Table 3 soil in Ontario: what it is and where it can go

Table 3 at a glance

Official name: Table 3: Full Depth Generic Site Condition Standards in a Non-Potable Ground Water Condition
Where it is set out: Ontario's Soil, Ground Water and Sediment Standards, used with O. Reg. 153/04
Applies where: Ground water is not a source of drinking water
Property-use columns: Residential, parkland and institutional (RPI). Industrial, commercial and community (ICC).
Soil texture: Separate values for coarse textured soil and for medium and fine textured soil
For soil leaving a site: Table 3.1 of the Excess Soil Quality Standards, under O. Reg. 406/19
Who decides: A qualified person (QP), from accredited lab results

What Table 3 means

Table 3 is the trade's name for soil that meets Ontario's full depth standards for sites with non-potable ground water. The name comes from Table 3 of the site condition standards under O. Reg. 153/04. For soil leaving a site, the matching standard is Table 3.1 of the Excess Soil Quality Standards under O. Reg. 406/19.

Table 3 is common on jobs in Toronto and other places on municipal water, where ground water is not used for drinking.

Table 3.1 has one column for residential, parkland and institutional use and one for industrial, commercial and community use. Your qualified person (QP) decides which one your soil meets. We take both.

Table 3 next to Table 1 and Table 2

Table 1 is the background standard. It is generally the strictest of the three.
Table 2 is for sites where ground water is a source of drinking water. Its values are generally stricter than Table 3.
Table 3 is for sites where ground water is not a source of drinking water.

Table 2 and Table 3 compared.

Where Table 3 soil can go

Soil that only meets Table 3.1 cannot be placed at a reuse site that calls for Table 1 or Table 2.1 soil. That leaves three kinds of destination.

A reuse site where Table 3.1 is the standard that applies.
A transfer site approved to receive it. Both of ours are.
A landfill that will take it.

Table 3.1 at each location
Soil quality	Scarborough 633 Coronation Drive	Etobicoke 18 Namco Road
Table 1	Accepted	Accepted
Table 2.1	Accepted	Accepted
Table 3.1 The trade calls it Table 3.	Accepted	Accepted
Liquid soil or slurry Must pass a slump test as solid soil.	Call first	Call first
Hazardous waste	Refused	Refused

Every source site is reviewed before its first load, and we confirm which location takes your soil.

Table 3 soil disposal in Toronto, the GTA and Ontario

Both locations are in Toronto and take soil from anywhere in Ontario. Find your area and the location that is usually closer.

TorontoScarborough, Etobicoke, North York, East York, Downtown Toronto, York.Open Peel RegionMississauga, Brampton, Caledon.Open York RegionVaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Aurora, Newmarket, King, Whitchurch-Stouffville, East Gwillimbury, Georgina.Open Durham RegionPickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Clarington, Uxbridge, Scugog, Brock.Open Halton RegionOakville, Burlington, Milton, Halton Hills.Open All of the GTAEvery GTA municipality, with the location that is usually closer.Open Rest of OntarioHamilton, Niagara, Guelph, Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie, Peterborough and more.Open

What we need from you

Your lab certificates and the details of the source site. The full list is on the approval page.

Plan the haul

Put your trucks and round trip in the haul planner to see loads, tonnes a day and working days. For a large haul, call so we can schedule it.

Questions

Is Table 3 soil contaminated?

Not in the way most people mean. It meets a provincial standard for sites with non-potable ground water. The trade often calls soil between Table 2.1 and Table 3.1 impacted, and soil above Table 3.1 contaminated.

What is the difference between Table 3 and 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.

Does Table 3 soil have to go to landfill?

No. It can go to a reuse site where Table 3.1 applies, or to a transfer site approved to receive it, like ours.

What do RPI and ICC mean?

They are the two property-use columns in Table 3. RPI is residential, parkland and institutional use. ICC is industrial, commercial and community use. Your qualified person decides which column your soil meets.

Is Table 3 soil clean fill?

Clean fill is a trade term, not a category in Ontario's excess soil rules. Soil that meets Table 3.1 can be reused only where Table 3.1 is the standard that applies, so a site asking for clean fill may want Table 1 or Table 2.1 soil.

Can Table 3 soil be reused?

Yes, at a reuse site where Table 3.1 is the standard that applies. Which table applies there depends mainly on the property's use and its ground water.

How do I know my soil meets Table 3.1?

A qualified person compares results from an accredited laboratory against the table and signs the report. Send us that report and we check it against our approvals.

Who takes Table 3 soil in Toronto and the GTA?

We do, at two ECA-approved locations: 633 Coronation Drive in Scarborough and 18 Namco Road in Etobicoke. Find the location that is usually closer.

This page is a plain-language summary, not legal or technical advice. The regulation, the Soil Rules and each approval govern.