before the subdivision is approved.

(3) Notwithstanding the requirements of section 4.09 (2), a subdivision may be approved prior to the construction of the community water system, provided that an arrangement securing performance of such construction satisfactory to the approving officer has been made with

(a) the Comptroller of Water Rights (under the Water Utility Act),

(b) an improvement district having an applicable subdivision bylaw adopted pursuant to the Water Act, or

(c) a regional district having an applicable bylaw setting out the terms and conditions of any extension to its community water system,

as the case may be, but in no case shall the subdivision be approved before the plans for the community water system have been approved.

Community sewer system

4.10   (1) The design of any community sewer system to serve the subdivision shall be in accordance with the requirement of any authority having jurisdiction over the system pursuant to the Health Act and the Waste Management Act, and where applicable in accordance with either

(a) the Water Act, when an improvement district has an applicable subdivision bylaw pursuant to the Water Act, or

(b) the Municipal Act, when a regional district has an applicable bylaw setting out the terms and conditions of any extension of its community sewer system.

(2) The community sewer system approved pursuant to section 4.10 (1) shall be installed as approved before the subdivision is approved.

(3) Notwithstanding the requirements of section 4.10 (2), a subdivision may be approved prior to the construction of the community sewer system, provided that an arrangement securing performance of such construction, which is satisfactory to the approving officer, has been made with

(a) an improvement district having an applicable subdivision bylaw adopted pursuant to the Water Act, or

(b) a regional district having an applicable bylaw setting out the terms and conditions of any extension to its community sewer system,

as the case may be, but in no case shall the subdivision be approved before the plans for the community sewer system have been approved.

Water supply

4.11   Where a community water system is to be installed in a subdivision, a supply of potable water adequate to serve the subdivision shall be proven before the subdivision is approved.

Water licence

4.12   Where the owner is establishing a community water system using a water source which comes within the terms of the Water Act, a licence to divert and use the amount of water required to serve the subdivision shall be held by the owner prior to the approval of the subdivision.

Discharge permits

4.13   Where a discharge of sewage from or within a proposed subdivision is within the terms of the Waste Management Act, a provisional permit for that discharge shall be obtained before the subdivision is approved.

Contravention of other regulations

4.14   Except where a setback in respect of a highway is concerned, no subdivision shall be approved which would cause any existing building or structure or sewage disposal installation or used source of potable water to contravene any building, zoning or other regulation in force on the parcel under consideration.

Vehicle parking

4.15   (1) Vehicular access shall be provided from the travelled portion of the highway onto any parcel in a proposed subdivision, and adjoining this access there shall be an area on the parcel suitable for the parking of 2 automobiles, unless the approving officer exempts the subdivider from this requirement because of the terrain.

(2) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (1), where a subdivision is pursuant to section 4 of B.C. Reg. 199/70⁵, and where local snow and terrain conditions, as determined by the approving officer, preclude year-round vehicular access to any parcel, the parcel, pursuant to section 4 (b) of B.C. Reg. 199/70⁶, shall have a configuration and location which is sufficient in the opinion of the approving officer to accommodate the vehicles otherwise required to be parked on each parcel.

Definitions

5.01   In sections 5.01 to 5.11, inclusive,

(a) the meaning of "highway" does not include "walkways", and

(b) the meaning of "intersection" includes the intersection of highways and the intersection with a highway of a parcel created pursuant to section 4 (b) of B.C. Reg. 199/70⁷.

Highway widths

5.02   The minimum width of any highway in any proposed subdivision shall be 66 feet, except

(a) where the approving officer deems a lesser minimum width better suited to use or to local conditions,

(b) where a highway is a frontage road, when it shall have a minimum width of 50 feet, unless the approving officer deems a lesser minimum width better suited to use or to local conditions, or

(c) where a highway is a lane, when it shall have a minimum width of 20 feet.

Lanes

5.03   Lanes shall be provided where terrain and natural features render vehicular access practicable and where

(a) they form an extension of any existing system of lanes, or

(b) the approving officer deems it necessary to provide secondary access in order that reasonable traffic flow can be assured on the main highway.

Access to highways

5.04   Roads shall be provided to give access to parcels adjoining controlled access highways unless the minister responsible for the Transportation Act refuses, under section 51 of the Transportation Act, to authorize the creation of such access.

[am. B.C. Reg. 555/2004, s. 3.]

Intersecting highways

5.05   Subject to the Transportation Act and to the Land Title Act, where any subdivision contains parcels less than 300 feet in width, intersecting highways shall be dedicated at intervals not greater than 1 320 feet and on the same side of the highway and beginning at any existing lateral highway, except

(a) where the parcel being created is pursuant to section 6.11,

(b) where difficult terrain or other natural features render vehicle access impracticable, or

(c) where the pattern of existing subdivision precludes the necessity of providing access.

