Handbook Index

Table of Contents
1.

Scope

6. Packaged Sewage Treatment Plants    Appendix A 
2.

Definitions

7. Effluent Treatment and Disposal   Appendix B 
3.

General

8. Treatment Mounds   List of Figures
4.

Piping

9. Sand Filters     
5. Septic, Holding, and Effluent Tanks  10. Open Discharge System    
    11. Sewage or Effluent Lagoons     

This Handbook is not a substitute for the Alberta Private Sewage Systems Standard of Practice - 1999. While care has been taken to ensure accuracy, the examples and explanations in this handbook are for purposes of illustration, and constitute opinion only. This is a convenience document; the legal document which must be referred to, especially in enforcement matters, is the Private Sewage Systems Standard of Practice - 1999 as adopted by legislation for use in the Province of Alberta. The Safety Codes Council and Alberta Municipal Affairs do not assume responsibility for errors or oversights resulting from the information contained herein.

The intent of this document is to provide explanatory and interpretive information only. This material is not a replacement for regulatory documents and is not to be used or referenced as such.

Copyright

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form
or by any means, without prior written permission of the Safety Codes Council or Alberta Municipal Affairs.

Safety Codes Council - 602, 10808-99 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T5K 0G5
(780) 413-0099 1-888-413-0099
fax (780) 424-5134 1-888-424-5134
http://www.safetycodes.ab.ca/ 

Published by the Safety Codes Council
First Edition, July, 2000

Safety Codes Council - Plumbing Technical Council

The Safety Codes Council is a statutory corporation that formulates and oversees the development and administration of safety codes and standards in Alberta. The Plumbing Technical Council is one of nine technical councils forming the Safety Codes Council and deals with all matters related to plumbing. The Plumbing Technical Council establishes this handbook for use in providing explanatory and interpretive information respecting the Alberta Private Sewage Systems Standard of Practice - 1999.

Technical Task Group

The Alberta Private Sewage Systems Standard of Practice - 1999 and this handbook were developed by a Plumbing Technical Council Task Group made up of industry stakeholders. Task Group Members represent the following stakeholder groups:
A) Association of Alberta Municipal Districts and Counties B) Alberta Urban Municipalities Association
C) Installation Contractors D) Plumbing Technical Council
E) Manufacturers of sewage disposal equipment F) Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta
G) Alberta Health H) Alberta Municipal Affairs
I) Private Sewage Inspection Agencies J) Alberta Environmental Protection

Task Group Members

Alf Durnie
Ray Silvester Leonard Traub Howard Burton Lorne Olsvik
John Semeniuk Mike Insole Mark Anker Bruce Allen
Rudy Koop Barry Temple Kevin McLeod Dave McKee
Jack Hayden Asoke Weerasinghe Pat Given Rex Seely

 Table of Contents

1. Scope, Objectives, and Interpretation

     1.1. Scope
     1.2. Objectives
     1.3. Interpretation

2. Definitions and Abbreviations

     2.1. Definitions
     2.2. Abbreviations

3. General

     3.1. Design Standards
     3.2 Installation Standards
     3.3 Requirements for Materials

4. Piping

     4.1 Design Standards
     4.2. Installation Standards
     4.3 Requirements for Materials

5. Septic Tanks, Sewage Holding Tanks and Sewage Effluent Tanks

     5.1 Design Standards
     5.2 Installation Standards
     5.3 Requirements for Materials

6. Packaged Sewage Treatment Plants

     6.1 Design Standards
     6.2 Installation Standards
     6.3 Requirements for Materials

7. Effluent Treatment and Disposal

     7.1 Design Standards
     7.2 Installation Standards

7A. Disposal Fields - General

     7A.1 Design Standards
     7A.2. Installation Standards
     7A.3 Requirements for Materials

7B. Chamber System Disposal Fields

     7B.1 Design Standards
     7B.2 Installation Standards
     7B.3 Material Requirements

8. Treatment Mounds

     8.1 Design Standards
     8.2. Installation Standards
     8.3 Requirements for Materials

9. Sand Filters

     9.1 Design Standards
     9.2 Installation Standards
     9.3 Requirements for Materials

10. Open Discharge System

     10.1. Design Standards
     10.2. Installation Standards
     10.3 Requirements for Materials

11. Sewage or Effluent Lagoons

     11.1 Design Standards
     11.2 Installation Standards
 
Appendix A

A.1. Pressure Distribution Lateral Pipe System Tables

     A.1.A. Number of Orifices per Distribution Lateral Pipe

A.1.B. Orifice Discharges

     A.1.B. Orifice Discharges in Litres per Minute
     A.1.B. Orifice Discharges in Imperial Gallons per Minute

A.1.C.1. Friction Loss in PVC Schedule 40 Pipe - Gallons

     A.1.C.1. Friction Loss in Feet Pressure Head per 100 Feet in Schedule 40 PVC Pipe (C=150)

