Utility Management Certification

Water

Capacity

The ability of a water system to plan for, achieve, and maintain compliance with applicable drinking water standards. Capacity has three components

• Technical 

• Managerial

• Financial

Sufficient capabilities in all three areas is necessary to have capacity.

Capacity Development

The process for acquiring and maintaining adequate TMF to consistently provide safe drinking water.

Technical Capacity

The physical and operational ability of a water system to meet Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements. It refers to the physical, or infrastructure components of the water system, including the characteristics of the source water, the adequacy of treatment, and the condition of the pump, treatment, storage, and distribution systems. Technical capacity also refers to the technical knowledge and capability of system personnel to properly operate and maintain the system.

Managerial Capacity

The ability of a water system to conduct its affairs in a manner enabling the system to achieve and maintain compliance with SDWA requirements, including institutional and administrative capabilities.

It refers to the overall organizational structure of the system. A system with adequate managerial capacity has a clearly identified owner who is accountable for the system. The staffing and organization of the system allows the efficient use of human resources and assigns clear authorities and responsibilities between the governing board, managers, operators, and customers. Further, the system enjoys effective linkages to people and organizations that can provide help in case of need.

Financial Capacity

The system has the ability to acquire and manage sufficient funds to achieve and maintain compliance with SDWA requirements. A system with adequate financial capacity will have the revenue sufficiency to cover all costs, even if there is no charge for water, and will invest in infrastructure replacement. It will have the creditworthiness to allow the system to borrow money and will use established fiscal management and controls to keep track of payments and receipts.

Planning

A comprehensive process of collecting important water system information and using it to make the best management decisions for the system’s short and long-term viability. Examples of short and long term planning include:

• Emergency Response and Security

• Source Water Protection

• Water Use Efficiency

• Asset Management

• Capital Improvement

• Leak Detection

• Wellhead Protection

• Preventative Maintenance

Asset Management

The practice of managing infrastructure capital assets to minimize the total cost of owning and operating them, while delivering the service level customer’s desire

Asset Management Plans are required as part of a system's Capacity Development Plan to ensure that planned maintenance can be conducted and capital assets (pumps, motors, pipes, etc.) can be repaired, replaced, or upgraded on time and that there is enough money to pay for it.

Capital Improvement Plan

An annual, detailed plan that identifies requirements and a budget for the repair, replacement, rehabilitation, and expansion of facility infrastructure over a multi-year period.

Sanitary Survey

A review of a public water system to assess their capability to supply safe drinking water. 

A sanitary survey also evaluates the presence of any vulnerabilities that the system may have that could result in contamination of the system.

Public Water System (PWS)

Has at least fifteen service connections that regularly serve at least 60 days out of the year.

Community Water System (CWS)

Has at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents.

Non-Community Water System (NCWS)

any public water system that is not a community water system. A non-community water system is either a transient or a non-transient non-community water system.

State Revolving Fund

A low-interest loan program used to finance new water systems and upgrade or repair existing water systems.

Clean Water Act

Monitors the discharge of pollutants into water. A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit outlines discharge, monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure that the discharge does not hurt water quality or people's health.

Operating Ratio

A utility’s operating ratio should equal 1.0 to break even.

The 1996 revisions to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

This legislation incorporated Capacity Development criteria, requiring governments to establish and implement strategies to ensure that both existing and new water systems gain and maintain technical, managerial, and financial capacity.

Which of the following are indicators of technical capacity?

Infrastructure Adequacy, Source Water Adequacy

Asset Management Plans

Required as part of a system's Capacity Development Plan to ensure that planned maintenance can be conducted and capital assets (pumps, motors, pipes, etc.) can be repaired, replaced, or upgraded on time and that there is enough money to pay for it.

Long-term planning may include

• Risk and Resilience Assessment

• Asset Management

• Capital Improvement

• Capacity Development

Managerial Capacity

External linkages and ownership accountability are indicators of this.

Sanitary Survey

A review of a public water system to assess their capability to supply safe drinking water.

Capacity Development

The process for acquiring and maintaining adequate TMF to consistently provide safe drinking water.

America’s Water Infrastructure Act

This legislation incorporates Asset Management into State Capacity Development Plans and mandates Risk and Resilience Assessments and Emergency Response Plans.

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

The primary federal law for protecting public water supplies from harmful contaminants, first enacted in 1974 and significantly amended and reauthorized in 1986, 1996, and 2018.

State Revolving Fund

Functions like an infrastructure bank by providing low interest loans to eligible recipients for drinking water infrastructure projects.

