Water Treatment Class E Cheat Sheet
What chlorine residual level found at the extremities of a system would indicate that free chlorine residual is present in all other parts of the system?
0.2 mg/L
What is the MCL for iron in drinking water?
0.30 mg/L (secondary drinking water regs)
Certified labs must analyze a minimum of ____ performance audit samples annually
1
The minimum distance that a potable water line has to be above a sewer line
1 Foot
Procedure for THM sampling
1) 4/quarter on the same day for each treatment plant 2) 25% collected from extremities 3) 75% taken at representative sights of pop in system
what is the maximum length of a dead end with a 2 inch line?
1500 feet
What is the minimum flow rate for line flushing before sampling?
2.5 fps (feet per second)
A new tank should be disinfected for ___________ before a water sample is collected for coliform analysis
24 hours
What is the MCL of fluoride
4.0 mg/L
Hold time for unpreserved Iron and manganese samples
48 hours
How small must a system be in order to be able to collect all TC samples on one day?
4900 or fewer served
What is the purpose of a transformer?
Reduce voltage
What two general catagories of reporting does the SDWA use to protect the public's health?
Reporting to the public, reporting to the state.
RTCR meaning
Revised total coliform rule
Laboratory certification in SC is issued and governed by __________
SCDHEC
Water and wastewater plant construction permits are issued by _____
SCDHEC
water and Wastewater discharge and treatment permits are issued and regulated by ________ .
SCDHEC
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and accompanying regulations require what four actions for compliance?
Sampling, testing, recordkeeping, reporting.
What types of faucets are not permitted for sampling THM's?
Swivel faucets, faucets with aerators, faucets with hoses
Who issues and administers op licenses?
The Environmental Certification Board (ECB), operating under the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR)
Name three rules that Federal and state regulations require monitoring water within the distribution system under
The Total Coliform Rule, Lead and Copper Rule and Trihalomethane Rule.
What is Chlorine dose?
The amount of chlorine added to a water supply
What is chlorine residual?
The amount of chlorine left over after the kill
What must water systems that continue to exceed the lead action level even after installing optimal corrosion control treatment and source water treatment have to implement under the lead and copper rule?
a program to replace lead service lines within a maximum of 15 years (lead and copper rule)
what is a rotameter and what does it measure?
a rotameter is a glass enclosure with a ball inside used to measure the flow of gas from a cylinder in PPD (pounds per day)
What is the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (IESWTR)?
a rule developed to ensure that microbial contaminants (cryptosporidium, giardia and other pathogens) are removed as water systems comply with the D/DBP Rule. The rule balances the need for treatment with potential increases in disinfection by-products.
What is an ohm
a unit of electrical resistance
What is a Watt
a unit of power
what must you do when starting a centrifugal pump?
make sure the suction side valve is open and that the pump is primed
TCR Treatment Technique violation
occurs when there is a failure to conduct a level 1 or 2 assessment within 30 days of a trigger, there is a failure to correct all sanitary defects from an assessment within 30 days, there is a failure of a seasonal system to complete startup procedures.
Under the Lead and Copper Rule, All systems that exceed the lead/copper action level will be required to monitor for what 7 indicators?
pH, alkalinity, calcium, conductivity, orthophosphate, silica, temperature
Volume of a cylinder
pi x radius squared x height
What are certified operators required to do to keep their license?
renew their certification annually and obtain 12 continuing ed. contact hours every 2 years, beginning and ending in an odd year
what is chlorine demand?
the amount of chlorine required to "make the kill"
Define voltage
the electrical pressure available to cause a flow of current when an electric circuit is closed
What is the first thing to check when starting a gasoline engine?
the oil level / gasoline level
What is the number of samples to be collected for lead and copper analysis based on?
the size of the distribution system
What is the purpose of the Disinfectants/Disinfection By-Products Rule?
to protect the public from harmful concentrations of disinfectants and from DBP's like TTHM's and HAA5, which could form when disinfectants combine with organic matter in drinking water.
What is the purpose of The Safe Drinking Water Act?
to protect the public from waterborne diseases
What is the top of the zone of saturation called?
water table
What water treatment plants are classified as Category 2 plants?
water treatment plants that use only chemical softening processes
When a new well is completed, it is necessary to disinfect the well, pump, and screen; a _________ residual of free chlorine is recommended
50 mg/L (or ppm)
what concentration of Cl2 must be used to disinfect a distribution line or tank?
