CWEA WASTEWATER LABORATORY
ANALYST CERTIFICATION EXAM 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
⩥ Why treat wastewater?. Answer: Protect the downstream user and
protect the environment
⩥ Types of Waterborne Diseases. Answer: Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis,
Amoebic Dysentery, Gastroenteritis
⩥ Cholera. Answer: An acute intestinal infection. Short incubation
period, less than one day to five days. Causes a copious, painless, watery
diarrhea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if
treatment is not promptly given. Caused by Vibrio cholerae
⩥ Typhoid Fever. Answer: Sudden onset of sustained fever, severe
headache, nausea, and severe loss of appetite. Caused by Salmonella
typhi
⩥ Hepatitis. Answer: Inflammation of the liver. Most common cause is
infection with one of 5 viruses (A, B, C, D, and E). Symptoms are
yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice); dark urine, extreme fatigue;
,nausea; vomiting and abdominal pain. It can take several months to a
year to feel fit again.
⩥ Giardiasis and E.coli. Answer: Symptoms include diarrhea, gas or
flatulence, stomach cramps, upset stomach or nausea.
⩥ Cryptosporidiosis. Answer: The most common symptom of
cryptosporidiosis is watery diarrhea. Can lead to dehydration and death
in immunocompromised persons.
⩥ Wastewater. Answer: The spent water of a community from homes,
businesses, and industries.
⩥ Industrial Controls. Answer: Sewer Use Ordinance and Industrial
Pretreatment Permitting Program
⩥ Sewer Use Ordinance. Answer: Local ordinance that addresses what is
prohibited from being discharged and sets limits for particular pollutants
⩥ Physical Characteristics of Wastewater. Answer: Temperature
normally warmer than tap water (10 - 20 degrees C/ 50 - 70 degrees F),
Color is grey, Odor is musty, Turbidity - suspended and colloidal solids
, ⩥ Chemical Characteristics of Wastewater. Answer: Alkalinity,
Chemical Oxygen Demand, Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen,
Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), pH
⩥ Alkalinity. Answer: Measure of the ability of the wastewater to
neutralize an acid, expressed as mg/L CaCO3, high in areas with hard
water (groundwater), low in areas with soft water, secondary treatment
affects alkalinity
⩥ Chemical Oxygen Demand. Answer: the amount of specified oxidant
that reacts with the sample under controlled conditions, expressed as
mg/L, normal range 200-600 mg/L
⩥ Conductivity (Specific Conductance). Answer: The ability of an
aqueous solution to carry an electric current, related to dissolved solids
concentration, measure in micrometers per cm at 25 degrees C, can
range from 50 - 1500 micrometers per cm, increases with inorganic
content
⩥ Dissolved Oxygen. Answer: molecular oxygen present in wastewater,
temperature dependent (higher temp = lower DO), low DO favors
filaments and anaerobes, zero DO is anaerobic, normally < 2
⩥ Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). Answer: the intensity or ease of
electron loss (oxidation) or electron gain (reduction), also called redox
ANALYST CERTIFICATION EXAM 2026
PRACTICE QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
⩥ Why treat wastewater?. Answer: Protect the downstream user and
protect the environment
⩥ Types of Waterborne Diseases. Answer: Cholera, Typhoid, Hepatitis,
Amoebic Dysentery, Gastroenteritis
⩥ Cholera. Answer: An acute intestinal infection. Short incubation
period, less than one day to five days. Causes a copious, painless, watery
diarrhea that can quickly lead to severe dehydration and death if
treatment is not promptly given. Caused by Vibrio cholerae
⩥ Typhoid Fever. Answer: Sudden onset of sustained fever, severe
headache, nausea, and severe loss of appetite. Caused by Salmonella
typhi
⩥ Hepatitis. Answer: Inflammation of the liver. Most common cause is
infection with one of 5 viruses (A, B, C, D, and E). Symptoms are
yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice); dark urine, extreme fatigue;
,nausea; vomiting and abdominal pain. It can take several months to a
year to feel fit again.
⩥ Giardiasis and E.coli. Answer: Symptoms include diarrhea, gas or
flatulence, stomach cramps, upset stomach or nausea.
⩥ Cryptosporidiosis. Answer: The most common symptom of
cryptosporidiosis is watery diarrhea. Can lead to dehydration and death
in immunocompromised persons.
⩥ Wastewater. Answer: The spent water of a community from homes,
businesses, and industries.
⩥ Industrial Controls. Answer: Sewer Use Ordinance and Industrial
Pretreatment Permitting Program
⩥ Sewer Use Ordinance. Answer: Local ordinance that addresses what is
prohibited from being discharged and sets limits for particular pollutants
⩥ Physical Characteristics of Wastewater. Answer: Temperature
normally warmer than tap water (10 - 20 degrees C/ 50 - 70 degrees F),
Color is grey, Odor is musty, Turbidity - suspended and colloidal solids
, ⩥ Chemical Characteristics of Wastewater. Answer: Alkalinity,
Chemical Oxygen Demand, Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen,
Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), pH
⩥ Alkalinity. Answer: Measure of the ability of the wastewater to
neutralize an acid, expressed as mg/L CaCO3, high in areas with hard
water (groundwater), low in areas with soft water, secondary treatment
affects alkalinity
⩥ Chemical Oxygen Demand. Answer: the amount of specified oxidant
that reacts with the sample under controlled conditions, expressed as
mg/L, normal range 200-600 mg/L
⩥ Conductivity (Specific Conductance). Answer: The ability of an
aqueous solution to carry an electric current, related to dissolved solids
concentration, measure in micrometers per cm at 25 degrees C, can
range from 50 - 1500 micrometers per cm, increases with inorganic
content
⩥ Dissolved Oxygen. Answer: molecular oxygen present in wastewater,
temperature dependent (higher temp = lower DO), low DO favors
filaments and anaerobes, zero DO is anaerobic, normally < 2
⩥ Oxidation-reduction potential (ORP). Answer: the intensity or ease of
electron loss (oxidation) or electron gain (reduction), also called redox
