Certification Action Line features questions and answers typical of those appearing in Water Quality Association (WQA) certification examinations. Some answers may not satisfy everyone or every condition.
1. Water that has moved underground has undergone natural filtration, therefore, its purity can be guaranteed.
a) True
b) False
2. The reason(s) to sample and analyze a household water supply is (are) to:
a) determine the kind of water treatment
b) size the necessary treatment equipment
c) meet local laws
d) assess the cause of water problems
e) all of the above
3. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established the definition of “good quality water.”
a) True
b) False
4. The determination of whether special chemical or biological water sample tests are needed can be most aided by:
a) the water hardness
b) the yield capacity of the water supply
c) a sanitary survey
d) the time of year
5. The most important consideration about any drinking water supply is its freedom from:
a) iron staining
b) disease-producing organisms
c) total dissolved solids
d) chlorides
6. The following are types of microorganisms that can be pathogenic (disease-producing) in drinking water:
a) bacteria
b) protozoa
c) viruses
d) a and c
e) all of the above
7. Coliform bacteria:
a) grow in the intestines of people and warm blooded animals
b) usually cause disease
c) respond to water treatment differently than do most other pathogens
d) exist only in water that contains patho-gens
e) all of the above
8. Turbidity testing of water clarity can tell the bacteriological safety of water.
a) True
b) False
9. Running water purifies itself to drinking water quality after flowing a specified distance.
a) True
b) False
10. A well or spring groundwater source located downhill of a septic tank may have increased susceptibility to pollution.
a) True
b) False
