CWEA Collection Systems Maintenance
Practice Questions for CWEA Grade 1
and 2 Tests
1. "High priority subsurface installations are high pressure natural gas
pipelines with normal operating pressures greater than 415 kPa gauge,
petroleum pipelines, conductors or cables that are potentially hazardous
to employees, or the public, if damaged." This paragraph indicates that
before the start date of an excavation, what should occur?
○ Answer: An agreed upon site visit
2. 550 gallons of sewage overflow and do not reach any surface waters.
What category of overflow is this?
○ Answer: Category 3
3. A flow of 650 gpm would be how many mgd?
○ Answer: 0.936
4. A hazard that may damage a TV camera going through a sewer is:
○ Answer: An offset joint
5. A person who completes a training program in accordance with the
requirements of Title 8, Calif. Code of Regulations, Minimum Guidelines
of the Common Ground Alliance is considered a ______________ person
○ Answer: Qualified Person
6. According to the State Water Resources Control Board Order No.
2006-003-DWQ, each enrollee must develop and implement a
system-specific:
○ Answer: SSMP (Sewer System Management Plan)
7. After completing a Temporary Traffic Control setup for your work zone it
is a good practice to:
○ Answer: Observe how effective your TTC setup is working to control
traffic and make the necessary changes
8. Based on new Best Practices of the Common Ground Alliance for
marking underground Utilities, the Inquiry Identification Number for an
Underground Service Alert (USA) is viable for how many days?
○ Answer: 28 days
9. Before starting a maintenance operation in a basement located in the
backyard of a residence you should:
○ Answer: Contact the resident and politely ask permission to enter their
backyard
10.Biological activity in long, sluggish-flow, flat grade sewer lines will likely
cause:
○ Answer: Odors
, 11.Clear water entering a collection system is called what?
○ Answer: Infiltration
12.Emergency stoppages in pipelines may be cleared safely by use of:
○ Answer: High velocity cleaners
13.Flatter sewer line grades may cause added sewer maintenance expense
and odor nuisance. This is caused by what?
○ Answer: A decrease in velocity which allows organic and inorganic
solids to settle out. This, in turn, allows biological activity to happen
which corrodes the pipe and releases hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which
smells like rotten eggs
14.For a nighttime Short Term Stationary Traffic Control Zone setup on low
speed/low volume street, the minimum height of the traffic cones used
shall be ________
○ Answer: 28 inches
15.How can the members of a balling crew communicate with each other?
○ Answer: Hand Signals
16.How high do your traffic cones need to be if the speed limit around your
work zone is 35 MPH?
○ Answer: 18". Cone height must be 18" if speed limit is 30 MPH or less
and 28" if the speed limit is 45 MPH or more
17.How long do you have to report a category 1 SSO?
○ Answer: 2 hours
18.How long do you have to report a category 2 or 3 SSO?
○ Answer: 3 days
19.How many flaggers are REQUIRED to perform a basic flagging
operation?
○ Answer: One
20.How many types of common shoring are there?
○ Answer: 6
21.How often must an excavation site and adjacent areas be inspected for
hazardous conditions?
○ Answer: Daily
22.In developing an S.O.P. for air monitoring in a Permit Required Confined
Space you would include what two factors?
○ Answer: Placement of the blower and a weather forecast
23.Infiltration can occur in a pipe when the pipe is:
○ Answer: Cracked, broken, fractured, has roots coming into it, etc.
24.Maintenance programs are based on:
○ Answer: Preventative and corrective maintenance principles
25.Name and describe the three soil types
○ Answer: Type A: cohesive soils like clay; Type B: Cohesive soil that
have been disturbed or angular gravel; Type C: Granular Soils like
sand. These are the least stable
Practice Questions for CWEA Grade 1
and 2 Tests
1. "High priority subsurface installations are high pressure natural gas
pipelines with normal operating pressures greater than 415 kPa gauge,
petroleum pipelines, conductors or cables that are potentially hazardous
to employees, or the public, if damaged." This paragraph indicates that
before the start date of an excavation, what should occur?
○ Answer: An agreed upon site visit
2. 550 gallons of sewage overflow and do not reach any surface waters.
What category of overflow is this?
○ Answer: Category 3
3. A flow of 650 gpm would be how many mgd?
○ Answer: 0.936
4. A hazard that may damage a TV camera going through a sewer is:
○ Answer: An offset joint
5. A person who completes a training program in accordance with the
requirements of Title 8, Calif. Code of Regulations, Minimum Guidelines
of the Common Ground Alliance is considered a ______________ person
○ Answer: Qualified Person
6. According to the State Water Resources Control Board Order No.
2006-003-DWQ, each enrollee must develop and implement a
system-specific:
○ Answer: SSMP (Sewer System Management Plan)
7. After completing a Temporary Traffic Control setup for your work zone it
is a good practice to:
○ Answer: Observe how effective your TTC setup is working to control
traffic and make the necessary changes
8. Based on new Best Practices of the Common Ground Alliance for
marking underground Utilities, the Inquiry Identification Number for an
Underground Service Alert (USA) is viable for how many days?
○ Answer: 28 days
9. Before starting a maintenance operation in a basement located in the
backyard of a residence you should:
○ Answer: Contact the resident and politely ask permission to enter their
backyard
10.Biological activity in long, sluggish-flow, flat grade sewer lines will likely
cause:
○ Answer: Odors
, 11.Clear water entering a collection system is called what?
○ Answer: Infiltration
12.Emergency stoppages in pipelines may be cleared safely by use of:
○ Answer: High velocity cleaners
13.Flatter sewer line grades may cause added sewer maintenance expense
and odor nuisance. This is caused by what?
○ Answer: A decrease in velocity which allows organic and inorganic
solids to settle out. This, in turn, allows biological activity to happen
which corrodes the pipe and releases hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which
smells like rotten eggs
14.For a nighttime Short Term Stationary Traffic Control Zone setup on low
speed/low volume street, the minimum height of the traffic cones used
shall be ________
○ Answer: 28 inches
15.How can the members of a balling crew communicate with each other?
○ Answer: Hand Signals
16.How high do your traffic cones need to be if the speed limit around your
work zone is 35 MPH?
○ Answer: 18". Cone height must be 18" if speed limit is 30 MPH or less
and 28" if the speed limit is 45 MPH or more
17.How long do you have to report a category 1 SSO?
○ Answer: 2 hours
18.How long do you have to report a category 2 or 3 SSO?
○ Answer: 3 days
19.How many flaggers are REQUIRED to perform a basic flagging
operation?
○ Answer: One
20.How many types of common shoring are there?
○ Answer: 6
21.How often must an excavation site and adjacent areas be inspected for
hazardous conditions?
○ Answer: Daily
22.In developing an S.O.P. for air monitoring in a Permit Required Confined
Space you would include what two factors?
○ Answer: Placement of the blower and a weather forecast
23.Infiltration can occur in a pipe when the pipe is:
○ Answer: Cracked, broken, fractured, has roots coming into it, etc.
24.Maintenance programs are based on:
○ Answer: Preventative and corrective maintenance principles
25.Name and describe the three soil types
○ Answer: Type A: cohesive soils like clay; Type B: Cohesive soil that
have been disturbed or angular gravel; Type C: Granular Soils like
sand. These are the least stable
