Septic Installer Test For Washington State
(WOSSA) UPDATED ACTUAL Questions
and CORRECT Answers
ANSI - CORRECT ANSWER - American National Standards Institute
BOD - CORRECT ANSWER - biochemical oxygen demand, typically expressed in mg/L.
CBOD - CORRECT ANSWER - Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand, expressed
in mg/L.
FC - CORRECT ANSWER - Fecal Coliform, expressed in number of colonies 100/ml.
LOSS - CORRECT ANSWER - large on-site sewage system
NSF - CORRECT ANSWER - Nation Sanitation Foundation International
O&G - CORRECT ANSWER - Oils and Grease, component of sewage typically
originating from food stuffs (animal fats of vegetable oils) expressed in mg/L.
RS&G - CORRECT ANSWER - Recommended Standards and Guidance
SSAS - CORRECT ANSWER - a subsurface soil absorption system
TAC - CORRECT ANSWER - Technical Advisory Committee established in WAC 247-
272A-0400
,TN - CORRECT ANSWER - Total Nitrogen, expressed in mg/L.
TSS - CORRECT ANSWER - Total Suspended Solids. A measure of the total suspended
solids in a given solution, expressed in mg/L.
USEPA - CORRECT ANSWER - United States Environmental Protection Agency
Additive - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - Acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. Local
health officer or the department
BED - CORRECT ANSWER - a soil dispersal component consisting of an excavation
with a width greater than 3 feet
Building Sewer - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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.
Department - CORRECT ANSWER - Washington State Department of Health
Designer - CORRECT ANSWER - Person who matches site and soil characteristics with
approved components
Design Flow - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - The creation of a residence, structure, facility,
subdivision, area, or similar activity resulting in the production of sewage.
Disinfection - CORRECT ANSWER - The process of destroying pathogens in sewage
through the application of chlorination, ultra-violent light, or ozonation.
Distribution Technology - CORRECT ANSWER - any arrangement of equipment and/or
material that distributes sewage within and on-site sewage system.
Drainfield - CORRECT ANSWER - subsurface soil absorption system, and soil dispersal
component
, Drainrock - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - liquid waste discharged to a septic tank or other on-site
sewage system
Expanding Clay - CORRECT ANSWER - means a clay soil with the mineralogy of clay
particles. Clay particles expand when absorbing water
expansion - CORRECT ANSWER - a change in residence, facility or site that results in
the quantity of sewage to exceed the original design
Extremely gravely - CORRECT ANSWER - soils with 60% or more, but not less than
90% rock fragments by volume.
Failure - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - Soils with 15% or more, but less than 35% rock
fragments by volume.
Gray Water - CORRECT ANSWER - Sewage from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks,
kitchen sinks, washing machines, and dishwashers.
Ground water - CORRECT ANSWER - Subsurface water in the zone of saturated soils,
seasonally, permanently, or as the result of the tides.
(WOSSA) UPDATED ACTUAL Questions
and CORRECT Answers
ANSI - CORRECT ANSWER - American National Standards Institute
BOD - CORRECT ANSWER - biochemical oxygen demand, typically expressed in mg/L.
CBOD - CORRECT ANSWER - Carbonaceous Biochemical Oxygen Demand, expressed
in mg/L.
FC - CORRECT ANSWER - Fecal Coliform, expressed in number of colonies 100/ml.
LOSS - CORRECT ANSWER - large on-site sewage system
NSF - CORRECT ANSWER - Nation Sanitation Foundation International
O&G - CORRECT ANSWER - Oils and Grease, component of sewage typically
originating from food stuffs (animal fats of vegetable oils) expressed in mg/L.
RS&G - CORRECT ANSWER - Recommended Standards and Guidance
SSAS - CORRECT ANSWER - a subsurface soil absorption system
TAC - CORRECT ANSWER - Technical Advisory Committee established in WAC 247-
272A-0400
,TN - CORRECT ANSWER - Total Nitrogen, expressed in mg/L.
TSS - CORRECT ANSWER - Total Suspended Solids. A measure of the total suspended
solids in a given solution, expressed in mg/L.
USEPA - CORRECT ANSWER - United States Environmental Protection Agency
Additive - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - Acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction. Local
health officer or the department
BED - CORRECT ANSWER - a soil dispersal component consisting of an excavation
with a width greater than 3 feet
Building Sewer - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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.
Department - CORRECT ANSWER - Washington State Department of Health
Designer - CORRECT ANSWER - Person who matches site and soil characteristics with
approved components
Design Flow - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - The creation of a residence, structure, facility,
subdivision, area, or similar activity resulting in the production of sewage.
Disinfection - CORRECT ANSWER - The process of destroying pathogens in sewage
through the application of chlorination, ultra-violent light, or ozonation.
Distribution Technology - CORRECT ANSWER - any arrangement of equipment and/or
material that distributes sewage within and on-site sewage system.
Drainfield - CORRECT ANSWER - subsurface soil absorption system, and soil dispersal
component
, Drainrock - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - liquid waste discharged to a septic tank or other on-site
sewage system
Expanding Clay - CORRECT ANSWER - means a clay soil with the mineralogy of clay
particles. Clay particles expand when absorbing water
expansion - CORRECT ANSWER - a change in residence, facility or site that results in
the quantity of sewage to exceed the original design
Extremely gravely - CORRECT ANSWER - soils with 60% or more, but not less than
90% rock fragments by volume.
Failure - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT 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 - CORRECT ANSWER - Soils with 15% or more, but less than 35% rock
fragments by volume.
Gray Water - CORRECT ANSWER - Sewage from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks,
kitchen sinks, washing machines, and dishwashers.
Ground water - CORRECT ANSWER - Subsurface water in the zone of saturated soils,
seasonally, permanently, or as the result of the tides.