Water Energy Nexus

The interdependent relationship between water and energy systems, where water is required for energy production, and energy is needed for water management (e.g., extraction, treatment, and distribution).

Energy Efficiency

The practice of using less energy to perform the same tasks, such as optimizing equipment, processes, or technologies to reduce energy consumption without compromising performance.

Pumping Efficiency

The effectiveness of pumps used in water systems to move water from one location to another, with optimized energy use to reduce waste. It includes aspects like variable speed drives, pump selection, and maintenance.

Renewable Energy

Energy derived from naturally replenishing resources, such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric power, that can be integrated into water systems to reduce reliance on conventional energy sources and decrease environmental impact.

Water Treatment Plant

A facility that processes and purifies water to meet quality standards for human consumption or industrial use, often requiring significant energy for filtration, chemical treatment, and disinfection.

Demand-Side Management

Strategies used to control and optimize energy consumption in water systems by adjusting energy demand through technologies, scheduling, and behavioral changes to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Wastewater Treatment

The process of removing contaminants from wastewater to make it safe for discharge into the environment or for reuse. This process often involves energy-intensive steps like aeration, filtration, and disinfection.

Energy Recovery

The process of capturing waste energy (such as heat or biogas) from water treatment and wastewater facilities and repurposing it for other uses, reducing overall energy demand and increasing system sustainability.

Variable Speed Drive (VSD)

A device used to control the speed of electric motors in water systems, particularly in pumps, to adjust energy consumption based on demand. VSDs optimize energy use by reducing motor speed during low-demand periods. Variable speed drives sit between the electrical supply and the motor. Power from the electrical supply goes into a drive and the drive then regulates the power that is fed to the motor.

Green Infrastructure

The use of natural or nature-based systems, such as wetlands, vegetated swales, and permeable pavements, to manage water resources. Green infrastructure reduces the need for energy-intensive stormwater management systems while enhancing sustainability.

Water for energy

Energy production processes (such as cooling in power plants) require significant amounts of water.

Energy for water

Extracting, transporting, and treating water all require energy inputs.

What is the primary reason the water-energy nexus is critical for sustainable water management?

Water and energy are interdependent resources, and inefficiencies in one can impact the other.

Why is energy efficiency important in the water industry?

It reduces costs, minimizes environmental impact, and enhances system performance.

What is the primary role of water and wastewater apprentices in sustainable water management?

Managing, treating, and distributing water resources sustainably.

Why do pumping stations require considerable energy in the water industry?

Because water sources are often at a lower elevation or far from treatment plants.

What is the relationship between water and energy systems in the Water-Energy Nexus?

Water systems require energy for processes like extraction, treatment, and distribution, while energy systems rely on water for cooling and electricity generation.

Which of the following is a key benefit of energy-efficient practices in water management?

Cost savings for utilities and consumers.

What is the primary purpose of energy recovery in water treatment and wastewater facilities?

To capture waste energy and repurpose it for other uses.

Which of the following are key areas of energy consumption in the water industry?

Water treatment, distribution, and usage

What is the primary benefit of implementing variable frequency drives (VFDs) on pumps in water distribution systems?

VFDs reduce energy consumption by adjusting motor speeds to match demand.

What is the primary role of Advanced Process Control (APC) systems in water treatment processes?

To optimize chemical dosing and aeration levels using real-time monitoring and automation.

Which of the following strategies can significantly reduce energy consumption in water treatment plants?

Optimizing aeration processes and calibrating filtration systems.

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) in 1974 to protect public health, including by regulating public water systems. 

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requires EPA to establish and enforce standards that public drinking water systems must follow. EPA delegates primary enforcement responsibility (also called primacy) for public water systems to states and Indian Tribes if they meet certain requirements.

 1996 Amendments to the SDWA mandated the EPA to create and update the drinking water Contaminant Candidate List and use it to guide regulatory decision-making.

Part 503

40 CFR Part 503, Standards for the Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge, regulates sewage sludge; including pollutant limits and requirements for reducing pathogens.

Contaminant

Any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter in water. Drinking water may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. Some contaminants may be harmful if consumed at certain levels in drinking water. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.

Emerging Contaminant

The EPA defines an emerging contaminant as a chemical or material characterized by a perceived, potential, or real threat to human health or the environment or by a lack of published health standards. Jun 27, 2023.

Contaminant Candidate List (CCL)

The drinking water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL) is a list of contaminants that are currently not subject to any proposed or promulgated national primary drinking water regulations but are known or anticipated to occur in public water systems.