[am. B.C. Reg. 555/2004, s. 4.]

Access to navigable waters

5.06   When a subdivision borders on the shore of navigable waters, access shall be given in accordance with the requirements of the Land Title Act.

Turn around

5.07   In any proposed subdivision, a highway which is cul-de-sac shall have a terminal area for a turn-around, the size of which shall be determined by the approving officer having regard to the local snow, terrain and soil conditions, provided that any such area shall be large enough to contain a circle with a radius of 50 feet.

Intersections

5.08   The number of highway intersections within a subdivision shall be kept to a minimum, and, where practicable,

(a) Y-shaped intersections shall be avoided;

(b) T-shaped intersections shall be used when the intersecting highway is to carry a small amount of local traffic;

(c) intersections with more than 4 legs shall be avoided;

(d) intersections shall not be located in or near sharp curves or near the crest of any rise or hill.

Intersection offset

5.09   Wherever practicable, no intersection shall be less than 125 feet from any other intersection or likely future intersection. Measurement shall be made along the centre line of the intersected highway.

Intersection angle

5.10   Unless extremely difficult terrain or the pattern of existing subdivision precludes it, a minimum of 50 feet of an intersecting leg shall be as close to right angles as practicable with the intersected highway. This distance shall be measured at the boundary of the intersecting leg on the side of the contained angle.

Walkways

5.11   The minimum width of any walkway in any subdivision shall be 10 feet.

Minimum parcel size: water and sewer

6.01   Where both a community water system and a community sewer system serve a parcel, and

(a) where both building and zoning regulations are in force, that parcel shall not be smaller than 5 000 square feet, except that a parcel may be decreased in area by as much as 10%, provided that the approving officer is satisfied with the validity of the owner's written claim that, because of unusual terrain or the size or the configuration of that owner's land, 5 000 square foot parcels cannot be achieved and therefore subdivision is precluded, but as many parcels as the approving officer considers practicable shall be not smaller than 5 000 square feet,

(b) where both building and zoning regulations are in force, and where a lane provides secondary access to that parcel, there shall be no minimum parcel size, and

(c) where building or zoning regulations pursuant to the Municipal Act are not in force, that parcel shall not be smaller than 6 000 square feet.

[am. B.C. Reg. 45/2022, Sch. 3, s. 2.]

Minimum parcel size: water only

6.02   Subject to the provisions of sections 6.04 and 6.05, as the case may be, where a parcel is served by a community water system but not a community sewer system, that parcel shall not be smaller than 7 500 square feet, except that a parcel may be decreased in area by as much as 10%, provided that the approving officer is satisfied with the validity of the owner's written claim that, because of unusual terrain or the size or the configuration of that owner's land, 7 500 square foot lots cannot be achieved and therefore subdivision is precluded, and that at the decreased size all requirements of section 6.04 can be met, but as many parcels as the approving officer considers practicable shall not be smaller than 7 500 square feet.

[am. B.C. Reg. 45/2022, Sch. 3, s. 2.]

Minimum parcel size: no services

6.03   Subject to the provisions of sections 6.04 and 6.05, as the case may be, where a parcel is not served by a community water system nor a community sewer system, the parcel shall not be less than 18 000 square feet.

Conditions to be met when parcel less than 5 acres

6.04   Where a parcel is less than 5 acres and is not served by a community sewer,

(a) it shall meet the requirements of Appendix B, which is attached to and forms part of these regulations, or

(b) where the requirements of paragraph (a) cannot be met, consideration shall be given to alternate designs which will dispose of the liquid in the minimum size septic tank for a 3 bedroom, single family house, and which designs are in accordance with the requirement for alternate methods of disposal contained in the Regulations Governing Sewage Disposal and for which acceptable alternate designs and adequate area of appropriate soil is available for disposal, and the parcel shall be sized accordingly, except that where, in extraordinary and infrequent instances, the owner of the parcel does not wish to make the installation necessary for an acceptable alternate design in accordance with the foregoing, the subdivision may be approved, provided that the owner agrees in writing to registering a condition or covenant pursuant to section 219 of the Land Title Act in favour of the Crown at the time the subdivision is registered; such condition or covenant shall be satisfactory to the approving officer and shall restrict or prohibit the construction of buildings or structures on and (or) the use of any parcel until the necessary installations have been made, and

copies of the results of all tests shall contain the signature, occupation and permanent address of the person undertaking the tests and shall accompany the plans of the proposed subdivision when it is submitted to the authority having jurisdiction to receive subdivision applications.

