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Technical Proficiency and Best Practices Flashcards

7 cards from real ABC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Technical Proficiency and Best Practices flashcards as text

  1. An operator must disinfect a new water main before placing it into service. Which concentration of chlorine solution is typically used for initial disinfection per AWWA standards?

    Answer: At least 25 mg/L with a 24-hour contact time

    AWWA C651 recommends at least 25 mg/L chlorine maintained for a minimum 24-hour contact period for new main disinfection.

  2. Which process in wastewater treatment is specifically designed to remove nitrogen through biological conversion?

    Answer: Nitrification and denitrification

    Nitrification converts ammonia to nitrate aerobically, and denitrification reduces nitrate to nitrogen gas anaerobically, removing nitrogen from wastewater.

  3. What is the purpose of performing a pumping test on a well?

    Answer: To evaluate aquifer yield and hydraulic properties

    A pumping test measures drawdown over time to determine aquifer transmissivity, specific capacity, and sustainable yield of the well.

  4. A water plant operator observes a rotten egg odor in the source water. This is most likely caused by:

    Answer: Hydrogen sulfide from anaerobic decomposition

    Hydrogen sulfide gas (H₂S), produced by anaerobic bacteria decomposing organic matter, causes a characteristic rotten egg odor in water.

  5. During routine operation, an operator finds that filter effluent turbidity is spiking immediately after backwash. The BEST corrective action is to:

    Answer: Implement a filter-to-waste step to allow media to ripen

    Filter-to-waste (ripening) diverts initial filter effluent to drain until turbidity stabilizes, preventing high-turbidity water from entering the clearwell.

  6. Which OSHA standard governs lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures at water and wastewater facilities?

    Answer: 29 CFR 1910.147 — Control of Hazardous Energy

    29 CFR 1910.147 establishes OSHA's lockout/tagout requirements for controlling hazardous energy during servicing and maintenance of equipment.

  7. What does the term 'specific capacity' of a well indicate?

    Answer: The pumping rate per unit of drawdown, expressed as gpm/ft

    Specific capacity (gpm/ft of drawdown) measures well efficiency and is used to assess aquifer productivity and compare well performance over time.