AALSO Level 1 Operator Certification Final
Test Questions and Answers Verified
Solutions Latest Update 2026/2027
Answer:
To protect public health, conserve and protect water quality, protect public investment, classify
facilities, and provide operator certification.
■What are the general eligibility requirements for the exam?.
Answer:
Must be 18 years old or older, have a high school degree or GED, have attended an approved
training school, and be able to perform calculations and read/understand regulations.
■What does being certified as a Stormwater Operator mean?.
Answer:
Individuals have shown themselves to have a standard level of knowledge of stormwater systems.
■What constitutes 'actual experience' for exam eligibility?.
Answer:
Hands-on experience working as an operator, specifically physical operation of the system for at
least 200 hours/year.
■What are the basic science courses required for certification?.
Answer:
Courses in Agronomy, Geology, Soils, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Math, Physics,
Engineering, and Environmental Health & Sciences.
■What are the requirements t become a Certified Stormwater Operator?.
Answer:
- Must complete 100% of the training- Correctly answer 75% of the
questions on the exam given at the end of the training.
■What do the objectives at the beginning of each chapter do?.
,Answer:
Points to the specific knowledge to be covered on the chapter
■What is the passing score for the certification exam?.
Answer:
The passing score is 70%.
■Where will you find definitions of the terms used in this manual?.
Answer:
They are found in the glossary at the back of the manual
■What happens if an operator's certification is invalidated?.
Answer:
They must complete all continuing education hours and pay all renewal and late fees, and may have
to pass the exam again if invalidated for over 2 years.
■Name two problems stormwater management help avoid.
Answer:
- Flooding - Water pollution
■What are the responsibilities of an Operator-in-Training (OIT)?.
Answer:
An OIT must gain required experience and can convert to full certification without a time limit but
cannot act as an ORC or Backup.
■What is required to renew a certification annually?.
Answer:
Operators must complete 6 hours of continuing education and pay a renewal fee by December 31.
■Name five types of stormwater pollution in the first-flush runoff.
Answer:
, - Sediment- Fertilizer - Debris- Bacteria- Chemicals
■What are the grounds for disciplinary action by the WPCSOCC?.
Answer:
Failure to use reasonable care or judgment, incompetence, practicing fraud or deception, and failure
to apply knowledge and abilities.
■Describe two impacts of sedimentation.
Answer:
- Clogs both natural and constructed conveyance systems and
reduces the amount of water that these systems can store and move efficiently- Damage wetlands
and increase the cost of treating water
■Name five factors that can influence erosion.
Answer:
- Soil types: soils with large grains let water drain faster. Runoff
rates are slower and erosion can be reduced. Soil with small grains, like silts and clays, are easily
carried away by wind and water- Topography: Runoff drains to the lowest point of land- Vegetative
Cover: Plants, trees, and grasses help control erosion and sedimentation. Vegetation protects soil
from the impacts of rain. It slows runoff by holding soil in place with roots and mulch.- Climate &
Rainfall: How much (depth), how heavy (intensity) and how often (frequency) it rains can also
affect erosion- Land use: The use of land influences the effects of runoff in several ways.
Impervious surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete do not allow water to seep into the ground, which
create several problems- allows runoff to travel at a much faster rate- increasing the chance for
erosion once runoff reaches pervious areas
■What is the role of the ORC (Operator of Record)?.
Answer:
The ORC maintains active certification, ensures compliance with permits, certifies and submits
reports, and keeps an operator log.
■What do the letters NPDES stand for?.
Answer:
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
■How often must an ORC visit a system classified as SubSurface (SS)?.
Test Questions and Answers Verified
Solutions Latest Update 2026/2027
Answer:
To protect public health, conserve and protect water quality, protect public investment, classify
facilities, and provide operator certification.
■What are the general eligibility requirements for the exam?.
Answer:
Must be 18 years old or older, have a high school degree or GED, have attended an approved
training school, and be able to perform calculations and read/understand regulations.
■What does being certified as a Stormwater Operator mean?.
Answer:
Individuals have shown themselves to have a standard level of knowledge of stormwater systems.
■What constitutes 'actual experience' for exam eligibility?.
Answer:
Hands-on experience working as an operator, specifically physical operation of the system for at
least 200 hours/year.
■What are the basic science courses required for certification?.
Answer:
Courses in Agronomy, Geology, Soils, Biology, Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Math, Physics,
Engineering, and Environmental Health & Sciences.
■What are the requirements t become a Certified Stormwater Operator?.
Answer:
- Must complete 100% of the training- Correctly answer 75% of the
questions on the exam given at the end of the training.
■What do the objectives at the beginning of each chapter do?.
,Answer:
Points to the specific knowledge to be covered on the chapter
■What is the passing score for the certification exam?.
Answer:
The passing score is 70%.
■Where will you find definitions of the terms used in this manual?.
Answer:
They are found in the glossary at the back of the manual
■What happens if an operator's certification is invalidated?.
Answer:
They must complete all continuing education hours and pay all renewal and late fees, and may have
to pass the exam again if invalidated for over 2 years.
■Name two problems stormwater management help avoid.
Answer:
- Flooding - Water pollution
■What are the responsibilities of an Operator-in-Training (OIT)?.
Answer:
An OIT must gain required experience and can convert to full certification without a time limit but
cannot act as an ORC or Backup.
■What is required to renew a certification annually?.
Answer:
Operators must complete 6 hours of continuing education and pay a renewal fee by December 31.
■Name five types of stormwater pollution in the first-flush runoff.
Answer:
, - Sediment- Fertilizer - Debris- Bacteria- Chemicals
■What are the grounds for disciplinary action by the WPCSOCC?.
Answer:
Failure to use reasonable care or judgment, incompetence, practicing fraud or deception, and failure
to apply knowledge and abilities.
■Describe two impacts of sedimentation.
Answer:
- Clogs both natural and constructed conveyance systems and
reduces the amount of water that these systems can store and move efficiently- Damage wetlands
and increase the cost of treating water
■Name five factors that can influence erosion.
Answer:
- Soil types: soils with large grains let water drain faster. Runoff
rates are slower and erosion can be reduced. Soil with small grains, like silts and clays, are easily
carried away by wind and water- Topography: Runoff drains to the lowest point of land- Vegetative
Cover: Plants, trees, and grasses help control erosion and sedimentation. Vegetation protects soil
from the impacts of rain. It slows runoff by holding soil in place with roots and mulch.- Climate &
Rainfall: How much (depth), how heavy (intensity) and how often (frequency) it rains can also
affect erosion- Land use: The use of land influences the effects of runoff in several ways.
Impervious surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete do not allow water to seep into the ground, which
create several problems- allows runoff to travel at a much faster rate- increasing the chance for
erosion once runoff reaches pervious areas
■What is the role of the ORC (Operator of Record)?.
Answer:
The ORC maintains active certification, ensures compliance with permits, certifies and submits
reports, and keeps an operator log.
■What do the letters NPDES stand for?.
Answer:
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
■How often must an ORC visit a system classified as SubSurface (SS)?.
