Wastewater Operator Certification FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE 2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES || 100% GUARANTEED PASS <RECENT VERSION>

Wastewater Operator Certification FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE 2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED ANSWERS WITH RATIONALES || 100% GUARANTEED PASS &lt;RECENT VERSION&gt; 1. MGD - ANSWER Million Gallons per Day 2. 1 gallon is equal to how many liters? - ANSWER 3.785 liters 3. 1gpg equals - ANSWER 17.1 mg/L 4. gpg stands for - ANSWER Grains Per Gallon 5. 1lb equals how many grains? - ANSWER 7,000 6. How many ounces are in a lb? - ANSWER 16 7. Area of a triangle - ANSWER Base x Height divided by 2 8. Volume of a cone - ANSWER Volume of cylinder divided by 3 9. I&I - ANSWER Inflow & Infiltration 10. Which of these compounds is NOT classified as a chemical flocculant? - ANSWER Magnesium sulfate Explanation=Magnesium sulfate, commonly known as Epsom salt, is not typically used as a chemical flocculant in wastewater treatment processes. It lacks the coagulative properties that enable particle aggregation and settling. 11. What does the term "pH" represent in wastewater analysis? - ANSWER The acidity or alkalinity of the sample Explanation=is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, reflecting the concentration of hydrogen ions (H*) in the sample. 12. What is the purpose of a Jar Test in wastewater treatment? - ANSWER To optimize chemical dosing for coagulation and flocculation Explanation=The Jar Test is a crucial laboratory procedure used in wastewater treatment to determine the optimal dosage of coagulants and flocculants for effective particle aggregation and settling. 13. What are examples of heavy equipment commonly utilized in wastewater treatment plants - ANSWER Excavators, bulldozers, loadets, and dump trucks 14. What is the commonly recognized name for Al(SO4)3? - ANSWER Aluminum sulfate 15. While measuring the pH of a sample, you record the pH at 6.1. This would be considered - ANSWER Acidic 16. Which laboratory analysis is employed to measure the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of wastewater - ANSWER BOD test Explanation=the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) test is used to measure the amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms as they break down organic matter in wastewater. 17. What does a Total Coliform test indicate in wastewater sample? - ANSWER The presence of specific pathogenic bacteria. Explanation =A Total Coliform test is conducted to determine the presence of specific groups of bacteria, known as coliform bacteria, in a water or wastewater sample. 18. The operator of wastewater treatment plant is frequently replacing shear pins on a rectangular primary clarifier.Which of the following actions should the operator avoid in addressing this issue? - ANSWER Install a stronger shear pin that is less likely to break Explanation=The shear pins in a clatifier are designed to act as a safety mechanism, breaking under excessive stress to prevent damage to the equipment. Using a stronger shear pin could lead to more serious damage elsewhere in the equipment if an issue arises. The other options involve addressing potential causes of shear pin breakage, such as worn flights, chain and sprocket condition, and alignment, to identify and resolve the root cause of the problem. 19. General Wastewater Treatment: What is the pressure head caused by? - ANSWER Water elevation 20. General Wastewater Treatment: What color should the piping be that contains reclaimed water? - ANSWER purple 21. General Wastewater Treatment: What is the term for the height to which a column of water will rise in a well. - ANSWER piezometric surface 22. General Wastewater Treatment: In general, what is the maximum practical lift of pumps - ANSWER 15 25ft 23. General Wastewater Treatment: Which one of the following valves is the best to use in throttling a flow situation? a. gate b. butterfly c. globe d. ball - ANSWER globe 24. General Wastewater Treatment: Which one of the following devices is used to measure water depths in storage facilities? a. transducer b. Venturi meter c. magnetic sensor d. thermistor - ANSWER transducer 25. Wastewater Treatment Facilities: The velocity in sanitary sewers is approximately: - ANSWER 2 ft/s 26. Wastewater Treatment Facilities: The distance between manholes ranges from - ANSWER 300-500ft 27. Wastewater Treatment Facilities: What should the flow velocity be through a grit channel - ANSWER 1.0 ft/s 28. Wastewater Treatment Facilities: Grit washers are used to______ a. remove some of the organic matter b. remove large pieces of wood c. remove rags and eggshells d. remove the odors - ANSWER remove some of the organic matter 29. Trickling filter ponding cause - ANSWER The typical cause of ponding on a trickling filter is excessive biological growth on the media. 