AK Water Operator case studies
AK Water Operator · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Alaska's water operator certification is a state credential that qualifies an individual to operate a public water system - either the treatment side, where source water is made potable, or the distribution side, where finished water is delivered to customers. Certification is issued at graded levels, and the level you hold determines the size and complexity of system you may operate. The AK Water Operator case studies are 5 cases and about 2,999 words.
1Coliform Hit After Main Repair in a Dead-End Zone
You operate a 3.2 MGD groundwater system serving 9,400 people. On Tuesday a 10-inch cast-iron main on a dead-end loop is repaired after a joint failure; the crew depressurizes the segment, replaces 6 ft of pipe, and chlorinates and flushes before returning it to service at 2:10 p.m.
619 words, about 3 min2Filter Run Ends Early: Turbidity Creep and Backwash Decisions
A conventional surface-water plant (4 MGD design, 2.8 MGD current) has four dual-media filters. Filter 3 has been running 62 hours.
553 words, about 3 min3Low Chlorine Residual at the End of a Long Distribution Line
A 1.8 MGD groundwater system chlorinates at the wellhead with sodium hypochlorite (12.5%, stored in an outdoor bulk tank). Free chlorine at the plant is 1.1 mg/L.
611 words, about 3 min4Pump Short-Cycling and a Pressure Tank That Won't Hold Air
A small booster station with two 25 hp vertical turbine pumps (lead/lag) maintains 65 psi in a 6,000-gallon hydropneumatic pressure tank. The lead pump has begun short-cycling: roughly 40 starts per hour instead of the normal 4–6.
602 words, about 3 min5A Cross-Connection Found During a Backflow Survey
During a routine distribution survey you find a commercial laundry with a direct connection between the public main and a reclaimed-water line used for wash water, separated only by a single spring-loaded check valve with no test ports. The laundry also has a hose bibb in a janitor closet sitting below the rim of a floor drain, with no vacuum breaker.
614 words, about 3 min