Site Evaluation & System Design

What a site evaluation actually decides

Every property is different, and the ground itself makes the call — not the other way around. A site evaluation exists to find out exactly what a specific property can support: soil type, water table depth, slope, and usable area — and to design a system that's sized and laid out to fit what the testing actually shows, not a generic template.

What we test

• Test pits — dug at proposed system locations to expose the actual soil profile: texture, structure, depth to water table, and depth to bedrock or any other restrictive layer
• Percolation (perc) testing — measures how quickly the soil absorbs water, which determines how much absorption area a system needs to handle your household's daily flow
• Slope and usable area — affects layout options and whether setback requirements from wells, property lines, and water bodies can be met

What the design accounts for

Depending on slope and soil, that might mean a straightforward gravity-fed field, or a pressure distribution system that doses effluent evenly across the field through a network of laterals — the site tells us which one fits, not a preference either way.

Usage matters too — household size, number of bedrooms, and daily water use all factor into sizing.

What you get

Complete drawings, design rationale, and specifications, filed with your regional health authority (Interior Health or Northern Health, depending on where the property sits) before construction begins, as required under BC's Sewerage System Regulation.