WATER TREATMENT 2026 CORE EXAM MANUAL
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔Specific conductance provides and estimate of.... - ✔✔dissolved solids
✔✔Anabaena can cause what undesirable characteristic in water? - ✔✔taste and odor
✔✔If polyphospahtes are used to sequester (suspend) iron, where is the best injection
point? - ✔✔Before chlorination
✔✔Which treatment step is not used with direct filtration? - ✔✔Sedimentation
✔✔A watercourse that flows continuously at all times of the year is called? -
✔✔Perennial stream
✔✔During the night, algae causes the pH of the water to? - ✔✔Decrease
✔✔What contributes to the creation of algae blooms? - ✔✔Increased nutrients
✔✔What is found mainly in groundwater sources and forms a precipitate when
oxidized? - ✔✔Iron
✔✔The Riparian Doctrine is sometimes called the? - ✔✔Rule of Reasonable Sharing
✔✔The organisms used to indicate the likelihood that pathogenic bacteria may be
present are? - ✔✔Coliform bacteria
✔✔What adverse effects does the secondary contaminant manganese have? -
✔✔Discolored laundry and changed taste of water, coffee, tea and other beverages
✔✔In general what causes an increase in taste and odors when natural waters lack
dissolved oxygen? - ✔✔Anaerobic decomposition
✔✔A physical property, as opposed to chemical property, important to water treatments
is? - ✔✔Turbidity
✔✔What are the two principal chemicals that cause water hardness? - ✔✔Calcium and
Magnesium
✔✔Free chlorine residual values are based on a contact time of at least.. - ✔✔10
minutes
, ✔✔What is the typical strength of calcium hypochlorite, i.e., available chlorine range? -
✔✔65 to 70%
✔✔The treatment process that controls corrosion or scaling is known as? -
✔✔Stabilization
✔✔Permanganate reactions are highly dependent upon? - ✔✔pH
✔✔Establishing an MCL for pathogenic organisms is not practical, because? - ✔✔No
practical tests for their presence exist
✔✔Terminal disinfection (postchlorination) is the application of chlorine to... -
✔✔Treated water entering the distribution system
✔✔Detention time in flocculation basins are usually designed to provide for: - ✔✔15 to
45 minutes
✔✔Alum works best in a pH range of: - ✔✔5.8 to 8.5
✔✔What is considered colloidal particles? - ✔✔Tobacco smoke
✔✔What natural electrical force keeps colloidal particles apart in water treatment? -
✔✔Zeta potential
✔✔The zeta potential measures the number of excess_________ found on the surface
of all particulate matter. - ✔✔Electrons
✔✔Which device collects the settled water as it leaves the sedimentation basin? -
✔✔Effluent launder
✔✔In solid-contact basins with fairly constant water quality parameters, how often
should the solids concentration be determined? - ✔✔At least twice per day
✔✔The definition of decant is: - ✔✔To draw off the liquid from a vessel of any size
without stirring up bottom sediment
✔✔How often should sedimentation basins with mechanical sludge removal equipment
be drained and inspected? - ✔✔Once a year
✔✔What is the most important reason to reduce turbidity? - ✔✔To remove pathogens
✔✔A manganese greensand filter can be regenerated by backwashing with? -
✔✔Potassium permanganate
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS MARKED A+
✔✔Specific conductance provides and estimate of.... - ✔✔dissolved solids
✔✔Anabaena can cause what undesirable characteristic in water? - ✔✔taste and odor
✔✔If polyphospahtes are used to sequester (suspend) iron, where is the best injection
point? - ✔✔Before chlorination
✔✔Which treatment step is not used with direct filtration? - ✔✔Sedimentation
✔✔A watercourse that flows continuously at all times of the year is called? -
✔✔Perennial stream
✔✔During the night, algae causes the pH of the water to? - ✔✔Decrease
✔✔What contributes to the creation of algae blooms? - ✔✔Increased nutrients
✔✔What is found mainly in groundwater sources and forms a precipitate when
oxidized? - ✔✔Iron
✔✔The Riparian Doctrine is sometimes called the? - ✔✔Rule of Reasonable Sharing
✔✔The organisms used to indicate the likelihood that pathogenic bacteria may be
present are? - ✔✔Coliform bacteria
✔✔What adverse effects does the secondary contaminant manganese have? -
✔✔Discolored laundry and changed taste of water, coffee, tea and other beverages
✔✔In general what causes an increase in taste and odors when natural waters lack
dissolved oxygen? - ✔✔Anaerobic decomposition
✔✔A physical property, as opposed to chemical property, important to water treatments
is? - ✔✔Turbidity
✔✔What are the two principal chemicals that cause water hardness? - ✔✔Calcium and
Magnesium
✔✔Free chlorine residual values are based on a contact time of at least.. - ✔✔10
minutes
, ✔✔What is the typical strength of calcium hypochlorite, i.e., available chlorine range? -
✔✔65 to 70%
✔✔The treatment process that controls corrosion or scaling is known as? -
✔✔Stabilization
✔✔Permanganate reactions are highly dependent upon? - ✔✔pH
✔✔Establishing an MCL for pathogenic organisms is not practical, because? - ✔✔No
practical tests for their presence exist
✔✔Terminal disinfection (postchlorination) is the application of chlorine to... -
✔✔Treated water entering the distribution system
✔✔Detention time in flocculation basins are usually designed to provide for: - ✔✔15 to
45 minutes
✔✔Alum works best in a pH range of: - ✔✔5.8 to 8.5
✔✔What is considered colloidal particles? - ✔✔Tobacco smoke
✔✔What natural electrical force keeps colloidal particles apart in water treatment? -
✔✔Zeta potential
✔✔The zeta potential measures the number of excess_________ found on the surface
of all particulate matter. - ✔✔Electrons
✔✔Which device collects the settled water as it leaves the sedimentation basin? -
✔✔Effluent launder
✔✔In solid-contact basins with fairly constant water quality parameters, how often
should the solids concentration be determined? - ✔✔At least twice per day
✔✔The definition of decant is: - ✔✔To draw off the liquid from a vessel of any size
without stirring up bottom sediment
✔✔How often should sedimentation basins with mechanical sludge removal equipment
be drained and inspected? - ✔✔Once a year
✔✔What is the most important reason to reduce turbidity? - ✔✔To remove pathogens
✔✔A manganese greensand filter can be regenerated by backwashing with? -
✔✔Potassium permanganate
