On Site Sewage Systems Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• The daily design sanitary sewage flow for residential occupancy is calculated from which source?
• What happens to the building’s performance level if the gross area is increased by 10%?
• The hydraulic conductivity of the covering material must not be less than what value?
• Which class uses a percolation time to determine the loading rate of the side walls?
• What is the maximum CBOD concentration allowed in a Type B dispersal bed leachate?
• If Class 4 sanitary sewage system cannot be installed on a new property and the owner wants to construct a Class 5 system, would a Class 5 be permitted under the Building Code in this situation?
• In gravity-flow to the leaching bed, effluent movement is driven by which factor?
• Must the mantle be placed in all directions from the absorption trenches?
• What is the only system that may be constructed in soils with a T-time exceeding 50 minutes per centimeter?
• What is the minimum depth below the ground surface required for absorption trenches?
• How much backfill should you place over the leaching bed stone?
• Which component in a filter bed has a minimum thickness of 30 cm?
• In April, when choosing raised leaching bed fill materials under wet conditions, which material should be used, given both meet code?
• Which dispersal bed type requires pressure distribution?
• Which system does not require annual sampling of the effluent?
• What is greywater?
• Which statement accurately reflects the minimum extension for distribution piping in a conventional leaching bed when the calculated length is 35 m?
• When assessing a leaching bed for potential sewage breakout, which observable condition would be a clear sign?
• Which condition does not govern when you would use a raised leaching bed?
• Which statement is true about the relative thickness of Type A bed layers?
• Which statement is true about backfilling the septic tank area with granular material?
• Which statement best describes the reason for soil structure identification during subsoil examination?
• If the surface contours of a property vary from high to low, how is groundwater table depth expected to behave?
• If a site slope is 30%, is benching of the underlying soil recommended?
• Who must sign the application for a building permit for an on-site sanitary sewage system?
• During which weather are soils with high T-times particularly difficult to handle?
• Which of the following is an observation when identifying soils?
• What is the required slope of the surface of the underlying stone layer in an absorption trench?
• When constructing a raised leaching bed, which type of sand is preferable?
• A raised leaching bed is considered when the high groundwater table is less than 900 mm from the ground surface.
• Which system ensures even distribution of effluent over the entire bed area?
• Which installation condition would raise serious concerns for a bed near groundwater?
• Identify the Ontario Building Code Subsection that does NOT govern the shown construction.
• What makes up the greatest part of sanitary sewage?
• What volume of effluent should be pumped into the distribution lines at any one time?
• Effluent reaches the leaching bed by gravity flow due to which mechanism?
• Which dispersal bed type can be installed in slopes up to 25%?
• Which of the following is the main component of the Type A dispersal bed?
• What is the name of the formation that may cause soil clogging?
• The overall principle behind soil structure examination is to understand how liquids move through the soil mass. Which option reflects this principle?
• If sewage is smelled on a leaching bed, which observation points to a breakout?
• What standard do Class 4 septic tanks and Class 5 holding tanks both conform to?
• The maximum slope of the area upon which a leaching bed can be built is
• What should the installer do if a boulder is encountered at the elevation where the tank will be placed?
• If a Class 4 system is proposed, should you ask the property owner if there are any future additions or structures planned for the property?
• Haulage of sewage is associated with which class of system?
• Which statement best reflects future planning when considering a Class 4 system?
• When must a building permit for an on-site sewage system be obtained?
• Which role is barred from designing a Class 4 system?
• A Type A dispersal bed receives effluent from what class of treatment unit?
• What is the minimum hydraulic conductivity allowed for covering material?
• Which of the following is NOT an example of a non-residential source of sanitary sewage?
• If you smell sewage while standing on the leaching bed, which condition would indicate a sanitary sewage breakout?
• What is the minimum size of a septic tank, in litres?
• What is the minimum thickness for topsoil in a filter bed?
• If the percolation time of the subsoils beneath a Class 2 sewage system is 40 min/cm, what is the loading rate of the side walls?
