Using SPIN for Septic System Design

The Alberta Private Sewage Systems Standard of Practice 2009 requires a Site Evaluation to be completed as a prerequisite to completing a septic system design and applying for a permit.  Among other things, the Site Evaluation Report must include the address and legal description of the property, the parcel identification number, and a dimensioned or to-scale site plan including property boundaries and easements.  One of the easiest ways to start putting together a complete site plan is to get an electronic image of the subject property and then use computer based tools to add other required information, such as location of buildings and wells.

In Alberta, the easy-to-use and authoritative source for property boundary information on the Internet is called “SPIN” (Government of Alberta’s Spatial Information System).

Just go to https://alta.registries.gov.ab.ca/spinii/logon.aspx, complete a free registration, and start downloading subdivision and site plans from the official archives of Alberta Land Titles.  For more detailed information about using SPIN to find property information, and about using other computer based tools to mark-up site diagrams, download our free Guide to Computer-Based Tools For Septic System Design.