CALIFORNIA WASTEWATER TREATMENT
OPERATOR ACTUAL TEST PAPER
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
TESTED ANSWERS
◉ What are the impurities in water that come from plants or
animals?
Answer: Organic impurities
◉ What are the impurities in water that do NOT have their origin
from plants or animals, and are primarily mineral?
Answer: Inorganic impurities
◉ Which source of water usually has suspended material filtered
out?
Answer: Ground water
◉ What are waterborne disease diseases like typhoid and cholera
caused by?
Answer: Bacteria
◉ What is disinfection?
,Answer: The treatment process that is designed to kill only the
pathogenic or disease causing bacteria
◉ Microorganisms that require dissolved or free oxygen
Answer: Aerobic
◉ What type of pump is most commonly used to increase pressure
head in a water supply system?
Answer: A centrifugal pump
◉ What is the minimum number of filter beds a water treatment
plant should be equipped with?
Answer: 4
◉ The term agglomeration is best defined as:
Answer: A gathering of dispersed, suspended matter into larger
particles
◉ What changes would one consider making if one observed
problems with the floc formation?
Answer: adjust coagulant dosage, change, coagulant, and adjust
flocculator mixing intensity
, ◉ At what point in a water treatment plant are catatonic polymers
(attract bacteria, dirt, etc.) used to improve the efficiency of particle
removal?
Answer: at the coagulation injection/flash mix
◉ If the level of turbidity in raw water decreases significantly from 8
to 2 NTU's what process change would have to be made?
Answer: A decrease in chemical dosage
◉ Cryptosporidium
Answer: an oocyst that is difficult to detect in raw water
◉ What does Cryptosporidium exist in the environment as?
Answer: an oocyst
◉ What is the laboratory test called to estimate the optimum dosage
of a chemical?
Answer: jar test
◉ What are finally divided solids, which will not settle on their own
known as?
Answer: Colloids (gelled together)
OPERATOR ACTUAL TEST PAPER
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
TESTED ANSWERS
◉ What are the impurities in water that come from plants or
animals?
Answer: Organic impurities
◉ What are the impurities in water that do NOT have their origin
from plants or animals, and are primarily mineral?
Answer: Inorganic impurities
◉ Which source of water usually has suspended material filtered
out?
Answer: Ground water
◉ What are waterborne disease diseases like typhoid and cholera
caused by?
Answer: Bacteria
◉ What is disinfection?
,Answer: The treatment process that is designed to kill only the
pathogenic or disease causing bacteria
◉ Microorganisms that require dissolved or free oxygen
Answer: Aerobic
◉ What type of pump is most commonly used to increase pressure
head in a water supply system?
Answer: A centrifugal pump
◉ What is the minimum number of filter beds a water treatment
plant should be equipped with?
Answer: 4
◉ The term agglomeration is best defined as:
Answer: A gathering of dispersed, suspended matter into larger
particles
◉ What changes would one consider making if one observed
problems with the floc formation?
Answer: adjust coagulant dosage, change, coagulant, and adjust
flocculator mixing intensity
, ◉ At what point in a water treatment plant are catatonic polymers
(attract bacteria, dirt, etc.) used to improve the efficiency of particle
removal?
Answer: at the coagulation injection/flash mix
◉ If the level of turbidity in raw water decreases significantly from 8
to 2 NTU's what process change would have to be made?
Answer: A decrease in chemical dosage
◉ Cryptosporidium
Answer: an oocyst that is difficult to detect in raw water
◉ What does Cryptosporidium exist in the environment as?
Answer: an oocyst
◉ What is the laboratory test called to estimate the optimum dosage
of a chemical?
Answer: jar test
◉ What are finally divided solids, which will not settle on their own
known as?
Answer: Colloids (gelled together)