Design of larger disposal system

6.05   Except where the Waste Management Act is applicable, where a parcel is less than 5 acres and is not served by a community sewer system and where the intended use has a greater design sewage flow per day than the minimum capacity septic tank for a 3 bedroom, single family house in accordance with the Regulations Governing Sewage Disposal, the design sewage flow of the intended use shall be used in accordance with the Regulations Governing Sewage Disposal to determine the area of soil required in section 6.04 (a) and all other requirements of section 6.04 shall be met.

Test results

6.06   Where any parcel in a proposed subdivision is less than 5 acres and is not served by a community sewer system, a copy of the plans and test results and measurements required in Appendix B as applicable to that parcel shall be submitted by the approving officer to the medical health officer or to the Regional Waste Manager, Ministry of Environment, as the case may be, for written reasons why the medical health officer or the Regional Waste Manager would or would not recommend approval of a subdivision based on the waste disposal capabilities of the soil on that parcel to meet with the requirements of these regulations or of the Waste Management Act, as the case may be.

[am. B.C. Reg. 45/2022, Sch. 3, s. 3.]

Old subdivisions

6.07   Notwithstanding the requirements of sections 6.01, 6.02 and 6.03, existing parcels which are smaller than permitted in these regulations may be consolidated and resubdivided into new parcels, provided that

(a) all parts of all new parcels are contiguous;

(b) as many new parcels as the approving officer considers practicable shall meet the area requirements of these regulations;

(c) the degree of compliance with the area requirements of these regulations is not lessened on any new parcel;

(d) the medical health officer states in writing that the requirements of section 6.04 can be met.

Minimum frontage

6.08   (1) The minimum frontage of a parcel shall be 10% of the perimeter of that parcel, except where the minister, upon application by the owner, exempts that owner from this requirement.

(2) Application by an owner for exemption shall be in writing and shall state the ground on which the exemption is sought and shall be accompanied by 2 copies of a plan showing the proposed subdivision.

[am. B.C. Regs. 4/2010, s. 2; 45/2022, Sch. 3, s. 4.]

Panhandle lots

6.09   Without limiting the generalities of section 4.01 and notwithstanding the requirements of section 6.08, where a parcel is a panhandle lot capable of further subdivision, the approving officer shall be satisfied that the panhandle is adequate to provide a future highway.

Panhandle not part of minimum parcel area

6.10   Notwithstanding the requirements of sections 6.01 to 6.05, inclusive, where a parcel is a panhandle lot, the access strip or panhandle shall not be calculated as part of the minimum parcel area.

Where minimum does not apply

6.11   The requirements of sections 6.01, 6.02, 6.03 and 6.04 shall not apply

(a) where the parcel being created is to be used solely for the unattended equipment necessary for the operation of

(i) a community water system;

(ii) a community sewer system;

(iii) a community gas distribution system;

(iv) a community radio or television receiving antenna;

(v) a radio or television broadcasting antenna;

(vi) a telecommunication relay station;

(vii) an automatic telephone exchange;

(viii) an air or marine navigational aid;

(ix) electrical substations or generating stations;

(x) any other similar public service or quasi-public service facility or utility, or

(b) where the parcel is pursuant to section 4 (b) of B.C. Reg. 199/70⁸,

(c) to churches, chapels and parks,

(d) where no sewage is generated, and

(e) where the owner agrees in writing to registering a condition or covenant pursuant to section 219 of the Land Title Act in favour of the Crown at the time the subdivision is registered, and such condition or covenant shall be satisfactory to the approving officer and shall restrict or prohibit the construction of buildings or structures, and (or) the use of any parcel.

Severability

7.01   If any provision of this regulation is found invalid, such provision is severable.

1   In this Appendix, unless the context otherwise requires:

"arterial" means a highway intended to carry large volumes of traffic at medium and high speeds primarily between major traffic generators, and it is not intended to directly serve adjacent land;

"collector" means a highway located within an area of major traffic generation and which is used primarily for the collection and distribution of traffic between arterials and locals as well as to some adjacent land;

"K value" means the distance required in feet to effect a 1% change in gradient on a vertical curve;

"local" means a highway located within an area of major traffic generation and used primarily to provide access to adjacent land.

2   The likely or intended use of the land, the climate prevailing in the area, the relation of the subdivision to the surrounding highway system, the topography and the necessity for on-street parking shall be taken into account, and design speed and finished grade width of roadway set accordingly as in sections 3 and 4 of this Appendix.

3   Parameters for various design speeds shall be as follows:

4   Finished road grade width shall be 32 feet for local roads with parking and also for arterials and collectors and 24 feet for other roads. A finished grade width of 20 feet may be approved in special circumstances by the approving officer. Side slopes in surfacing and subgrade are not to be steeper than 2:1.