50 ppm
Fresh water supplies, which have been the major sources of water developed in the past, usually contain less than 1000 mg/L total dissolved solids. Secondary drinking water standards recommend ______ TDS as a limit.
500 mg/L
Minimum size coupling for a fire hydrant
6 inches
Define a Public Water System (PWS)
A PWS provides water to the public for human consumption with at least fifteen service connections or regularly serves an average of at least twenty-five individuals daily at least 60 days out of the year
What are the two positions of a gate valve?
All the way open or all the way closed.
Where are Chlorine and bacteriological samples typically collected in the distribution system?
At points representative of conditions within the system.
how do you fill a line with water?
From the lowest point to the highest point
Name some waterborne diseases
Hepatitis, Anthrax, Dysentery, Cholera, typhoid fever, giardiasis, gastroenteritis, meningitis, polio
Volume of a rectangle
HxWxL
What are the 4 types of reports that are required to be sent to the state by the water provider? (SCDHEC)
Initial reports, Routine sampling reports, Check or repeat sampling reports, Violation reports
How do you calculate the population equivalent?
May be expressed as flow (100 gallons/person/day or 378 liters/person/day) or suspended solids (0.2 lb SS/person/day or 90 grams SS/person/day). Use 2 variables to find the missing variable.
when working around electrical equipment, strictly observe all applicable rules of the __________.
National Electric Safety Codes.
Who's regs are administered through LLR?
OSHA
What is the difference between Primary and Secondary Standards?
Primary standards: set for substances that are thought to pose a threat to health when present in drinking water at certain levels Secondary standards: relate to cosmetic factors and are not federally enforceable.
What is the generally accepted limit for manganese in drinking water?
0.05 mg/L
what is the MCL for Total Trihalomethanes under the primary drinking Water Regulations
0.08 mg/L (remember 80/60 rule)
If a water system exceeds an MCL, the ____ is responsible for correcting the problem
Water supplier
What water treatment plants are classified as Category 3 plants?
Water treatment plants that are a combination of coagulation and chemical softening, or iron/manganese removal and chemical softening
Name the types of Category 1 plants (under SC drinking water regs).
Water treatment plants that use one of the following processes; Coagulation, oxidative iron and manganese removal, direct filtration.
Repeat sampling requirements
Within 24 hours of a TC+ routine sample, one repeat sample must be collected at same tap, one up stream within 5 service connections, one downstream within 5 service connections. If a repeat sample is TC+ sample must be analyzed for EC, if EC+, the result must be reported to the state by the end of day. Another set of repeat samples must be collected unless an asseessment has been triggered and the PWS has notified the state.
How soon must a + TC sample be resampled
Within 24 hours of the positive result
what should the drip rate of the packing gland on a centrifugal pump, which has rope packing be?
a drop/second or 60 drops/minute
How could a PWS be out of compliance with the Total Coliform Rule (TCR)?
(1) when a repeat sample is TC+ or is missed (2) When any sample is EC+ or is missed (3) When <95% of monthly samples are TC Negative
An EC MCL violation occurs when there is any combination of _______.
... a EC+ routine sample, a missing repeat sample, a TC+/EC+ repeat sample or a TC+ repeat sample with no EC analysis.
What is the MCL and MCLG for FC/EC?
0
Lead action level
0.015 mg/L
5 types of primary contaminates and one example of each
1) Inorganic, ex. Toxic metals (like lead and mercury) and nonmetals (like nitrates) 2) Organic, ex. Pesticides/Herbicides, PCB's, THM's, Solvents, other synthetic organic compounds 3) Turbidity, ex. small particles suspended in water which interfere with light penetration and disinfection 4) Microbial, ex. Bacteria, viruses, protozoa 5) radiological, ex. Natural or manmade sources of radiation
What are the 3 precribed methods for notifying the public of Tier 1 violations?
