FLORIDA WASTEWATER MAIN EXAMINATION SET
2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Operators try to kill or inactivate pathogenic organisms by disinfection. - ✔✔TRUE
✔✔The weight of non-settleable solids may be calculated by subtracting the weight of
dissolved and total solids from the weight of settleable solids. - ✔✔TRUE
✔✔The organic portion of the total solids can be very harmful to receiving waters. -
✔✔TRUE
✔✔Operators should use a standard method for the measurement and evaluation of
floatable solids. - ✔✔FALSE
✔✔Nutrient cycles are very complex and involve chemical changes in living organisms.
- ✔✔TRUE
✔✔What is the definition of pollution? - ✔✔Any interference with the beneficial reuse of
water.
✔✔What is organic waste? - ✔✔Waste material that may come from animal or plant
sources.
✔✔What is inorganic waste? - ✔✔Waste material such as sand, salt, iron, or calcium.
✔✔What happens to fish in receiving waters when bacteria use the entire supply of
oxygen from the stream faster than it can be replenished by natural diffusion from the
atmosphere? - ✔✔They die.
✔✔The stabilization of a waste means which of the following? - ✔✔To convert the
waste to a form that resists change.
✔✔Many serious outbreaks of communicable diseases have been traced to which
problem? - ✔✔Direct contamination of drinking water or food supplies.
✔✔What is an operator's best defense against infections and diseases? - ✔✔Good
personal hygiene.
✔✔What is the objection to treated wastewater as containing nutrients? - ✔✔Nutrients
are capable of encouraging excess algae and plant growth in receiving water.
✔✔Why are floatable solids undesirable in the plant effluent? - ✔✔The sight of floatable
solids in receiving water indicates the presence of an adequately treated wastewater.
,✔✔Why are ammonia and hydrogen sulfide undesirable in receiving waters? - ✔✔They
are odorous gases.
✔✔Substantial amounts of organic industrial waste come from which industries? -
✔✔Dairy processing, meatpacking, tanning, vegetable and fruit packing.
✔✔Waste discharge is may contain what types of toxic substances? - ✔✔Cyanide, and
heavy metals.
✔✔Which substances are objectionable in treated wastewater discharges? - ✔✔Highly
acidic or alkaline (basic) substances. Pathogenic organisms. Taste and odor producing
substances. Toxic substances
✔✔Weather any problems are caused by the discharge of treated wastewater in the
receiving water depends on which factors? - ✔✔Amount of flow in the receiving stream
or volume of receiving lake that can be used for dilution. Quality of receiving water. Size
of flow from the treatment plant. Type or degree of treatment. Uses of the receiving
water.
✔✔Why do operators need to know how to control nutrient cycles? - ✔✔To control
odors. To protect receiving waters. To treat waste.
✔✔The length of time required for ways to reach your plant can affect treatment plant
efficiency. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Ponds are frequently constructed in rural areas where there is sufficient available
land. - ✔✔True.
✔✔The purpose of flow measuring devices is to treat waste. - ✔✔False
✔✔All primary clarifiers, no matter what their shape, must have a means for collecting
the settled solids and the floating solids. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Both the trickling filter and the activated sludge treatment processes or anaerobic
biological treatment processes. - ✔✔True.
✔✔The activated sludge process is a biological process and it serves the same function
as a trickling filter or rotating biological contactor. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Incineration or burial of skimmings from the clarifiers will prevent treatment plant
operational problems. - ✔✔True.
, ✔✔Algae in ponds produce oxygen for the other organisms to use. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Both industry and agriculture are discovering the treated effluent may be the most
economical source of additional water. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Aerobic and anaerobic sludge digestion processes produce stabilized or digested
solids that ultimately must be disposed of in the environment. - ✔✔True.
✔✔What is a sanitary sewer? - ✔✔A pipe or conduit (sewer) intended to carry waste
water or water-borne waste from homes, businesses, and industries to the treatment
works.
✔✔When are pump stations normally installed? - ✔✔When low areas of land must be
sewered or where pipe depth under the ground service becomes excessive.
✔✔How can fluctuating flows from a large pump station be reduced? - ✔✔By using
variable speed pump or short pumping cycles.
✔✔What is the purpose of flow measuring devices? - ✔✔To measure and record the
flow rates and volumes of wastewater treated by the plant.
✔✔What is the purpose of pre aeriation? - ✔✔To freshen the wastewater and to help
remove oils and greases.
✔✔Why is treated wastewater disinfectant before it is discharge to receiving waters? -
✔✔To prevent the spread of diseases.
✔✔Why are debris and trash usually removed from wastewater by a bar screen? -
✔✔To protect equipment and reduce any interference with in-plant flow.
✔✔Why are most sewer pipes laid at a slope steep enough to maintain a wastewater
flow of two feet per second (fps) (0.6m/sec)? - ✔✔To prevent grit from settling in the
pipes.
✔✔Why should grit be removed early in the plant treatment process? - ✔✔Because grit
is abrasive and will rapidly wear out pumps and other equipment.
✔✔The exact amount of BOD removal in a clarifier depends on which factor? - ✔✔The
amount of BOD contained in the settled material.
✔✔What happens when the clear surface water of the primary tank flows over the
effluent weir at a high velocity? - ✔✔Particles settling to the bottom or those already on
the bottom may be picked up and carried from the tank.