• Who is ultimately responsible for the proper installation of the sewage system?
• When investigating a sanitary sewage backup in a building, you discover that the liquid level in the septic tank is below the inlet pipe. What does this suggest?
• Must the mantle be placed in all directions from the absorption trenches?
• Class 4 septic tanks and Class 5 holding tanks must conform to which standard?
• Identify the principle behind soil structure identification in subsoil examination.
• Who is typically responsible for investigating complaints about malfunctioning septic systems?
• From the holding tank example, how far is the tank from the property line?
• Whose responsibility is it to provide for the design of a Class 4 sewage system?
• What is placed below the distribution pipes?
• How is the daily design sanitary sewage flow for a residential occupancy calculated?
• Discharging sanitary sewage to the surface of the ground is considered unsafe.
• Under certain conditions, which waste may go into a Class 1 system?
• Why do Class 3 systems typically operate inefficiently for a short time?
• Which dispersal bed type has a maximum bed width?
• What is meant by a perched water table?
• What is placed on top of the distribution pipes?
• A septic tank filter is designed to filter particles of what size in millimeters and requires a minimum flow area of how many square centimeters?
• Select a possible reason that could cause sanitary sewage to flow through a plumbing fixture into a building.
• If effluent is introduced into a saturated soil mass, what is the likely outcome?
• Is a septic tank allowed to be located 1.5 meters from a reservoir?
• Which treatment level contains the least suspended solids and CBOD5?
• Which of the following occurs in a septic tank?
• What is the minimum thickness of filter sand in a filter bed installation?
• What is the minimum thickness of the sand layer of a Type A dispersal bed?
• In soils with very rapid percolation (less than 50 min/cm), a 900 mm clearance distance would be unnecessary.
• Which statement best describes the influence of sewage quality on dosing pump selection?
• What material should be used to backfill the void around the septic tank after removing an obstruction?
• When analyzing the percolation times from tests, you take
• In the holding tank example, which distance is cited as being too close to the uncased water supply well?
• Does a Class 1 system require a building permit?
• What is one of the biggest dangers when entering the confined space of a pumped-out holding tank?
• Which treatment level contains less suspended solids and lower CBOD5?
• In a Type A dispersal bed, the sand layer has a minimum thickness of 300 mm and the stone layer has 200 mm. By how many millimeters does the sand layer minimum exceed the stone layer minimum?
• During the site evaluation of a lot, a test pit should be located and dug
• In a septic tank, where do oils and grease accumulate?
• In which practice should you request a grading sample from the truck driver to ensure proper sand grading?
• Where the underlying soil has a percolation time of 20 minutes, what is the minimum area of a Type B dispersal bed if the total daily design flow is 1 600 L?
• The Class 5 system is described as hauling sewage and includes sanitary sewage that comprises which components?
• When a truck brings a new load of sand to the site, what should you ask for to ensure proper grading?
• What is the acceptable range for topsoil thickness in a filter bed installation?
• For residential systems, which quantity determines the septic tank minimum size?
• If there are excessive fissures (cracks) in the bedrock underlying the raised bed, what can you do?
• Which layer has a minimum thickness of 200 mm in a Type A dispersal bed?
• What is the minimum required thickness of soil or leaching bed fill along sides and bottom of a pit privy?
• Is it considered good practice to use the same sand materials for both the mantle and the leaching bed in raised beds?
• If a single on-site system is designed to serve both yourself and a neighbor on a separate lot and meets all design regulations, can you obtain a building permit?
• What is a possible way a groundwater contamination plume can be formed beneath a leaching bed?
• Which condition makes a sewage system unsafe?
• From the holding tank example, how close is the tank to the house?
• What percolation time provides the best treatment of sewage in the soil?
• From the holding tank example, how far is the tank from the natural spring source?
• What is the maximum allowable elevation variation across the subgrade beneath a sand filter bed?
• What material is placed both below and above the distribution pipes?
• A distribution box is preferred when there are more than how many lines of distribution piping?
