Water & Wastewater Treatment

RPS’s diverse team works closely with all sectors to provide water and wastewater assessments and evaluations to ensure compliance with municipal, provincial and federal requirements. RPS has successfully prepared Sewage Works Certificate of Approval (C of A) Applications and secured approvals from the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE) for the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors. 

RPS Professional Engineers are experts in water and wastewater engineering. Our team has an extensive background in water supply, drinking water system compliance programs, onsite wastewater treatment and water treatment programs for many clients, including school boards, campgrounds, resorts, commercial businesses, property developers, industrial users, municipalities and individual land owners.

Drinking Water Systems Evaluation and Compliance Programs

Ontario’s drinking water system legislation – the Safe Drinking Water Act – came into force in 2002. Under this legislation, nearly all drinking water systems providing potable water to the public must take measures to mitigate risks to human health. The compliance requirements for a regulated drinking water system depend upon the characteristics and classification of the system as prescribed in the regulations.

RPS provides drinking water system compliance programs to public and private sector clients to satisfy a complete range of service requirements. Our qualified staff works with clients to review and evaluate their specific drinking water circumstances. We will provide practical solutions to eliminate uncertainties tailored to your particular needs.

RPS can evaluate your existing treatment equipment and water treatment systems to ensure it is compliant with the Ministry of the Environment Procedure for Disinfection of Drinking Water in Ontario with Schedule 2, 6 and 8 of Ontario Regulation 170/03 (O. Reg. 170/03) of the Drinking Water Systems Regulation. We will also produce the necessary Engineering Evaluation Report and documentation as required by Schedule 21 of the same regulation.

Our staff has the expertise to collect all drinking water samples as required under the Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards. Examples may be collected during the site inspections and submitted to analyze those characterization parameters needed to support a certification process and regulatory monitoring.

Wastewater system evaluation and design

Subsurface wastewater disposal systems (onsite wastewater treatment, often called septic systems) pose a risk to water resources. It is essential to understand your risks. The risks are mainly influenced by proximity to a water source, local groundwater vulnerability, surrounding land owners, native soil composition, position and fluctuation of the water table, direction of groundwater flow, type of treatment system and quality of effluent, as well as the condition and age of the system components.

RPS has extensive experience with wastewater treatment systems. No matter how complicated your site is, we can find a solution.

RPS has the experience and expertise necessary to successfully develop wastewater treatment solutions appropriate for the site-specific constraints and challenges faced by our clients in both the public and private sectors. 

The scope of services includes:

• Site characterization
• Hydrogeological investigation of shallow groundwater conditions, soil type and structure.
• Determination of soil attenuation or receiving waters assimilation capacity.
• Environmental constraints, inventories, and baselines.
• Design process
• Regulatory liaison.
• System design.
• Construction phase
• Analysis of leaching bed soil characteristics.
• “As-built” drawings.
• System installation supervision and certification.
• Post-construction
• Re-inspection and evaluation of existing systems.
• System upgrades or expansions.
• Compliance monitoring.
• Site remediation.

If you are planning a renovation or expansion, it is essential to know if your system can handle the loads. Our experts will analyze the existing load capacity. RPS can identify the system’s adequacy or provide solutions to accommodate your needs. Depending on size, we can also design a new septic system, which requires a building permit or a Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change Environmental Compliance Approval (ECA). Proactive planning will save you time and money when it is time to build.

RPS design team is with you every step, from soil evaluation and design to installation coordination and liaison with the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, Conservation Authorities, and Municipalities on your behalf.