TX Water/Wastewater Operator flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- System classification grade
- A public water system's classification (based on source, treatment, and population) determines the minimum operator license grade required to serve as responsible charge.
- Responsible charge operator
- The licensed operator designated by a public water system who is accountable for the system's compliance with TCEQ rules and operational decisions.
- Wastewater plant classification
- Wastewater facilities are classified A, B, C, or D by complexity and design flow; class A plants require the highest-grade licensed operator.
- Sanitary survey
- A TCEQ inspection of a public water system's source, treatment, distribution, and records; significant deficiencies must be corrected on an approved schedule.
- Groundwater under influence
- Groundwater hydraulically connected to surface water and subject to contamination; TCEQ treats it like surface water, requiring filtration and disinfection.
- Safe yield
- The maximum rate water can be withdrawn from a source without unacceptable depletion or degradation of water quality or supply reliability.
- Watershed protection
- A program identifying potential contamination sources in the drainage area and applying management measures to protect the source water.
- Coagulation
- A treatment step that destabilizes suspended particles by neutralizing their surface charge, allowing them to collide and form larger floc.
- Flocculation
- Gentle, prolonged mixing that encourages destabilized particles to collide and grow into settleable floc before sedimentation.
- Overflow rate
- The surface loading rate of a clarifier or settling basin, calculated as flow divided by surface area, expressed in gpm/ft² or m³/m²·d.
- Filter loading rate
- The flow per unit filter area, calculated as flow divided by filter surface area; it influences particle removal and headloss development.
- CT value
- The product of disinfectant residual concentration (mg/L) and contact time (minutes); required CT varies with pH, temperature, and target organism.
- Jar test
- A bench-scale test that simulates coagulation, flocculation, and settling to determine the optimal coagulant dose and pH.
- Minimum distribution pressure
- Distribution systems must maintain a minimum pressure (typically 20 psi) at all points; lower pressure requires public notice and corrective action.
- Cross-connection control
- Backflow prevention using air gaps, reduced-pressure-zone devices, or double-check valves to protect potable water from contamination.
- Water age
- The time water resides in storage and pipes; high age reduces disinfectant residual and can increase disinfection byproduct formation.
- Unidirectional flushing
- A distribution maintenance method that scours pipes at high velocity in one direction to remove sediment and stale water.
- Infiltration and inflow
- Infiltration is groundwater entering sewers; inflow is stormwater entering through manholes or illegal connections. Both add hydraulic load.
- Self-cleansing velocity
- A minimum sewer flow velocity (about 2 ft/s) that keeps solids suspended and prevents deposition in gravity collection lines.
- Lift station wet well
- A chamber that collects wastewater and cycles pumps; its volume and pump capacity determine cycling frequency and wear.
- Sanitary sewer overflow
- A release of untreated wastewater from the collection system; it must be reported to TCEQ and addressed to protect public health.
- BOD
- Biochemical oxygen demand: the oxygen consumed by microorganisms degrading organic matter in a sample, indicating organic strength of wastewater.
- Activated sludge process
- A biological treatment system using an aeration basin, mixed liquor, secondary clarifier, and return activated sludge to remove dissolved organics.
- Sludge age (MCRT)
- Mean cell residence time: the mass of solids in the system divided by the mass leaving per day; it governs biological process stability.
- F/M ratio
- Food-to-microorganism ratio: BOD load divided by microbial mass (MLVSS); it influences settling, oxygen demand, and sludge production.
- Nitrification
- The biological conversion of ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate by nitrifying bacteria, consuming oxygen and alkalinity in the process.
- Free chlorine residual
- The active disinfectant remaining as hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ion; it is measured to confirm disinfection is adequate.
- Chlorine demand
- The difference between the chlorine dose applied and the residual remaining after contact time, reflecting oxidizable material in the water.
- Turbidity
- A measure of suspended particles in water, reported in NTU; it is a key indicator of filtration performance and microbial risk.
- Detention time
- The theoretical time water remains in a basin or pipe, calculated as volume divided by flow with consistent units.
- Pounds formula
- Pounds of chemical = mg/L × 8.34 × million gallons; used to calculate chemical feed quantities for a given dose and flow.
- Percent removal
- The efficiency of a treatment process, calculated as (influent concentration minus effluent concentration) divided by influent concentration, times 100.