• What T time should be used to design the trenches for a fully raised leaching bed?
• Would you actually fill a tank with water prior to placing the backfill?
• How much distance must there be between the high groundwater table and the bottom of the pit in a Class 2 system?
• During site evaluation for a leaching bed, which two conditions must you determine?
• During site evaluation, you must determine whether the high groundwater table is within what distance from the bottom of the proposed trenches?
• What side slope should the walls of the test pit have to safely observe soils?
• Should the alarm be configured to trigger before the tank reaches full capacity?
• Can a leaching bed service two adjoining properties located on separate lots?
• What is the acceptable percolation time range for shallow buried trench systems?
• Which statement correctly describes greywater?
• In a shallow buried trench system, can the piping be less than in a conventional leaching bed?
• Which of the following systems can accept both human waste and greywater waste?
• Should the setting in a tank that sounds the alarm be set below the full capacity of the tank?
• What statement best describes the relationship between rod reading and ground elevation in survey leveling?
• Is it advisable to pregrade the site of a conventional leaching bed to an elevation 300-400 mm below the finished grade?
• Is a third wire a requirement for all electrical equipment used on the site?
• What should be left uncovered after installing a sewage system and before placing the backfill and topsoil?
• If 10% of grain sizes pass the #200 sieve, what should be done with the material used as filter sand?
• What happens to effluent as it percolates into the soil?
• Which commercial enterprise causes the fewest problems for a septic system?
• When a boulder is encountered at the tank elevation, which sequence of actions is recommended?
• Why is identifying soil structure during subsoil examination important?
• A shallow buried trench system is the only system that can be used when the percolation time of the soil is between
• What is the maximum thickness of leaching bed fill that can be properly compacted by a tracked bulldozer?
• In groundwater or surface water, which is not a parameter you should test for to indicate groundwater pollution?
• If sample results exceed the acceptable concentration, within what time frame must a resample be completed?
• What is the minimum soil depth between the high groundwater table and the bottom of an earth pit privy?
• What is the required clearance distance of distribution piping to a structure?
• The site being evaluated has a natural slope to the land of 12%. To install a conventional leaching bed, the best construction practice may involve:
• In a perched water table, where is free water located?
• When is more than one test pit recommended?
• In constructing a raised leaching bed, after removing the topsoil and digging a shallow depression, what is the next task?
• Maximum effluent concentrations are measured in which units, using a 30-day averaging period?
• What is the purpose of the timer on the pump in a pressurized system?
• In a shallow buried trench system, the distribution pipe length should be at least how many metres?
• When choosing a pump for a dosing system, which considerations should be taken into account?
• Which point has a lower elevation, given two rod readings 3.5 m and 4.0 m from the same level?
• What occurs in the biomass layer within a leach field?
• If rain begins lightly after backfilling, what should you do?
• What should you observe when identifying soils?
• When determining the elevation of the float switch of the alarm for a Class 5 sewage system, which items must be considered?
• When is it good practice to bench the underlying soil?
• Compared with a septic tank without an effluent filter, the effluent from a septic tank with a filter is:
• What are the maximum concentrations of effluent permitted when a leaching bed is constructed as a Type B dispersal bed?
• The percolation time for soil beneath a proposed leaching bed is 25 min/cm. How far from a reservoir can this bed not be located?
• Should the distribution pipes in a filter bed leaching bed be evenly spaced?
• Is a percolation time, determined by a percolation test, considered to be
• Which factor is specifically associated with friction loss in piping for dosing systems?
• What is the minimum thickness of stone and pipe in a filter bed installation?
• Which of the following could cause sanitary sewage to flow into a building due to a leaching bed issue?
• How high should soil be mounded around the sides of the superstructure in a vault privy and an earth pit privy?
• To which class of sewage systems do the operation and maintenance requirements apply?
• What material is placed above the distribution pipes?
• Who is responsible for seeing that the approved material is being placed in a raised leaching bed and mantle?
• Which class of treatment unit supplies effluent to a Type A dispersal bed?
