Sector Compliance Branch: Inspections

SEPTIC WASTE HAULERS

In May 2001, the Sector Compliance Branch (formerly called the Environmental SWAT Team) began inspections of septic waste haulers in Ontario. To date, they have found close to a 100 per cent non-compliance rate in this sector.

• About This Sector
• The Inspections
• Inspection Results

About Septic Waste Haulers

Septic waste is a type of biosolid that is untreated waste from septic systems. The waste is collected by a vacuum/tank truck and then transferred to a sewage treatment plant (if available), spread on fields or buried in troughs.

Click here for more information and links related to septage hauling, treatment and land application.

The Inspections

When inspecting septic haulers, the inspectors will typically:

• ask the driver to identify the contents in the tank, where it comes from and where it is going;
• inspect the truck for leaks, size, equipment status and condition;
• take samples of the tank's content and conduct extensive testing for metals, nutrients, bacteria and formaldehyde. The portable toilet industry uses the chemical formaldehyde as a disinfectant; formaldehyde may have a negative impact on the area where the waste is applied;
• inspect disposal sites to ensure they are meeting environmental requirements.

Inspection Results

Click here to see a summary of the inspection results.