WARNING ... BUYER BEWARE !
Not all Septic, Effluent and Holding Tanks are approved for use in Ontario
In Ontario, the installation and use of Septic, Holding and Effluent Pump Tanks is regulated by the Ministry of Municiple Affairs and Housing Building Code ( under 10,000 litres / day ) and by the Ministry of the Environment ( 10,000 & over litres / day ). All tankage must meet the construction requirements as stipulated in the current CSA B66 Standard. As a prospective user or installer, it is important that you use a tank that is approved and bears a mark indicating such.
Winona Concrete & Pipe Products ( WCP ) is one of only a few precast concrete manufacturers in Ontario who produce CSA CERTIFIED waste water products. WCP is proud to have CSA included as part of our process for producing high quality wastewater ( septic ) products.
Our manufacturing facility, equipment and all materials pertaining to the production of CSA CERTIFIED TANKS are subject to ongoing and unannounced ( spot ) inspections by CSA inspectors up to four times per year. Having our tanks CERTIFIED by CSA means that WCP production methods, finished product, material specifications, QC and recording practices are monitored & assessed by a fully at-arms-length third party, and is your assurance that WCP is committed to the ongoing production of high quality precast tanks.
Over the past few years, the Concrete Precasters Association of Ontario (CPA) has implemented a wastewater registration program whereby precast concrete manufacturers, using a private engineer of their choice, may make submissions to have their tanks approved for registration. Tankage so registered AND bearing the plastic CPA Red Dot is deemed acceptable for use in the Province of Ontario. An up to date listing of CPA registered manufacturers and their registered tank models may be viewed on the CPA Website.
( Note: If a tank bears the CPA Red Dot but does not appear on the CPA website ( see link below ), then this would indicate fraudulant use of the mark. CPA should be contacted to determine if such a product is legitimately registered or not. )
Unless otherwise certified or approved by the Province of Ontario, a tank ( concrete, plastic, fibreglass etc. ) may not be suitable for installation in septic or waste water systems in Ontario if it does not appear on the CSA list of Certified Septic Products or in the CPA posting of Registered Manufacturers' Products.
Note that if an unapproved product is installed on your property ( even though it may be used by others ), it may not perform correctly in your installation or even fail completely. Such tankage may cause your system to fail inspection ( requiring replacement ). An informed potential buyer may consider it to be a liability which then could reduce the value of your property. It may even affect your ability to secure a home mortgage.
Simply put, it is for your protection that as with other construction materials such as plumbing , electrical, roof trusses, etc., wastewater tanks must also be shown to meet the standards for their intended use.
The purpose of the forgoing is to alert buyers that there are numerous manufacturers ( concrete & plastic ) who market tanks in Ontario that have not been shown to meet any specific code or construction requirements. Production practices, quality of materials and specification compliance are all unknown to the end user. Your use of such products should be avoided.
A septic system properly selected, installed and used as designed should provide years of service without being a burden to you or the environment. We at WCP will help you achieve this by continuing our commitment to providing QUALITY CSA CERTIFIED WASTEWATER PRODUCTS.