5   Drainage is to be adequate in the opinion of the approving officer, and all ditches, pipes, etc., are to be carried to natural drainage features as far as possible.

6   All ditch inverts are to be minimum 3 feet below centre line elevation of roadway.

7   All drainage facilities, including culverts, are to be designed for 30 year flood in urban areas, suburban areas and rural areas likely to grow into suburban areas and in all other areas to be designed for 10 year flood.

8   Any drainage appurtenances shall conform to C.S.A. or A.S.T.M. specifications for the purpose for which it is intended.

9   All bridges and span or box culverts are to be designed by a professional engineer to AASHO H20S16 loading for local roads, and to AASHO H25S20 loading for collectors and arterials.

10   With the exception of those trees and shrubs the District Highway Manager of the ministry of the minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act approves as worthy of preservation and which are located close to the edge of a highway allowance intended for vehicular use, the full width of all highways shall be cleared and grubbed. Brush, debris, stumps and roots shall be disposed of to the satisfaction of the District Highway Manager of the ministry of the minister responsible for the administration of the Transportation Act.

11   Roads shall be surfaced in 2 courses:

(a) a lower course composed of select granular material passing 3 inch mesh as per Ministry of Transportation Highways specification 202.7, and

(b) an upper course composed of a minimum of 3 inches of 3/4 inch crushed or screened aggregate, as per Ministry of Transportation and Highways specification 202.4,

and the minimum depth of the 2 courses shall be 6 inches. Where more material is required to build a sound and uniform roadway, the lower course shall be increased in depth.

12   The approving officer may also require asphaltic or portland cement concrete surfacing as per Ministry of Transportation and Highways specification, sections 220, 222 and 223, to a width not less than 4 feet narrower than the finished road grade width (see section 4).

13   All construction practice and procedure shall be generally to the standard of the Ministry of Transportation and Highways General Specifications.

1   A percolation test shall be made and, depending on the resulting percolation rate, no less area than given below shall be added to the minimum parcel size in section 6.02 or 6.03, as the case may be, of the Subdivision Regulations:

2   Depending on the slope measured from the uppermost point on the parcel to the lowest point on the parcel, the results obtained in section 1 above shall be increased in accordance with the following:

3   Regardless of the smallest parcel size permitted in accordance with sections 1 and 2 above, the parcel shall contain an area of soil suitable for sewage disposal not smaller than the following, as determined by the percolation rate:

4   There shall be a minimum of 4 feet of natural porous topsoil above the groundwater table in the area of soil referred to in section 3 above, and a representative number of testholes shall be dug in that area to a minimum depth of 4 feet to demonstrate this.

5   The area of soil required for sewage disposal in section 3 above shall be capable of meeting the siting requirements for absorption fields in the Regulations Governing Sewage Disposal.

6   Percolation tests shall be undertaken, as follows:

(a) Percolation test holes shall be made at points and elevations selected as typical in the area of the proposed disposal field.

(b) One of these test holes shall be dug at each end of the area of the disposal field. Further holes may be required, depending on the nature of the ground and the results of the first test and the size of the proposed field.

(c) Test holes are usually drilled using an auger and to the depth of the proposed absorption trench. The standard depth is 24 inches, but the Public Health Inspector may approve or require holes varying from 18 to 32 inches in depth.

(d) The soil should be examined as it is removed from the test hole for some indication of its composition and likely percolation rate.

(e) To make the percolation test more accurate, any smeared soil should be removed from the walls of the test hole.

(f) If the soil contains considerable amounts of silt and (or) clay, the test hole should be presoaked before proceeding with the test. To do this, keep the hole as fully filled with water as possible for 4 hours. Proceed with the test immediately after presoaking.

(g) To undertake the test, fill the test hole with water. When the water level is 5 inches or less from the bottom of the hole, refill the hole to a depth of 24 inches or to the top. No recording of time need be done for these 2 fillings.

(h) When the water level after the second filling (step (g)) is 5 inches or less from the bottom of the hole, add enough water to bring the depth of water to 6 inches or more.

(i) Observe the water level until it drops to the 6 inch depth. At precisely 6 inches, commence timing. When the water level reaches precisely 5 inches depth, stop timing.

(j) The time in minutes for the water level to drop 1 inch is the percolation rate for that hole and is recorded in minutes per inch. The percolation rate of the absorption field is the average rate of all the percolation tests made for that field.

(k) Backfill the holes with the excavated soil and repeat the test in other locations. Record the results and submit to the local authorities.

(l) See section 4.07 of the Subdivision Regulations.