C
CESSWI EXAMINATION QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
A+ ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE//2025-2026 ED
Terms in this set (51)
Nutrients
Pathogen
s Heavy
Metals
Priority Pollutants Toxics
Sediment
Salts
Detergent
s
Hydro-Carbons
Oxygen Absorbing Substances
Federal Water Pollution Control Later became the Clean Water Act (CWA)
Act (1948)
Was enacted with the intent of restoring and maintaining the
Clean Water Act (1972)
chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the waters of
the US.
Requires that any applicant for a federal permit to conduct any
CWA Section 401 - Water activity, including the construction or operation of a facility
Quality Certification that may result in the discharge of any pollutant, must
obtain certification of those activities from the state in which
the discharge originates.
Established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
CWA Section 402 - NPDES
Regulations System (NPDES) permit program to control discharges of
pollutants from point sources.
One purpose of the program was to identify the
National Urban Runoff Program
(NURP) characteristics of stormwater discharged through municipal,
separate storm systems (MS4's).
Data showed that stormwater contained many of the same
National Urban Runoff
conventional and toxic pollutants regulated from process
Program (NURP) Results
outfalls and publicly owned treatment works (POTW's),
sometimes in very high quantities.
, Facilities already covered by an NPDES permit for stormwater
Facilities that engage in industrial activity ("heavy" manufacturing facilities, large
construction sites, transportation facilities, etc.)
Large (>250,000 population) municipal separate storm drain systems (MS4's)
Phase I Facility Categories
Medium (100,000> population <250,000) municipal separate storm drain
systems (MS4's)
Facilities that the EPA administrator determines to have stormwater discharges
contributing to a violation of water quality, or that are "significant contributors"
of pollutants to waters of the US
Those not originally required to obtain permits
"Light" industrial facilities
Phase II Dischargers
Small construction sites (<5 acres)
Small Municipalities (<100,000 population)
Established a permit program to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill
CWA Section 404 - Dredge/Fill Permitting
material into waters of the US and is administrated through the Army Corps
of Engineers.
Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization (CZARA) Requires the development of a Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program
1990 Amendments Management Plan for every designated state under coastal zone jurisdiction.
Stormwater Discharge Definition "Stormwater runoff, snow melt runoff, and surface runoff and drainage."
Stormwater must be in "any discernable, confined, and discrete conveyance
(pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, fissure, container, rolling stock,
To be subject to NPDES
concentrate animal feeding operation, landfill leachate collection system, vessel
stormwater regulations
or other floating craft from which pollutants may be discharged, etc.). NPDES
regulations only apply to what discharges to US waters.
What is not subject to NPDES stormwater Return flows from irrigated agriculture or agricultural stormwater runoff.
regulations
All waters that are currently used, were used in the past, or may be
susceptible to use in interstate or foreign commerce, including all waters that are
subject to the ebb and flow of the tide
All interstate waters including interstate wetlands
All other waters such as intrastate lakes, rivers, streams (including
intermittent streams), mudflats, sand flats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes,
wet meadows, playa lakes, or natural ponds (the use, degradation, or
Waters of the US Definition destruction of which would affect interstate or foreign commerce.)
All impoundments of waters otherwise defined as waters of the US under this
definition
Tributaries of
waters The
territorial sea
"Wetlands" adjacent to waters (other than waters which are wetlands themselves)
CESSWI EXAMINATION QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
A+ ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE//2025-2026 ED
Terms in this set (51)
Nutrients
Pathogen
s Heavy
Metals
Priority Pollutants Toxics
Sediment
Salts
Detergent
s
Hydro-Carbons
Oxygen Absorbing Substances
Federal Water Pollution Control Later became the Clean Water Act (CWA)
Act (1948)
Was enacted with the intent of restoring and maintaining the
Clean Water Act (1972)
chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the waters of
the US.
Requires that any applicant for a federal permit to conduct any
CWA Section 401 - Water activity, including the construction or operation of a facility
Quality Certification that may result in the discharge of any pollutant, must
obtain certification of those activities from the state in which
the discharge originates.
Established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
CWA Section 402 - NPDES
Regulations System (NPDES) permit program to control discharges of
pollutants from point sources.
One purpose of the program was to identify the
National Urban Runoff Program
(NURP) characteristics of stormwater discharged through municipal,
separate storm systems (MS4's).
Data showed that stormwater contained many of the same
National Urban Runoff
conventional and toxic pollutants regulated from process
Program (NURP) Results
outfalls and publicly owned treatment works (POTW's),
sometimes in very high quantities.
, Facilities already covered by an NPDES permit for stormwater
Facilities that engage in industrial activity ("heavy" manufacturing facilities, large
construction sites, transportation facilities, etc.)
Large (>250,000 population) municipal separate storm drain systems (MS4's)
Phase I Facility Categories
Medium (100,000> population <250,000) municipal separate storm drain
systems (MS4's)
Facilities that the EPA administrator determines to have stormwater discharges
contributing to a violation of water quality, or that are "significant contributors"
of pollutants to waters of the US
Those not originally required to obtain permits
"Light" industrial facilities
Phase II Dischargers
Small construction sites (<5 acres)
Small Municipalities (<100,000 population)
Established a permit program to regulate the discharge of dredged or fill
CWA Section 404 - Dredge/Fill Permitting
material into waters of the US and is administrated through the Army Corps
of Engineers.
Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization (CZARA) Requires the development of a Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program
1990 Amendments Management Plan for every designated state under coastal zone jurisdiction.
Stormwater Discharge Definition "Stormwater runoff, snow melt runoff, and surface runoff and drainage."
Stormwater must be in "any discernable, confined, and discrete conveyance
(pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, fissure, container, rolling stock,
To be subject to NPDES
concentrate animal feeding operation, landfill leachate collection system, vessel
stormwater regulations
or other floating craft from which pollutants may be discharged, etc.). NPDES
regulations only apply to what discharges to US waters.
What is not subject to NPDES stormwater Return flows from irrigated agriculture or agricultural stormwater runoff.
regulations
All waters that are currently used, were used in the past, or may be
susceptible to use in interstate or foreign commerce, including all waters that are
subject to the ebb and flow of the tide
All interstate waters including interstate wetlands
All other waters such as intrastate lakes, rivers, streams (including
intermittent streams), mudflats, sand flats, wetlands, sloughs, prairie potholes,
wet meadows, playa lakes, or natural ponds (the use, degradation, or
Waters of the US Definition destruction of which would affect interstate or foreign commerce.)
All impoundments of waters otherwise defined as waters of the US under this
definition
Tributaries of
waters The
territorial sea
"Wetlands" adjacent to waters (other than waters which are wetlands themselves)