30. Oxygen deficient atmosphere - ANSWER An atmosphere is oxygen deficient when the oxygen level is below 19.5%. 31. Dissolved oxygen in facultative stabilization lagoon - ANSWER Most dissolved oxygen in a facultative stabilization lagoon comes from algae photosynthesis. 32. Percent strength of polymer solution - ANSWER If 5 ounces of dry polymer is added to 15 gallons of water, the percent strength of the polymer solution is 0.25%. 33. Nitrification - ANSWER The oxidation of ammonia to nitrate by biological means is called nitrification. 34. Plant Operator Duties - ANSWER Responsibilities include administration, finance, and continuing education. 35. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) - ANSWER Document outlining consistent operational processes. 36. In regards to public relations - ANSWER The operator should not develop one speech and use it with every audience 37. Typical example of safety issues at a wastewater treatment plant would be - ANSWER Chlorine 38. Planning and design is another role the operator plays. A typical example of this role would be - ANSWER Providing input during design 39. 5 specifics of supervision - ANSWER Train, direct, staff, plan, control 40. Lab work responsibility - ANSWER Collect samples, analyze samples, develop data and reports 41. Housekeeping would be under which operator role? - ANSWER Operations and maintenance 42. Suspended Solids Range - ANSWER Typical range is 100-300 mg/L in influent. 43. Organic Waste Depletion - ANSWER Oxygen is depleted by bacteria in water. 44. Diseases from Wastewater - ANSWER Includes typhoid fever, dysentery, and cholera. 45. Turbidity Causes - ANSWER Caused by finely suspended material in wastewater. 46. Floatable Solids Measurement - ANSWER Floatable solids are difficult to measure accurately. 47. pH Measurement - ANSWER Measures the acidity or alkalinity of water. 48. Inorganic Contaminants - ANSWER These contaminants are not biodegradable. 49. Organic waste are in the effluent from which of the following industries? - ANSWER Dairy, fruit packing, paper, petroleum 50. Solids are commonly classified as - ANSWER Inorganic and organic 51. Fish may be endangered by ammonia in the plant effluent - ANSWER True 52. Screenings - ANSWER Large debris like sticks and rags in wastewater. 53. Effluent Disinfection Techniques - ANSWER Common methods include ultraviolet radiation. 54. Primary function of wastewater facility - ANSWER To maintain the requirements set forth by the planes NPDES permit 55. Flow Measurement Device - ANSWER Parshall flume measures flow in wastewater systems. 56. Operator Supervision - ANSWER Includes training staff and controlling operations. 57. Laboratory Work Duties - ANSWER Involves collecting, analyzing samples, and reporting data. 58. Housekeeping Role - ANSWER Falls under operations and maintenance responsibilities. 59. Safety Issues Examples - ANSWER Chlorine exposure and confined spaces are concerns. 60. Public Relations Speech - ANSWER Operators should tailor speeches for different audiences. 61. Organic Waste Sources - ANSWER Includes dairy, fruit packing, and paper industries. 62. Solids Classification - ANSWER Classified as inorganic, organic, dissolved, or suspended. 63. Chlorine Alternatives - ANSWER Ozone is a common alternative disinfection agent. 64. Barminutors vs Comminutors - ANSWER Installed for the same purposes 65. Type of odor control - ANSWER Diatomaceous earth is not a type of odor control. 66. Purpose of diffused air in an aerated grit chamber - ANSWER Allow heavier grit particles to settle while keeping light organic particles in suspension. 67. Sludge depth in gravity drying beds - ANSWER Sludge should be deposited in gravity drying beds at a depth not greater than 8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 cm). 