CA Branch 1 study plan

Map the regulatory framework for California public water systems: identify which contaminants carry primary versus secondary maximum contaminant levels and state the monitoring frequency and reporting trigger for each major group.

Build a one-page source-water profile template that records source type, intake location, watershed or aquifer vulnerability, and historical water quality trends, then fill it out for a hypothetical system.

Explain how raw water turbidity, alkalinity, pH, and temperature drive coagulant dose selection, and predict how a 5 NTU raw turbidity spike would shift alum demand.

Calculate a jar test dose series from a stock solution and describe how to interpret floc size, settling rate, and residual turbidity to pick an optimum dose.

Describe the settling velocity relationship behind sedimentation basin design and explain how surface overflow rate and weir loading affect particle capture.

Diagram the full coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation-filtration train and label the process control points, chemical feed points, and sampling locations at each stage.

Calculate coagulant and polymer feed rates in mg/L and lb/day from flow, dose, and solution strength, and verify each result with a unit-cancellation check.

Compare rapid sand, dual-media, and membrane filtration on loading rate, backwash strategy, and turbidity removal capability, and state which is most sensitive to coagulant carryover.

Interpret a filter run: identify the onset of turbidity breakthrough versus terminal headloss and explain the operational decision at each point.

Explain the filter-to-waste, backwash, and ripening sequence and the risk of passing filtered water before the filter has stabilized.

Compare chlorine, chloramine, ozone, chlorine dioxide, and UV on disinfection strength, residual persistence, and regulated byproduct formation, and match each to a plausible system size and source quality.

Calculate CT required versus CT achieved for a given disinfectant, temperature, pH, and contactor configuration, and determine whether the system meets its required log inactivation.

Explain the Stage 1 and Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts rules and the four major regulated byproduct groups, and describe how precursor removal and operational changes reduce them.

Describe how pH, alkalinity, calcium hardness, and temperature combine into a corrosion index, and explain what a negative index signals about the water's tendency toward metal or concrete attack.

Select a corrosion control strategy for a system switching from groundwater to a blended source and justify the choice with water quality chemistry.

Match pump types to duty: explain when a centrifugal, positive-displacement, or submersible pump is appropriate and describe cavitation symptoms, causes, and prevention.

Read a pump curve against a system curve and identify the operating point, then predict how throttling or a demand increase moves that point.

Calculate motor horsepower, wire-to-water efficiency, and head from flow and pressure, and explain affinity laws for flow, head, and power.

Describe calibration procedure and frequency for turbidity, pH, chlorine residual, and flow meters, and explain what happens to compliance data when an instrument drifts out of calibration.

Apply the jar test, chlorine demand, and CT concepts from earlier weeks to a process control decision using current instrument readings.

Perform the core process control calculations from memory: detention time, hydraulic loading rate, filter loading rate, chemical dose, and log removal, and state the unit for each result.

Design a sampling plan that satisfies monitoring requirements for a small system, specifying site, frequency, container, preservation, and holding time for each analyte group.

Explain chain-of-custody, quality control samples, and the consequences of an invalid sample on a compliance determination.

Build a hazard review of a treatment plant covering chlorine gas or hypochlorite handling, confined space entry, electrical work, and chemical mixing, and name the control for each.

Draft a response sequence for a loss of pressure or a confirmed contamination event, including notification triggers, isolation steps, and public notice timing.

Identify the records a certified operator must maintain and the retention periods and reporting deadlines that apply to compliance samples, operational logs, and consumer confidence reports.

Explain operator certification grade, renewal, and continuing education obligations and describe the ethical duty to report accurate data even when results are unfavorable.

Describe how treatment process changes propagate into the distribution system: residual decay, nitrification risk in chloraminated systems, and storage tank turnover.

Calculate storage volume, turnover time, and finished water demand from tank dimensions and system flow, and identify stagnation risk from the result.

Explain how disinfectant residual, pressure, and storage operations at the treatment-distribution interface affect compliance at the farthest sampling point.

Re-solve one representative calculation from each of the four heavy domains without notes and score accuracy against the worked solution.

Rewrite from memory the regulatory limits, monitoring frequencies, and reporting triggers for turbidity, disinfection residual, and the major byproduct groups.

Diagnose five operational scenarios (rising filtered turbidity, falling residual, climbing byproduct results, poor floc formation) and state the most likely cause and first corrective action.

Explain the linkage between coagulation performance and downstream disinfection byproduct formation in a single coherent narrative.

Review the corrosion, pump, instrumentation, laboratory, safety, records, and distribution material and close every gap flagged in the week 7 assessment.

Practice ten mixed calculation problems spanning dose, CT, detention time, horsepower, and storage turnover under time pressure.

Rehearse the emergency response sequences for loss of pressure, chemical spill, and security breach aloud until the steps are recalled without notes.

Complete two full-length practice exams and compare domain-level scores to identify any remaining weak area.