2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔Operators try to kill or inactivate pathogenic organisms by disinfection. - ✔✔TRUE
✔✔The weight of non-settleable solids may be calculated by subtracting the weight of
dissolved and total solids from the weight of settleable solids. - ✔✔TRUE
✔✔The organic portion of the total solids can be very harmful to receiving waters. -
✔✔TRUE
✔✔Operators should use a standard method for the measurement and evaluation of
floatable solids. - ✔✔FALSE
✔✔Nutrient cycles are very complex and involve chemical changes in living organisms.
- ✔✔TRUE
✔✔What is the definition of pollution? - ✔✔Any interference with the beneficial reuse of
water.
✔✔What is organic waste? - ✔✔Waste material that may come from animal or plant
sources.
✔✔What is inorganic waste? - ✔✔Waste material such as sand, salt, iron, or calcium.
✔✔What happens to fish in receiving waters when bacteria use the entire supply of
oxygen from the stream faster than it can be replenished by natural diffusion from the
atmosphere? - ✔✔They die.
✔✔The stabilization of a waste means which of the following? - ✔✔To convert the
waste to a form that resists change.
✔✔Many serious outbreaks of communicable diseases have been traced to which
problem? - ✔✔Direct contamination of drinking water or food supplies.
✔✔What is an operator's best defense against infections and diseases? - ✔✔Good
personal hygiene.
✔✔What is the objection to treated wastewater as containing nutrients? - ✔✔Nutrients
are capable of encouraging excess algae and plant growth in receiving water.
✔✔Why are floatable solids undesirable in the plant effluent? - ✔✔The sight of floatable
solids in receiving water indicates the presence of an adequately treated wastewater.
,✔✔Why are ammonia and hydrogen sulfide undesirable in receiving waters? - ✔✔They
are odorous gases.
✔✔Substantial amounts of organic industrial waste come from which industries? -
✔✔Dairy processing, meatpacking, tanning, vegetable and fruit packing.
✔✔Waste discharge is may contain what types of toxic substances? - ✔✔Cyanide, and
heavy metals.
✔✔Which substances are objectionable in treated wastewater discharges? - ✔✔Highly
acidic or alkaline (basic) substances. Pathogenic organisms. Taste and odor producing
substances. Toxic substances
✔✔Weather any problems are caused by the discharge of treated wastewater in the
receiving water depends on which factors? - ✔✔Amount of flow in the receiving stream
or volume of receiving lake that can be used for dilution. Quality of receiving water. Size
of flow from the treatment plant. Type or degree of treatment. Uses of the receiving
water.
✔✔Why do operators need to know how to control nutrient cycles? - ✔✔To control
odors. To protect receiving waters. To treat waste.
✔✔The length of time required for ways to reach your plant can affect treatment plant
efficiency. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Ponds are frequently constructed in rural areas where there is sufficient available
land. - ✔✔True.
✔✔The purpose of flow measuring devices is to treat waste. - ✔✔False
✔✔All primary clarifiers, no matter what their shape, must have a means for collecting
the settled solids and the floating solids. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Both the trickling filter and the activated sludge treatment processes or anaerobic
biological treatment processes. - ✔✔True.
✔✔The activated sludge process is a biological process and it serves the same function
as a trickling filter or rotating biological contactor. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Incineration or burial of skimmings from the clarifiers will prevent treatment plant
operational problems. - ✔✔True.
, ✔✔Algae in ponds produce oxygen for the other organisms to use. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Both industry and agriculture are discovering the treated effluent may be the most
economical source of additional water. - ✔✔True.
✔✔Aerobic and anaerobic sludge digestion processes produce stabilized or digested
solids that ultimately must be disposed of in the environment. - ✔✔True.
✔✔What is a sanitary sewer? - ✔✔A pipe or conduit (sewer) intended to carry waste
water or water-borne waste from homes, businesses, and industries to the treatment
works.
✔✔When are pump stations normally installed? - ✔✔When low areas of land must be
sewered or where pipe depth under the ground service becomes excessive.
✔✔How can fluctuating flows from a large pump station be reduced? - ✔✔By using
variable speed pump or short pumping cycles.
✔✔What is the purpose of flow measuring devices? - ✔✔To measure and record the
flow rates and volumes of wastewater treated by the plant.
✔✔What is the purpose of pre aeriation? - ✔✔To freshen the wastewater and to help
remove oils and greases.
✔✔Why is treated wastewater disinfectant before it is discharge to receiving waters? -
✔✔To prevent the spread of diseases.
✔✔Why are debris and trash usually removed from wastewater by a bar screen? -
✔✔To protect equipment and reduce any interference with in-plant flow.
✔✔Why are most sewer pipes laid at a slope steep enough to maintain a wastewater
flow of two feet per second (fps) (0.6m/sec)? - ✔✔To prevent grit from settling in the
pipes.
✔✔Why should grit be removed early in the plant treatment process? - ✔✔Because grit
is abrasive and will rapidly wear out pumps and other equipment.
✔✔The exact amount of BOD removal in a clarifier depends on which factor? - ✔✔The
amount of BOD contained in the settled material.
✔✔What happens when the clear surface water of the primary tank flows over the
effluent weir at a high velocity? - ✔✔Particles settling to the bottom or those already on
the bottom may be picked up and carried from the tank.
