SEPTIC INSTALLER TEST FOR WASHINGTON STATE (WOSSA)
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS!!! ALREADY GRADED A+
ANSI - (ANSWER)American National Standards Institute
BOD - (ANSWER)biochemical oxygen demand, typically expressed in mg/L.
CBOD - (ANSWER)Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand, expressed in mg/L.
FC - (ANSWER)Fecal Coliform, expressed in number of colonies 100/ml.
LOSS - (ANSWER)large on-site sewage system
NSF - (ANSWER)Nation Sanitation Foundation International
O&G - (ANSWER)Oils and Grease, component of sewage typically originating from food stuffs (animal
fats of vegetable oils) expressed in mg/L.
RS&G - (ANSWER)Recommended Standards and Guidance
SSAS - (ANSWER)a subsurface soil absorption system
TAC - (ANSWER)Technical Advisory Committee established in WAC 247-272A-0400
TN - (ANSWER)Total Nitrogen, expressed in mg/L.
TSS - (ANSWER)Total Suspended Solids. A measure of the total suspended solids in a given solution,
expressed in mg/L.
USEPA - (ANSWER)United States Environmental Protection Agency
,SEPTIC INSTALLER TEST FOR WASHINGTON STATE (WOSSA)
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS!!! ALREADY GRADED A+
Additive - (ANSWER)a commercial product added to an on-site sewage system intended to affect the
performance or aesthetics of an on-site sewage system
Approved - (ANSWER)Acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. Local health officer or the
department
BED - (ANSWER)a soil dispersal component consisting of an excavation with a width greater than 3 feet
Building Sewer - (ANSWER)that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system which starts from the
end of the building drain and which receives the discharge of the building drain and conveys it to a public
sewer, private sewer, individual sewage disposal system or other point of disposal. It begins two feet
outside the building wall and conveys sewage from the building drain to the remaining portions of the
on-site sewage system.
Cesspool - (ANSWER)a covered hole or pit for receiving drainage or sewage, as from a house allowing
liquid to seep into the surronding rock or soil
Conforming System - (ANSWER)an on-site sewage system of component meeting rules of: New
construction requirements
Approved and installed within previous requirements
Permitted by WAC-246-272A-0420
Cover Material - (ANSWER)Soil placed over dispersal component, made up of mineral material with no
greater than 10% organic content. Cover may contain organic surface material, an organic landscaper to
help reduce and contain soil erosion.
Cuts and Banks - (ANSWER)a naturally occurring or artificially formed slope greater than one hundred
percent (forty-five degrees) and extending vertically at least five from the toe of the slope to top of the
slope.
,SEPTIC INSTALLER TEST FOR WASHINGTON STATE (WOSSA)
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS!!! ALREADY GRADED A+
Department - (ANSWER)Washington State Department of Health
Designer - (ANSWER)Person who matches site and soil characteristics with approved components
Design Flow - (ANSWER)Means the maximum volume of sewage a residence, structure or other facility is
estimated to generate in a twenty-four hour period. It incorporates both an operating capacity and a
surge capacity for the system during periodic heavy use events. The sizing and design of a on-site sewage
system component is based on the design flow.
Development - (ANSWER)The creation of a residence, structure, facility, subdivision, area, or similar
activity resulting in the production of sewage.
Disinfection - (ANSWER)The process of destroying pathogens in sewage through the application of
chlorination, ultra-violent light, or ozonation.
Distribution Technology - (ANSWER)any arrangement of equipment and/or material that distributes
sewage within and on-site sewage system.
Drainfield - (ANSWER)subsurface soil absorption system, and soil dispersal component
Drainrock - (ANSWER)cleaned washed gravel or crushed rock ranging in size from 3/4" to 2.5", and
containing no more than two percent by weight passing a US No.8 sieve and no more than one percent
by weight passing through a US No. 200 Sieve.
Effluent - (ANSWER)liquid waste discharged to a septic tank or other on-site sewage system
Expanding Clay - (ANSWER)means a clay soil with the mineralogy of clay particles. Clay particles expand
when absorbing water
, SEPTIC INSTALLER TEST FOR WASHINGTON STATE (WOSSA)
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS!!! ALREADY GRADED A+
expansion - (ANSWER)a change in residence, facility or site that results in the quantity of sewage to
exceed the original design
Extremely gravely - (ANSWER)soils with 60% or more, but not less than 90% rock fragments by volume.
Failure - (ANSWER)a condition of an on-site sewage component that threatens the public health by
inadequately treating the sewage, or creating a potential direct or indirect contact between sewage and
the public.
Fecal coliform bacteria - (ANSWER)bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals that
are cultured in standard tests. Generally expressed as colonies per 100 ml.
Gravely - (ANSWER)Soils with 15% or more, but less than 35% rock fragments by volume.
Gray Water - (ANSWER)Sewage from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks, kitchen sinks, washing
machines, and dishwashers.
Ground water - (ANSWER)Subsurface water in the zone of saturated soils, seasonally, permanently, or as
the result of the tides.
Holding tank sewage system - (ANSWER)an on-site sewage system that a holding tank with no discharge
outlet
hydraulic loading rate - (ANSWER)the amount of effluent applied to a given treatment step, expressed as
gallons per square foot per day, (gal./sq.ft./day)
industrial waste - (ANSWER)Waste from production of consumer goods, mining, agriculture and
petroleum extraction and refining
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS!!! ALREADY GRADED A+
ANSI - (ANSWER)American National Standards Institute
BOD - (ANSWER)biochemical oxygen demand, typically expressed in mg/L.