• A Type B dispersal bed receives effluent from which treatment unit?
• Which component has the largest minimum thickness among filter bed components?
• The distribution pipe length requirement in a shallow buried trench system is at least how many metres?
• In a shallow buried trench system, the distribution pipe should be at least how long?
• The stone layer is required to be what shape installed perpendicular to the slope?
• Would an inspector approve the following holding tank siting? 10 m from an uncased water supply well, 7 m from the house, 5 m from the property line, and 35 m from a natural spring source.
• It necessary for all the electrical equipment that you use or install on the site to have a third wire.
• During site evaluation, the test pit should be located at the location of the proposed leaching bed.
• In a shallow buried absorption trench system, what is the minimum length of a distribution pipe?
• How often must the pressure head of a pressurized system be checked for compliance?
• What is the minimum pressure head required on a shallow buried trench system?
• In a septic tank, what happens to solids?
• In a septic tank, what happens to liquids relative to solids?
• If the T-time in the soil underlying the proposed leaching bed is 55 minutes per centimeter, which of the following can you NOT do?
• A Type B dispersal bed receives effluent from what type of treatment unit?
• What is the allowed range of percolation time for a shallow buried trench system?
• Are inspectors covered under the regulations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act when inspecting an on-site sewage system?
• Which soil condition would preclude installing a bed?
• During wet months, which fill material is recommended for the raised leaching bed to ensure good performance?
• What units are used for maximum effluent concentrations?
• How close to a lake can an earth pit privy be located?
• What is the minimum thickness of the stone layer of a Type A dispersal bed?
• What does it tell you if you are able to roll a long thin ribbon of clay between your fingers without the clay crumbling?
• For non-residential systems, what multiplier is used to size the septic tank relative to daily design sanitary sewage flow?
• Which of the following lengths meets the minimum distribution pipe length requirement in a shallow buried trench system?
• A test pit is dug to:
• Why should the backfill be porous?
• CAN3-B66 applies to which equipment?
• Who investigates complaints about malfunctioning systems?
• Which waste can go into a Class 1 system?
• Which party is not specified as a signatory for the permit application?
• For gravity flow distribution systems, the bottom of the distribution pipes should be installed with what slope?
• You can move the level after you take both a foresight and a backsight.
• A highly permeable soil indicates that the soil mass has
• If a worker has to go into the excavation to compact the granular fill, what are the steepest side slopes allowed under the Occupational Health and Safety Act?
• Identify the best practice per the material: why examine soil structure during subsoil examination?
• Who is not permitted to design a Class 4 system?
• What is identified as the biggest cause of groundwater contamination from a leaching bed?
• Which soil condition would indicate that a bed installation is not advisable due to proximity to groundwater?
• What is the recommended maximum compacted thickness of leaching bed fill per pass when using a tracked bulldozer?
• What hazard does groundwater mounding into a leaching bed pose?
• Which dispersal bed type requires pressure distribution?
• On a leaching bed, if you detect sewage odor, what is a key sign to look for indicating breakout?
• Which of the following systems has a leaching bed as a way to dispose waste?
• Under what conditions would you decide to use a granular material to backfill around the septic tank, once it is placed in the hole?
• Which statement best reflects the importance of soil structure identification during subsoil examination?
• For gravity flow distribution pipes, how should they be installed in absorption trenches?
• Mounding of the groundwater table beneath a leaching bed may cause
• Can you connect a downpipe from a roof eave into the inlet pipe of the septic tank?
• The total daily design sanitary sewage flow above which a treatment unit must be used with a filter bed system is
• How many percolation tests must be carried out if this procedure is used?
• Where is the biomat formed in a septic system?
• A raised leaching bed is considered under which condition?
• A test pit is dug to observe which of the following?
• Where is a 900 mm clearance distance unnecessary?
• What minimum distance should be maintained between an Earth Privy and a well with watertight casing to a depth of 4 meters?
• Which condition is the most common cause of groundwater contamination when using a leaching bed?
• How long will this pumping take?