Know your Sewage System Classes: Class 1 - Privies

This is the first post in a series titled 'Know your Sewage System Classes' about the different classes of onsite sewage systems under the Ontario Building Code. This first post will summarize Class 1 septic systems.

(Source:  Grey Bruce Health Unit)

Class 1 septic systems are used exclusively to receive and dispose of human body wastes. The types of systems that are considered Class 1 are:

• Chemical toilets
• Recirculating toilets
• Incinerating toilets
• Self-contained portable toilet, and
• All forms of privy (pit, pail, composting toilet etc.,)

Under the Part 8 of the Ontario Building Code privies (including earth pit privies, vault or pail privies, and portable privies) are required to have an enclosed structure around them. The structure must be made of weatherproof material, have a solid floor, be easily sanitized, have a self-closing door, a covered seat that is supported by an enclosed bench or riser, one or more screened openings for ventilation, and a screened vent duct extending from the underside of the bench/riser to the roof above the structure. For earth pit privies, vault privies and pail privies, soil or leaching bed fill around the structure must be raised or mounded to a height of at least 150 mm above the ground. The bottom of the pit in a earth pit privy also must be at least 900 mm above the high water table, and the sides must be reinforced to prevent collapse.

(Source:   Grey Bruce Health Unit)

Additionally, there are minimum setbacks from wells, surface water and property lines for privies. Earth pit privies must be a minium of 15 m away from a well with a watertight casing that extends at least 6 m deep, 30 m from any other of type of well, 15 m from any surface water (such as a lake, pond or stream), and 3 m away from a property line.

The minimum setbacks for vault and pail privies are less than earth pit privies. These types of privies must be at least 10 m away from wells with a watertight casing extending at least 6 m deep, 15 m from any other type of well, 10 m from any surface water feature, and 3 m from a property line.

Next in our Know your Classes series: Class 2 - Grey water systems.