68. 244 Nanometers (nm) - ANSWER On the light spectrum scale, 244 Nanometers (nm) are ultraviolet rays. 69. Unit for quantifying fecal coliform results - ANSWER The unit used to quantify fecal coliform results is MPN. 70. Chemical for phosphorus removal - ANSWER Ferrous sulfate can be used in treating water for phosphorus removal. 71. Cause of large amounts of filter flies - ANSWER The presence of large amounts of filter flies could be caused by excessive hydraulic loading. 72. Optimal pH range for nitrifying bacteria - ANSWER The pH range for optimal growth of nitrifying bacteria is 7.5 to 8.5. 73. Indicator of high F:M in aeration tank - ANSWER Typically the presence of light, stiff, and billowy white foam on the surface of an aeration tank is an indicator of high F:M. 74. Critical for staffing plan implementation - ANSWER Communicate the plan to the staff in advance is most critical for successful implementation of a staffing plan. 75. Gravity thickeners - ANSWER Gravity thickeners are most similar to clarifiers. 76. Test for biological activity in reactor - ANSWER SOUR is a good way to measure the biological activity and aeration within a biological reactor. 77. Scaling in anaerobic digester - ANSWER The precipitation of magnesium ammonium phosphate throughout an anaerobic digester system is referred to as scaling. 78. Effectiveness of UV treatment - ANSWER TSS is most likely to reduce the effectiveness of UV treatment. 79. Breakpoint chlorination - ANSWER Addition of chlorine to effluent until all the chlorine demand is removed and a residual is generated is referred to as breakpoint chlorination. 80. BOD analysis timing - ANSWER If unable to analyze immediately, it is recommended to begin a BOD analysis within at least 6 hours of collection. 81. 1% solution equivalent - ANSWER A 1% solution is equal to 10,000 mg/L. 82. Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) - ANSWER Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) refers to organic nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen. 83. Increase in influent plant solids - ANSWER If there is a large increase of influent plant solids, you may need to increase the MLVSS in the aeration tank. 84. Positive total coliform multiple tube fermentation - ANSWER The sample dilution is considered positive when gas bubbles are found in the Durham tube. 85. Cause of pump vibration - ANSWER There is air in the volute is most likely the cause of heavy vibration in a new horizontal centrifugal pump. 86. Reporting settleable solids samples - ANSWER You report all 5 samples if you grab and analyze 5 settleable solids samples during the day. 87. Geometric mean analytical parameters - ANSWER Total coliform results are expressed using a geometric mean. 88. BOD sample removal timing - ANSWER A biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) sample can be removed from the incubator at 5 days plus or minus 6 hours. 89. Temperature range for drying TSS samples - ANSWER 103-105°C 90. Influent characteristics with adverse impact on treatment plant - ANSWER Low flow, pH 4, zero DO 91. Temperature range for thermophilic digester - ANSWER 122-140°F 92. Power required for a centrifugal pump delivering 800 gpm - ANSWER 11.3 kW 93. Most effective aeration mode for high organic influent loading - ANSWER Step feed 94. Consequence of increased filamentous bacteria growth - ANSWER Bulking sludge and potential effluent solids carryover 95. Device not used to measure flow - ANSWER Baffle 96. Velocity for proper grit removal - ANSWER 1 ft/s 97. Effective approach for performance evaluation communication - ANSWER Schedule a private meeting to discuss the evaluation in detail 98. Reason for preserving solids samples by refrigeration - ANSWER This will slow biological activity and prevent solids decomposition 99. Gas produced by anaerobic decomposition of wastewater - ANSWER Hydrogen sulfide 100. Consequence of excessive aeration in activated sludge system - ANSWER Poor floc formation and settling 101. Adjustment of Food to Microorganism (F/M) ratio - ANSWER Adjusting the sludge wasting rate 102. Alkalinity measure in water - ANSWER Neutralize acids 103. Temporary control of filamentous bulking in activated sludge - ANSWER Adding sodium chloride to the aeration tank 104. Fastest indication of toxicity in activated sludge process - ANSWER Oxygen Uptake Rate (OUR)