A.1.C.2. Friction Loss in PVC Schedule 40 Pipe - Metric

     A.1.C.2. Friction Loss In mm Pressure Head per 30.5 Metres in Schedule 40 PVC Pipe (C=150)

A.1.C.3. Friction Loss in Polyethylene Pipe - Gallons

     A.1.C.3. Friction Loss in Feet Pressure Head Per 100 Feet in Polyethylene Pipe, "Carlon" (C=147)
     A.1.C.4. Friction Loss in Polyethylene Pipe - Metric
     A.1.C.5. Friction Loss for Insert Fittings

A.2. Lagoon System Design Data

     A.2.A. Precipitation Rates
     A.2.B. Evaporation Rates
     A.2.C. Calculation of Lagoon Surface Area Requirements for Evaporation
     A.2.D. Lagoon Sizes and Volumes

A.3. Alberta Design Data

     A.3.A. Alberta Climate Design Data
      (Reproduced from the Alberta Building Code - Appendix C.)

     A.3.B. Soil Clay Content Map
     A.3.C. Soil Montmorillonite Content Map

A.4. Disposal Field Design Data

     A.4.A. Disposal Field Loading Rates Per Day and Sizes

A.5. Materials Data

     A.5.A. Piping Materials

A.6. Percolation Test Procedure

A.7. Conversion Factors

 
Appendix "B"
Connection to Municipal Sewer or Private Sewage System
Piping
     Building Drain
     Building Sewer
     Effluent Sewer
     Effluent Line
     Weeping Lateral Piping
          Gravity Lateral
          Pressure Distribution Lateral
     Distribution Laterals in a Treatment Mound
     Pressure Distribution Laterals Within a Sand Filter
     Laying Sewer Pipe
Frost Protection
     Freezing of Systems
     Protecting Sewers From Frost And Traffic
Septic Tanks And Sewage Holding Tanks
     Purpose
     How The Septic Chamber Works
     Use of The Septic Tank
     Location of The Septic Tank
     To Select The Size of The Septic Tank
     Types of Septic Tanks
     Single Chamber (Trickle Type) Septic Tanks
     Double Chamber (Pump or Siphon) Septic Tanks
     Effluent Chamber - (Siphon or Pump) - Purpose
     Capacity of Effluent Chambers
     Elevations
     Excavations For Sewage Tanks and Effluent Tanks
     Alberta Occupational Health and Safety, General Regulations Extract
     Maintenance And Cleaning The Septic Tank
     Sludge And Scum
     The Disposal of Sludge
     Sewage Holding Tanks
     Danger
Pumps
     Pumping of Sewage
     Raw Sewage Lift Pumps
     Effluent Pumps
     Submersible Effluent Pump Controls
Packaged Sewage Treatment Plants
     Excavation For Packaged Sewage Treatment Plants
Soils Tests
     Critical Design Information
     Percolation Test
          Percolation Test Procedure
          Test hole
          Pre-soaking the Test Hole
          Measurement
          Warning - Varying rates
          Warning - Relate to soil texture
          Warning - Subdivision perc tests
     Soil Texture
          Hand Texturing of Soil
          Hand Texturing of Soil (Graphic Illustration)
          Textural Properties of Dry and Wet Mineral Soils
          Dry and wet feel of various soil textures
          Particle Or Grain Size Analysis Test
Saturation Percentage Test
     Soil Structure
          Structure, Porosity and Water Movement
     Drainage Classes
     Seasonally saturated soils and high water tables
Sodium Affecting Soils
     Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR)
     Water Softeners
The Disposal of Effluent
     Clearances
     Effluent - Methods of Disposal
Disposal Fields
     Disposal Fields - General (Subsurface and Raised disposal fields)
     Weeping Lateral Trenches
     Chamber Type Disposal Fields
     Sizing of Disposal Field Trench Bottom Area
          Disposal Field Worksheet
     Location of Disposal Fields
     Level Ground Systems
     Sloping Ground Systems
     Sloping Ground Systems Using Distribution Boxes
     Sloping Ground Systems Using Drop Boxes
     Sloping Ground Systems Using Bi-level Crosses
     Split Disposal Fields
     Raised Disposal Fields
     Lined Trenches For Porous Soils
Pressure Distribution Lateral Systems
     Pressure Distribution Lateral System Uses
          Use in disposal fields
     Pressure Distribution Lateral System Design
     Squirt Test
     Pressure Distribution Lateral System Sizing
          Pressure distribution lateral and pump sizing worksheet
          Dosing Volume
     Table B1 - LIQUID VOLUME OF VARIOUS SIZES OF PLASTIC PIPES
Treatment Mounds
     Treatment Mounds Description
     Treatment Mound Uses
     Treatment Mound Design
          Sand Layer Elevation and Size
          Mound Infiltration Area
          Sizing of the Infiltration Area
          Mound Infiltration Area Worksheets
     Construction of Treatment Mounds
          Jar test for fines
Sand Filters
     Sand Filter Design and Construction
          Sand filter size
         Sand filter effluent loading rates
Open Discharge
Sewage or Effluent Lagoons