Certified Pool Operator (CPO) Handbook |
Comprehensive Guide for 2025 Certification
Exam
1. You operate a 120,000-gallon pool, and upon
performing your hourly chemical tests you observe
the following readings: Total Available Chlorine
reading is 1.6 free available chlorine reading is 1.5
pH is 7.4 Your supervising lifeguard has just
informed you that you have had a fecal incident
occur; a solid stool has been discharged into the
pool. According to the Centers for Disease Control,
as the CPO, you should do the following: -
Answer✅️ ☑️ clear the pool and raise the free
chlorine to 2 ppm
2. Assuming that your local health department
requires you to raise the free chlorine to 5 ppm,
how much sodium hypochlorite would be needed to
raise the free chlorine in the pool in question #1 to
that level? - Answer✅️ ☑️ 3.5 gallons
,3. You are the CPO for an indoor health club pool.
The facility manager informs you that he is
receiving complaints about a strong chlorine odor
in the pool area, and several members have
complained of eye irritation. The most likely cause
of these complaints is: - Answer✅️ ☑️high levels of
chloramines in the pool
4. To determine the level of chloramines in the
water, you should do which of the following? -
Answer✅️ ☑️test for total chlorine and free chlorine,
then subtract the free chlorine number from the
total chlorine
5. You operate a 45,000 gallon indoor pool, and
upon doing your hourly chemical tests you observe
the following readings:Total available chlorine is 2.2
Free available chlorine is 1.4 and pH is 7.6 What is
the level of chloramines in this pool? -
Answer✅️ ☑️ 0.8
7. You are the operator of a 330,000 gallon outdoor
pool. Your local health department requires you to
perform a water balance calculation once monthly.
Upon performing the water tests necessary to
, perform this calculation, you observe the following
readings in your pool: Total alkalinity is 50 ppm pH
is 7.2 Calcium Hardness is 150 ppm Temperature is
76 degrees F Total Dissolved Solids is 500 ppm
Using these readings, what is the Saturation Index
for this pool? - Answer✅️ ☑️-0.8
8. To adjust the tested Total Alkalinity in the pool in
question #7 to an acceptable level, which chemical
would be most appropriate? - Answer✅️ ☑️ Sodium
Bicarbonate
9. To adjust the tested pH in the pool in question
#7 to an acceptable level, which chemical would
be most appropriate? - Answer✅️ ☑️ Sodium
Carbonate
10. You are the CPO for a 28,000 gallon hotel pool.
You perform a water balance chemical test, and to
your surprise, the Calcium Hardness is only 100
ppm. How much calcium chloride (77%) would be
required to increase this to 400 ppm?" -
Answer✅️ ☑️ 100.8 lbs.
Comprehensive Guide for 2025 Certification
Exam
1. You operate a 120,000-gallon pool, and upon
performing your hourly chemical tests you observe
the following readings: Total Available Chlorine
reading is 1.6 free available chlorine reading is 1.5
pH is 7.4 Your supervising lifeguard has just
informed you that you have had a fecal incident
occur; a solid stool has been discharged into the
pool. According to the Centers for Disease Control,
as the CPO, you should do the following: -
Answer✅️ ☑️ clear the pool and raise the free
chlorine to 2 ppm
2. Assuming that your local health department
requires you to raise the free chlorine to 5 ppm,
how much sodium hypochlorite would be needed to
raise the free chlorine in the pool in question #1 to
that level? - Answer✅️ ☑️ 3.5 gallons
,3. You are the CPO for an indoor health club pool.
The facility manager informs you that he is
receiving complaints about a strong chlorine odor
in the pool area, and several members have
complained of eye irritation. The most likely cause
of these complaints is: - Answer✅️ ☑️high levels of
chloramines in the pool
4. To determine the level of chloramines in the
water, you should do which of the following? -
Answer✅️ ☑️test for total chlorine and free chlorine,
then subtract the free chlorine number from the
total chlorine
5. You operate a 45,000 gallon indoor pool, and
upon doing your hourly chemical tests you observe
the following readings:Total available chlorine is 2.2
Free available chlorine is 1.4 and pH is 7.6 What is
the level of chloramines in this pool? -
Answer✅️ ☑️ 0.8
7. You are the operator of a 330,000 gallon outdoor
pool. Your local health department requires you to
perform a water balance calculation once monthly.
Upon performing the water tests necessary to
, perform this calculation, you observe the following
readings in your pool: Total alkalinity is 50 ppm pH
is 7.2 Calcium Hardness is 150 ppm Temperature is
76 degrees F Total Dissolved Solids is 500 ppm
Using these readings, what is the Saturation Index
for this pool? - Answer✅️ ☑️-0.8
8. To adjust the tested Total Alkalinity in the pool in
question #7 to an acceptable level, which chemical
would be most appropriate? - Answer✅️ ☑️ Sodium
Bicarbonate
9. To adjust the tested pH in the pool in question
#7 to an acceptable level, which chemical would
be most appropriate? - Answer✅️ ☑️ Sodium
Carbonate
10. You are the CPO for a 28,000 gallon hotel pool.
You perform a water balance chemical test, and to
your surprise, the Calcium Hardness is only 100
ppm. How much calcium chloride (77%) would be
required to increase this to 400 ppm?" -
Answer✅️ ☑️ 100.8 lbs.
