AQUATIC FACILITY OPERATOR 2026 EXAM SCRIPT
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔What is total Alkalinity? - ✔✔this is an index of the water's resistance to pH change
✔✔What is the best recommendat
What is NOT one of the AFO's primary responsibilities? - ✔✔Teaching Lessons
✔✔What should you do every day as a part of your AFO safety duty program? -
✔✔Facility Inspection
✔✔How many gallons of water is in one cubic ft? - ✔✔approximately 7.5
✔✔How do you calculate how many gallons are in a pool? - ✔✔1. calculate the volume
(LxW)xDavg
2. multiple by 7.5 gallons
✔✔Law of Dilution - ✔✔During a turnover less than half of the water molecules pass
through the filter
✔✔What kind of pools need a higher turnover? - ✔✔Special pools
✔✔When do gutters NOT work? - ✔✔when flooded
✔✔What do surge pits need? - ✔✔room to contain surge flow
✔✔What do modulating float valves regulate? - ✔✔the amount of water contributed by
the bottom outlet by slowly restricting the bottom drain valve as the water level in the
surge pit rises
✔✔What are the two types of pumps? - ✔✔Self-Priming and Flooded Suction
Centrifugal
✔✔4 inches = - ✔✔400 gpm
✔✔What does eliminating dead spots mean? - ✔✔Heated and treated water is equally
distributed in the pool
✔✔Horizontal High Rate Sand Filter - ✔✔increases surface area
✔✔When do you backwash? - ✔✔When the pressure differential indicates it is needed
✔✔When do you body feeding (DE) ? - ✔✔during the filter cycle
, ✔✔What is oxidation? - ✔✔a chemical process that destroys organic compounds in the
pool water
✔✔What is disinfection? - ✔✔the chemical process that kills or deactivates pathogens
✔✔What does oxidation do? - ✔✔destroys organics
✔✔What does sanitation do? - ✔✔destroys bacteria
✔✔What does poor oxidation result in? - ✔✔cloudy turbid water
✔✔What is the desirable chlorine compound? - ✔✔HOCl
✔✔Why is HOCl the desirable chlorine compound? - ✔✔because it oxidizes AND
sanitizes
✔✔When is HOCl produced? - ✔✔Upon gas chlorine, sodium hypochlorite (bleach) or
calcium hypochlorite being added to water
✔✔pH of soda ash - ✔✔dissolved in water pH 13+
✔✔Safety considerations for chemical handling require what? - ✔✔eye wash station
ion for CH levels in pools? - ✔✔300-600ppm
✔✔Why are pool heaters prone to scale? - ✔✔because calcium carbonate is more likely
to form on elevated temperatures
✔✔with automation, why are large feed system important? - ✔✔In order to meet set
points quickly
✔✔What is the most important factor related to pool water chemistry? - ✔✔pH
✔✔What should you automate if you can only afford to automate one? - ✔✔pH
✔✔What do typical chemical controllers measure? - ✔✔ORP and pH
✔✔What do chemical controllers NOT replace? - ✔✔pool operator
✔✔What is oxidation reduction potential (ORP)? - ✔✔qualitative measure of chlorine's
work value (how well it's working)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE A+
✔✔What is total Alkalinity? - ✔✔this is an index of the water's resistance to pH change
✔✔What is the best recommendat
What is NOT one of the AFO's primary responsibilities? - ✔✔Teaching Lessons
✔✔What should you do every day as a part of your AFO safety duty program? -
✔✔Facility Inspection
✔✔How many gallons of water is in one cubic ft? - ✔✔approximately 7.5
✔✔How do you calculate how many gallons are in a pool? - ✔✔1. calculate the volume
(LxW)xDavg
2. multiple by 7.5 gallons
✔✔Law of Dilution - ✔✔During a turnover less than half of the water molecules pass
through the filter
✔✔What kind of pools need a higher turnover? - ✔✔Special pools
✔✔When do gutters NOT work? - ✔✔when flooded
✔✔What do surge pits need? - ✔✔room to contain surge flow
✔✔What do modulating float valves regulate? - ✔✔the amount of water contributed by
the bottom outlet by slowly restricting the bottom drain valve as the water level in the
surge pit rises
✔✔What are the two types of pumps? - ✔✔Self-Priming and Flooded Suction
Centrifugal
✔✔4 inches = - ✔✔400 gpm
✔✔What does eliminating dead spots mean? - ✔✔Heated and treated water is equally
distributed in the pool
✔✔Horizontal High Rate Sand Filter - ✔✔increases surface area
✔✔When do you backwash? - ✔✔When the pressure differential indicates it is needed
✔✔When do you body feeding (DE) ? - ✔✔during the filter cycle
, ✔✔What is oxidation? - ✔✔a chemical process that destroys organic compounds in the
pool water
✔✔What is disinfection? - ✔✔the chemical process that kills or deactivates pathogens
✔✔What does oxidation do? - ✔✔destroys organics
✔✔What does sanitation do? - ✔✔destroys bacteria
✔✔What does poor oxidation result in? - ✔✔cloudy turbid water
✔✔What is the desirable chlorine compound? - ✔✔HOCl
✔✔Why is HOCl the desirable chlorine compound? - ✔✔because it oxidizes AND
sanitizes
✔✔When is HOCl produced? - ✔✔Upon gas chlorine, sodium hypochlorite (bleach) or
calcium hypochlorite being added to water
✔✔pH of soda ash - ✔✔dissolved in water pH 13+
✔✔Safety considerations for chemical handling require what? - ✔✔eye wash station
ion for CH levels in pools? - ✔✔300-600ppm
✔✔Why are pool heaters prone to scale? - ✔✔because calcium carbonate is more likely
to form on elevated temperatures
✔✔with automation, why are large feed system important? - ✔✔In order to meet set
points quickly
✔✔What is the most important factor related to pool water chemistry? - ✔✔pH
✔✔What should you automate if you can only afford to automate one? - ✔✔pH
✔✔What do typical chemical controllers measure? - ✔✔ORP and pH
✔✔What do chemical controllers NOT replace? - ✔✔pool operator
✔✔What is oxidation reduction potential (ORP)? - ✔✔qualitative measure of chlorine's
work value (how well it's working)
