D2 WATER DISTRIBUTION TEST EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is the primary purpose of the SDWA? -ANSTo create uniform national standards
for drinking water quality
Who sets Maximum Contaminants Levels (MCLs)? -ANSUSEPA
What are some of the duties of the EPA? -ANSSets MCLs, delegates enforcement of
SDWA to state agencies, provides grant funds, monitors state activities, provides
continued research
What is state primacy? -ANSGiving the authority to the state to implement and enforce
regulations
True or False: State requirements must be at least as stringent as those set by USEPA
-ANSTrue.
A public water system is a system that supplies piped water for human consumption
and that has at least ___ service connections or serves ___ or more persons for ___ or
more days of the year. -ANS15, 25, 60
What is an nontransient, noncommunity public water system? Give an example of one. -
ANSEstablishments with their own private water systems that serve an average of 25
persons that do not live at the location, but the same people use the water for more than
6 months per year. Example: school or factory
What is a transient, noncommunity public water system? Give an example of one. -
ANSEstablishments with own water system and serve at least 25 persons a day but
these people only use the water occasionally and for short periods of time. Example:
Motel or Park
What is a community public water system? Give an example of one. -
ANSEstablishments with their own water supply that serve more than 15 homes.
Example: HOA, or municipal water utilities
Which of the public water systems are required to only monitor for nitrate, nitrite, and
microbiological contamination? -ANStransient, noncommunity
, What does the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) specify? -
ANSMCLs or a treatment technique requirement for contaminants that may be found in
drinking water and could have an adverse health effect on humans
What does the National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) specify? -
ANSwater contaminants that may adversely affect aesthetic qualities of the water such
as taste, odor or color
When must an agency post a public notification? -ANSWhen the water system violates
any of the operating, monitoring or reporting requirements or if they exceed the MCL
Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) -ANSRequires that samples be collected at customers
taps after the water has remained undisturbed in the water piping for at least 6 hrs
True or False: system operators are required to regularly collect and test water
samples. -ANStrue
True or False: Water quality cannot change after it enter the distribution system. -
ANSfalse -blending, season, operational changes
What are the 4 methods of collecting samples? -ANSGrab sample, composite sample,
time composite sample, flow-proportional composite sample
What is a grab sample? -ANSA single sample at a single location
What is a composite sample? -ANSA series of grab samples at one place and at
different times
What is a time composite sample? -ANSEqual volumes at regular intervals
What is a flow proportional composite sample? -ANSAdjusting the sample size
proportional to the flow
How do you select a sample point? -ANSAs close to the main as possible
True or false: It is required for samples to be taken from groundwater under the direct
influence of surface water. -ANStrue
What are Sanitary Surveys? -ANSOn site annual inspection of a water system's facilities
and operation.
What are some the requirements that the State establishes to ensure proper water
system operation? -ANSOperator Certification, sanitary surveys, enforcement
What are the 3 main areas of concern to distribution operators? -ANSmicrobiological
safety, disinfection by products, lead
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is the primary purpose of the SDWA? -ANSTo create uniform national standards
for drinking water quality
Who sets Maximum Contaminants Levels (MCLs)? -ANSUSEPA
What are some of the duties of the EPA? -ANSSets MCLs, delegates enforcement of
SDWA to state agencies, provides grant funds, monitors state activities, provides
continued research
What is state primacy? -ANSGiving the authority to the state to implement and enforce
regulations
True or False: State requirements must be at least as stringent as those set by USEPA
-ANSTrue.
A public water system is a system that supplies piped water for human consumption
and that has at least ___ service connections or serves ___ or more persons for ___ or
more days of the year. -ANS15, 25, 60
What is an nontransient, noncommunity public water system? Give an example of one. -
ANSEstablishments with their own private water systems that serve an average of 25
persons that do not live at the location, but the same people use the water for more than
6 months per year. Example: school or factory
What is a transient, noncommunity public water system? Give an example of one. -
ANSEstablishments with own water system and serve at least 25 persons a day but
these people only use the water occasionally and for short periods of time. Example:
Motel or Park
What is a community public water system? Give an example of one. -
ANSEstablishments with their own water supply that serve more than 15 homes.
Example: HOA, or municipal water utilities
Which of the public water systems are required to only monitor for nitrate, nitrite, and
microbiological contamination? -ANStransient, noncommunity
, What does the National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) specify? -
ANSMCLs or a treatment technique requirement for contaminants that may be found in
drinking water and could have an adverse health effect on humans
What does the National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs) specify? -
ANSwater contaminants that may adversely affect aesthetic qualities of the water such
as taste, odor or color
When must an agency post a public notification? -ANSWhen the water system violates
any of the operating, monitoring or reporting requirements or if they exceed the MCL
Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) -ANSRequires that samples be collected at customers
taps after the water has remained undisturbed in the water piping for at least 6 hrs
True or False: system operators are required to regularly collect and test water
samples. -ANStrue
True or False: Water quality cannot change after it enter the distribution system. -
ANSfalse -blending, season, operational changes
What are the 4 methods of collecting samples? -ANSGrab sample, composite sample,
time composite sample, flow-proportional composite sample
What is a grab sample? -ANSA single sample at a single location
What is a composite sample? -ANSA series of grab samples at one place and at
different times
What is a time composite sample? -ANSEqual volumes at regular intervals
What is a flow proportional composite sample? -ANSAdjusting the sample size
proportional to the flow
How do you select a sample point? -ANSAs close to the main as possible
True or false: It is required for samples to be taken from groundwater under the direct
influence of surface water. -ANStrue
What are Sanitary Surveys? -ANSOn site annual inspection of a water system's facilities
and operation.
What are some the requirements that the State establishes to ensure proper water
system operation? -ANSOperator Certification, sanitary surveys, enforcement
What are the 3 main areas of concern to distribution operators? -ANSmicrobiological
safety, disinfection by products, lead
