The AOWMA is hosting a Site & Soils Evaluation Field Day in Fort Saskatchewan, AB on July 14, 2016. This practical training day is a great opportunity to get hands-on experience evaluating a site, as well as practicing hand texturing and sampling. Installers who have recently completed the Onsite Wastewater Practitioner Training Program will be able to take their new knowledge and apply it on-site. Experienced designers and installers should also consider this opportunity to continue their education.

The expected outcomes for this training are listed below. You may register for this hands-on training by fax, email, or online. You can also download a PDF. Please contact the AOWMA office with any questions you may have.

Site & Soils Evaluation Workshop Outcomes

The instructor will demonstrate all required outcomes prior to participants demonstrating to the instructor the proper processes for site and soil evaluation.

Use Soil evaluation to identify characteristics that affect sewage systems.

Understand the general method of how to evaluate soil characteristics that affect water movement.

• Excavate soil pit – depth, location (don’t ruin site)
• Available tools – soil auger, probe

Basic knowledge of how to examine the soil profile and identify

• Major soil structure features (why it is important is covered in soil/water)
• Colour – mottles and gleyed soils (washed out gray) identified high water table or saturated soils
  (reason saturated/unsaturated flow in previous module)
• Soil texture, make up of sand/silt/clay
• Effect of gravel component
• Where to take sample
• Basic hand texturing procedures
• Trial hand texturing
• Lab testing availability and basic knowledge of lab testing method
• Recognize changes in soil horizons and understanding effect on sewage system design
• Soils logging using various soils logs

Understanding and application of the soil texture triangle

Ability to determine effluent-loading rate for a soil texture set in the Alberta Standard of Practice 2009

Know what restricting/limiting layers are and able to recognize major characteristics

Ability to recognize major soil characteristics and determine soil effluent loading rates or limitations