Sh*t Happens – How to Manage Onsite Waste Disposal

If you live on a rural property, with no municipal connection to a sanitary sewer, you will have an onsite wastewater disposal system, commonly referred to as a septic field. Typically, this system consists of a septic tank and an infiltration field. The tank is the initial treatment and allows the solids to settle out. The field then treats the liquid waste using the natural bacteria of the ground.

In 2004, the BC government passed the Sewerage System Regulation. The most significant change this regulation introduced was a shift away from the Ministry of Health approving wastewater disposal systems to having an “authorized person” do the job. An authorized person can be either a Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner (ROWP) or a professional engineer.

The regulation allows for three different categories of onsite wastewater disposal systems. Type 1 and Type 2 can both be designed and installed by a ROWP. A Type 1 system is the standard septic field with which most people are familiar. A Type 2 system adds further treatment to the sewage before it’s discharged to the infiltration field, lowering the pollutant level of the liquid to be treated.

A Type 3 system provides additional treatment, reducing the level of pollutant in the liquid waste even further. This type of system must be designed by and installed under the supervision of a professional engineer. This system is required when the soil in the disposal field area doesn’t meet minimum criteria for discharge, if there are water wells nearby or when there are other constraints.

We can’t help packrats. But if you have questions about what to do with all your shit, give us a call!