WASTEWATER OPERATOR CLASS C ACTUAL
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ EPA. Answer: Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of
the federal government of the United States charged with protecting
human health and the environment by writing and enforcing
regulations based on laws passed by Congress
◉ NPDES. Answer: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
is a permit issued by state or federal government regulating amount
of pollutants wastewater treatment plants can discharge
◉ CFR. Answer: Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the
general and permanent rules and regulations published in the
'Federal Register' by the executive departments and agencies (like
EPA) of the Federal Government of the United States
◉ Wastewater. Answer: The spent water of a community from
homes, businesses, and industries
◉ Domestic Wastewater. Answer: Wastewater from homes and
businesses with little to no industrial components
,◉ Wastewater Physical Characteristics. Answer: temperature, color
(gray), odor (musty), turbidity
◉ Sewer Use Ordinance. Answer: Local ordinance that addresses
what is prohibited from being discharged and sets limits for
particular pollutants
◉ POTW. Answer: Publicly Owned Treatment Works. A treatment
works, as defined by Section 212 of the CWA, that is owned by the
state or municipality. Includes the treatment plant and the collection
system.
◉ Industrial Pretreatment Program. Answer: A program run by a
permitting authority requiring industries to pretreat wastes and
establishing discharge limits for the water sent to the POTW
◉ Sanitary Sewer. Answer: Sewer system that transports spent
water from homes, business, and industries to the wastewater
treatment plant
◉ SSO. Answer: Sanitary Sewer Overflow. Untreated of partiality
treated sewage overflows from a sanitary sewer collection system
◉ Storm Sewer. Answer: Sewer system that transports stormwater
runoff to a water body
,◉ Combined Sewer System. Answer: A sewer system that transports
both sanitary sewage and stormwater typically found in older
municipalities
◉ CSO. Answer: Combined Sewer Overflow. A discharge of untreated
wastewater from a combined sewer system at a point prior to the
headworks of a POTW. CSOs generally occur during wet weather
(rainfall or snowmelt)
◉ Sewer Main. Answer: Pipe that collects the wastewater from the
system laterals and branch sewers and conveys it to larger trunk
sewers
◉ Trunk Sewers. Answer: The main arteries of a collections system
that convey water to treatment plants or interceptors
◉ Manhole. Answer: Opening to a sewer line for the purpose of
permitting operators or equipment to enter or leave a sewer
◉ Lift Station. Answer: A wastewater pumping station that lifts the
wastewater to a higher elevation; usually the next gravity sewer or
the treatment plant
, ◉ The Collection System. Answer: A network of pipes equipment,
and appurtenances that collect, pump, and transport wastewater to
the wastewater treatment plant
◉ Slope. Answer: The ratio of the vertical distance over the
horizontal distance. Rise over run
◉ Velocity. Answer: Ratio of distance over time (miles per hour)
Minimum 2 ft/sec prevents solids from dropping out. Maximum 10
ft/sec because more than that causes scouring
◉ Roughness Coefficient. Answer: Related to the roughness of the
interior of a pipe. Manning's formula. Roughness coefficient "n" The
higher the value, the rougher the pipe
◉ Valves. Answer: Devices used to stop or modify the flow of water
in a pipe
◉ Check Valve. Answer: A valve that normally allows water to flow
through it in only one direction
◉ Inflow. Answer: A direct discharge into the sewer system through
illegal connections or surface water entering through faulty joints or
displaced manhole covers
PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS WITH SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◉ EPA. Answer: Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of
the federal government of the United States charged with protecting
human health and the environment by writing and enforcing
regulations based on laws passed by Congress
◉ NPDES. Answer: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
is a permit issued by state or federal government regulating amount
of pollutants wastewater treatment plants can discharge
◉ CFR. Answer: Code of Federal Regulations is the codification of the
general and permanent rules and regulations published in the
'Federal Register' by the executive departments and agencies (like
EPA) of the Federal Government of the United States
◉ Wastewater. Answer: The spent water of a community from
homes, businesses, and industries
◉ Domestic Wastewater. Answer: Wastewater from homes and
businesses with little to no industrial components
,◉ Wastewater Physical Characteristics. Answer: temperature, color
(gray), odor (musty), turbidity
◉ Sewer Use Ordinance. Answer: Local ordinance that addresses
what is prohibited from being discharged and sets limits for
particular pollutants
◉ POTW. Answer: Publicly Owned Treatment Works. A treatment
works, as defined by Section 212 of the CWA, that is owned by the
state or municipality. Includes the treatment plant and the collection
system.
◉ Industrial Pretreatment Program. Answer: A program run by a
permitting authority requiring industries to pretreat wastes and
establishing discharge limits for the water sent to the POTW
◉ Sanitary Sewer. Answer: Sewer system that transports spent
water from homes, business, and industries to the wastewater
treatment plant
◉ SSO. Answer: Sanitary Sewer Overflow. Untreated of partiality
treated sewage overflows from a sanitary sewer collection system
◉ Storm Sewer. Answer: Sewer system that transports stormwater
runoff to a water body
,◉ Combined Sewer System. Answer: A sewer system that transports
both sanitary sewage and stormwater typically found in older
municipalities
◉ CSO. Answer: Combined Sewer Overflow. A discharge of untreated
wastewater from a combined sewer system at a point prior to the
headworks of a POTW. CSOs generally occur during wet weather
(rainfall or snowmelt)
◉ Sewer Main. Answer: Pipe that collects the wastewater from the
system laterals and branch sewers and conveys it to larger trunk
sewers
◉ Trunk Sewers. Answer: The main arteries of a collections system
that convey water to treatment plants or interceptors
◉ Manhole. Answer: Opening to a sewer line for the purpose of
permitting operators or equipment to enter or leave a sewer
◉ Lift Station. Answer: A wastewater pumping station that lifts the
wastewater to a higher elevation; usually the next gravity sewer or
the treatment plant
, ◉ The Collection System. Answer: A network of pipes equipment,
and appurtenances that collect, pump, and transport wastewater to
the wastewater treatment plant
◉ Slope. Answer: The ratio of the vertical distance over the
horizontal distance. Rise over run
◉ Velocity. Answer: Ratio of distance over time (miles per hour)
Minimum 2 ft/sec prevents solids from dropping out. Maximum 10
ft/sec because more than that causes scouring
◉ Roughness Coefficient. Answer: Related to the roughness of the
interior of a pipe. Manning's formula. Roughness coefficient "n" The
higher the value, the rougher the pipe
◉ Valves. Answer: Devices used to stop or modify the flow of water
in a pipe
◉ Check Valve. Answer: A valve that normally allows water to flow
through it in only one direction
◉ Inflow. Answer: A direct discharge into the sewer system through
illegal connections or surface water entering through faulty joints or
displaced manhole covers