CBOD - (ANSWER)Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand, expressed in mg/L.
FC - (ANSWER)Fecal Coliform, expressed in number of colonies 100/ml.
LOSS - (ANSWER)large on-site sewage system
NSF - (ANSWER)Nation Sanitation Foundation International
O&G - (ANSWER)Oils and Grease, component of sewage typically originating from food stuffs (animal
fats of vegetable oils) expressed in mg/L.
RS&G - (ANSWER)Recommended Standards and Guidance
SSAS - (ANSWER)a subsurface soil absorption system
TAC - (ANSWER)Technical Advisory Committee established in WAC 247-272A-0400
TN - (ANSWER)Total Nitrogen, expressed in mg/L.
TSS - (ANSWER)Total Suspended Solids. A measure of the total suspended solids in a given solution,
expressed in mg/L.
USEPA - (ANSWER)United States Environmental Protection Agency
,SEPTIC INSTALLER TEST FOR WASHINGTON STATE (WOSSA)
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS!!! ALREADY GRADED A+
Additive - (ANSWER)a commercial product added to an on-site sewage system intended to affect the
performance or aesthetics of an on-site sewage system
Approved - (ANSWER)Acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. Local health officer or the
department
BED - (ANSWER)a soil dispersal component consisting of an excavation with a width greater than 3 feet
Building Sewer - (ANSWER)that part of the horizontal piping of a drainage system which starts from the
end of the building drain and which receives the discharge of the building drain and conveys it to a public
sewer, private sewer, individual sewage disposal system or other point of disposal. It begins two feet
outside the building wall and conveys sewage from the building drain to the remaining portions of the
on-site sewage system.
Cesspool - (ANSWER)a covered hole or pit for receiving drainage or sewage, as from a house allowing
liquid to seep into the surronding rock or soil
Conforming System - (ANSWER)an on-site sewage system of component meeting rules of: New
construction requirements
Approved and installed within previous requirements
Permitted by WAC-246-272A-0420
Cover Material - (ANSWER)Soil placed over dispersal component, made up of mineral material with no
greater than 10% organic content. Cover may contain organic surface material, an organic landscaper to
help reduce and contain soil erosion.
Cuts and Banks - (ANSWER)a naturally occurring or artificially formed slope greater than one hundred
percent (forty-five degrees) and extending vertically at least five from the toe of the slope to top of the
slope.
,SEPTIC INSTALLER TEST FOR WASHINGTON STATE (WOSSA)
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS!!! ALREADY GRADED A+
Department - (ANSWER)Washington State Department of Health
Designer - (ANSWER)Person who matches site and soil characteristics with approved components
Design Flow - (ANSWER)Means the maximum volume of sewage a residence, structure or other facility is
estimated to generate in a twenty-four hour period. It incorporates both an operating capacity and a
surge capacity for the system during periodic heavy use events. The sizing and design of a on-site sewage
system component is based on the design flow.
Development - (ANSWER)The creation of a residence, structure, facility, subdivision, area, or similar
activity resulting in the production of sewage.
Disinfection - (ANSWER)The process of destroying pathogens in sewage through the application of
chlorination, ultra-violent light, or ozonation.
Distribution Technology - (ANSWER)any arrangement of equipment and/or material that distributes
sewage within and on-site sewage system.
Drainfield - (ANSWER)subsurface soil absorption system, and soil dispersal component
Drainrock - (ANSWER)cleaned washed gravel or crushed rock ranging in size from 3/4" to 2.5", and
containing no more than two percent by weight passing a US No.8 sieve and no more than one percent
by weight passing through a US No. 200 Sieve.
Effluent - (ANSWER)liquid waste discharged to a septic tank or other on-site sewage system
Expanding Clay - (ANSWER)means a clay soil with the mineralogy of clay particles. Clay particles expand
when absorbing water
, SEPTIC INSTALLER TEST FOR WASHINGTON STATE (WOSSA)
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS!!! ALREADY GRADED A+
expansion - (ANSWER)a change in residence, facility or site that results in the quantity of sewage to
exceed the original design
Extremely gravely - (ANSWER)soils with 60% or more, but not less than 90% rock fragments by volume.
Failure - (ANSWER)a condition of an on-site sewage component that threatens the public health by
inadequately treating the sewage, or creating a potential direct or indirect contact between sewage and
the public.
Fecal coliform bacteria - (ANSWER)bacteria found in the intestinal tracts of warm-blooded animals that
are cultured in standard tests. Generally expressed as colonies per 100 ml.
Gravely - (ANSWER)Soils with 15% or more, but less than 35% rock fragments by volume.
Gray Water - (ANSWER)Sewage from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks, kitchen sinks, washing
machines, and dishwashers.
Ground water - (ANSWER)Subsurface water in the zone of saturated soils, seasonally, permanently, or as
the result of the tides.
Holding tank sewage system - (ANSWER)an on-site sewage system that a holding tank with no discharge
outlet
hydraulic loading rate - (ANSWER)the amount of effluent applied to a given treatment step, expressed as
gallons per square foot per day, (gal./sq.ft./day)
industrial waste - (ANSWER)Waste from production of consumer goods, mining, agriculture and
petroleum extraction and refining
