Soils 101 – Evaluation of Soils for Onsite Sewage Treatment Systems

Soils are complex and can be difficult to assess on particular sites. Soils also dictate how large the system will be for a particular lot and how it will perform. Invariably the question that always comes up is “Is the soil on this site suitable for an on-site sewage system and how do I figure that out?” We have developed this course to help provide a starting point for you to learn more about soils, to demonstrate simple field techniques to determine what types of soils you are working with and to gain an appreciation on how to conduct a soil & site evaluation. By combining the expertise of an experienced professional with hands-on field work, we will provide a solid understanding of soils and how they impact the design, construction, and operation of on-site sewage systems.

This course is intended for anyone who is interested in gaining more knowledge of soils and how they relate to on-site system inspection, design, and installation. Evaluating soils is a developed technique and this course will introduce participants to evaluation tools and advanced soil knowledge.

This one-day course will enable you to:

• Conduct a soils investigation for the design of on-site systems,
• Evaluate a soil in the field based on its colour, texture, and other characteristics,
• Properly take soil samples from a test pit or using a soil corer or auger,
• Conduct percolation tests using different methods including test holes and permeameters,
• Determine the elevation of the seasonally high groundwater table, and
• Use field evaluation results to design an appropriate on-site system.

Suggested Pre-Requisite: Five-Day Part 8 Licensing Course or equivalent experience

Instructor: Katherine Rentsch, Ontario Rural Wastewater Centre

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The onsite portion of this course will be held across the street. Safety shoes/boots, and hard hats MUST BE WORN when on site at the pit.

Cancellation Policy:

Refunds, less a $25.00 cancellation fee, will be issued upon written request to op-coordinator@oowa.org if received 24 hours prior to the event. Following that, no refunds will be issued. Ticket transfers will be honored in the following way: members may send alternate members at no additional cost. Members may send alternate non-members for an additional fee in accordance with ticket pricing. Non-members may send alternate members; however, a refund will not be issued for the difference in ticket price.