1) Newspaper: asap but no later than 14 days after the violation 2) Hand or mail delivery: No later than 45 days after the violation 3) Electronic media: No later than 72 hours after the violation
RTCR level 1 assessment triggers
1) a PWS collecting 40 or fewer samples has 2 or more TC+ samples in one month 2) a PWS that samples at least 40 samples per month has greater than 5% of the routine/repeat samples TC+ in the sample month 3) A PWS fails to take every required repeat sample after any single TC+ sample
RTCR Level 2 Assessment Triggers
1) there is an EC MCL violation 2) There are 2 level 1 ass. in a rolling 12 month period 3) a PWS on annual monitoring has a level 1 in 2 consecutive years
The minimum distance that a potable water line has to be from a sewer line.
10 Feet
How many contact hours is one CEU equivalent to?
10 hours
Volume of a TC sample
100 mL
THM hold time
14 days
What is the Population Equivalent?
A means of expressing the amount of organic material in wastewater. In a domestic wastewater system, microorganisms use up about 0.2 pound (90 grams) of oxygen per day for each person using the system (as measured by the standard BOD test). May also be expressed as flow (100 gallons/person/day or 378 liters/person/day) or suspended solids (0.2 lb SS/person/day or 90 grams SS/person/day).
Define ampere
A measure of current strength
Define an aquifer
A natural, underground layer of porous, water bearing material, usually capable of yielding a large amount or supply of water.
Where are the following samples typically collected? Bacteriological samples, turbidity samples, THM samples, Chlorine residual samples, Taste/Odor/Color, Lead and copper
Bacteriological: at points that are representative of the conditions within the system Turbidity: at representative source entry points THM's: 25% at extreme ends, 75% at locations representative of the pop distribution Chlorine residual: At most remote locations to insure that residual exists throughout the system Taste, Odor and color: at representative or critical points Lead and copper rule: at high risk locations.
name the processes of a conventional surface water treatment plant
Coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration
What must be done before pulling a distribution sample?
Disinfect the sample point by torching or chemicals
Describe the process of disinfecting and preparing a new well.
Disinfect the well with a chlorine contact time of 24 hours, then pump the well until all evidence of chlorine residual is gone. Then take a sample and test for total coliform.
The Surface Water Treatment Rule requires what?
Disinfection of all surface water supply systems as a protection against exposure to Giardia
What are the characteristics of potable water?
Does not contain objectionable pollution, contamination, minerals or infective agents. Is considered satisfactory for drinking
For what reasons are an operator's license provoked?
Falsifying reports or providing false info on the trainee permit application.
name the symbols for these elements: Iron, Calcium, Lead, Carbon, Hydrogen, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, mercury, selenium, silver, Fluorine, Nitrogen, chlorine
Fe, Ca, Pb, C, H, As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Hg, Se, Ag, F, N, Cl
Lead and copper rule calls for what kind of samples?
First-draw or First flush: samples taken after the water stands motionless in plumbing for at least 6 hours
What determines the number of TC samples that must be collected in a system?
The population size.
What must a positive TC sample be checked for?
The presence of FC or EC
Understand TC rule
This rule was intends to promote routine surveillance in order to protect customers from Fecal mater and disease causing bacteria. The TCR also serves to ID potential pathways of contamination. PWS's must develop a monitoring plan with monthly sampling at each point. sites must represent the system. TC samples collected regularly throughout the month (except in ground water systems serving 4,900 or fewer. They may collect all samples in one day from different sites). TC+ samples must be tested for EC. EC+ samples must be reported by the end of day.
what is the function of a check valve?
To allow water to only move in one direction
What is the function of a gate valve?
To isolate a section of line.
What is the function of wear rings in pumps?
To protect the impeller and wear out before an expensive part has to be replaced.
Where must repeat TC tests be sampled
at the same tap, up and down at most 5 service connections of the positive result
What must be done after maintenance, construction or repairs on a tank?
disinfection by filling the tank with water containing at least 50 mg/L of chlorine for 24 hours.
Seasonal system startup procedures
disinfection, distribution system flushing, TC/EC sampling, Site visit by state, Verification of current and historical sanitary defect correction.
How often are Lead & Copper samples taken?
every 6 months initially, then they may be able to be taken every 3 years.
Certified labs can have their certification revoked for knowingly and willfullly ________ and may not reapply for one year
falsifying data
