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Ontario soil tables explained
Table 1, Table 2.1, Table 3.1: what the names mean and why they decide where your soil can go.
Why there are tables
Ontario sets generic quality standards for excess soil. Which table applies at a receiving site depends mainly on how the property is used and on its ground water. Soil has to meet the table that applies where it is going.
The three you will hear most
| Table | Plain meaning | At our locations |
|---|---|---|
| Table 1 | Background. The cleanest of the generic tables. | Both locations take it. |
| Table 2.1 | Full depth, for sites with potable ground water. | Both locations take it. |
| Table 3.1 | Full depth, for sites with non-potable ground water. | Both locations take it. |
| Above Table 3.1 | Exceeds the least strict of the three. | Call first. Where the line sits. |
Property use columns
Each table has columns by property use. The two you will see most are residential, parkland and institutional (RPI) and industrial, commercial and community (ICC). Table 2.1 also has an agricultural column.
Table 3 or Table 3.1?
Table 3 is a site condition standard under O. Reg. 153/04. Table 3.1 is the matching excess soil standard under O. Reg. 406/19, and it is the one that applies to soil leaving a site. People say Table 3 for both.
Who decides which table your soil meets
A qualified person (QP) compares your lab results to the tables and signs the report. We review that report before any soil arrives.
The other tables
The standards include further tables for stratified, shallow-soil and near-water conditions. Our approvals are written around Tables 1, 2.1 and 3.1.
This page is a plain-language summary, not legal or technical advice. The regulation, the Soil Rules and each approval govern.
Send your lab results. Get a written answer.
Tell us about the soil and where it is coming from. We check it against our approvals before a truck is loaded.