Flame Retardant

Flame retardants are substances or compounds that are added to other materials, such as plastics, coatings and textiles to prevent or delay the spread of fire.

Physical Contaminants

Primarily impact the physical appearance or other physical properties of water. Examples of physical contaminants are sediment or organic material suspended in the water of lakes, rivers and streams from soil erosion. 

Chemical Contaminants

Elements or compounds. These contaminants may be naturally occurring or man-made. Examples of chemical contaminants include nitrogen, bleach, salts, pesticides, metals, toxins produced by bacteria, and human or animal drugs.

Biological Contaminants

Organisms in water. They are also referred to as microbes or microbiological contaminants. Examples of biological or microbial contaminants include bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasites.

Radiological Contaminants

Chemical elements with an unbalanced number of protons and neutrons resulting in unstable atoms that can emit ionizing radiation. Examples of radiological contaminants include cesium, plutonium and uranium.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Appropriates $1 billion over five years (FY 2022 to FY 2026) to the Clean Water State Revolving Fund specifically to address emerging contaminants, including perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewater, stormwater, and nonpoint source pollution.

Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs)

Chemicals used in the manufacture of items such as furniture and electronics to make them less flammable. Most do not break down easily and if released may persist in the environment. This property of high stability ensures that BFRs continue to work for a long time (often several years) within the flammable material they protect from catching fire but has the consequence that they may cause problems in the environment at the end of the product’s life. 

Different BFRs have different structures and properties, and so cannot all be handled the same way. They can get into the human food chain and have been found in human tissues including breast milk. Some BFRs are known to be toxic.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Chemicals that interfere with the glands and organs responsible for hormone production. The chemicals are found in everyday products, including bisphenol A (which leaches from metal cans and plastic food containers), plasticizers (which leach from consumable products such as toys) and assorted flame retardants and pharmaceutical chemical compounds used in clothing and cosmetics.

Nanomaterials

Diverse small-scale substances, smaller than 100 nanometers in at least one dimension. They include particles, tubes, rods and fibers. They are increasingly used in drug delivery systems, therapeutics, biosensors and consumer products such as sunscreen, cosmetics and food.

Eutrophication

A phenomenon that promotes the natural occurrence of harmful cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater and marine ecosystems. These blooms produce toxic metabolites, cyanotoxins, and neurotoxins, which increasingly threaten the ecosystem and human health. While these blooms of toxic cyanobacteria species are present in various surface water sources, the primary route of exposure for most people is through drinking water.

Pesticides and herbicides

Used in farming and gardening leave residues that can flow into groundwater and freshwater supplies.

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)

Find their way into the environment through excretion, household waste and trash, sewage, bathing and wastewater and direct disposal. It is estimated that approximately 3,000 different substances are commonly used as pharmaceutical ingredients, including painkillers, antibiotics, antidiabetics, beta-blockers, contraceptives, lipid regulators, antidepressants and impotence drugs.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)

A group of man-made chemicals that includes PFOA, PFOS and GenX chemicals. PFOA and PFOS have been the most extensively produced and studied of these chemicals. Both are very persistent in the environment and in the human body. In June 2022, the EPA announced a new series of advisory levels for PFAS in drinking water Emerging Contaminants (EC) in Small or Disadvantaged Communities Grant (SDC).

GenX

A trade name for high-performance chemicals that can be used as a replacement for PFOA

• Also persistent in the environment

• More mobile; can travel further

• Do not appear to accumulate in humans as much as PFAS

Animal studies show health effects on

• Liver

• Kidneys

• Immune system

• Developing offspring

• Association with cancer

Primary treatment removes about ___ percent of suspended solids from wastewater

60

Secondary treatment removes about ___ percent of suspended solids from wastewater

90

In wastewater treatment, many contaminants reamin in the ____________.

Effluent

Aerobic processes

Bacteria decomposes the organic matter and converts it into carbon dioxide that can be used by plants. Oxygen is used in this process.

Anaerobic processes

Fermentation is used for fermenting the waste at a specific temperature. Oxygen is not used in anaerobic process.

Biosolids

A product of the wastewater treatment process. During wastewater treatment the liquids are separated from the solids. Those solids are then treated physically and chemically to produce a semisolid, nutrient-rich product known as biosolids. The terms ‘biosolids’ and ‘sewage sludge’ are often used interchangeably

Part 503 rule

This rule classifies biosolids and directs where these solids should be disposed. In the conventional wastewater treatment process, the contaminants of emerging concern are not broken down so that they are part of the biosolids. They still are a potential threat to public health and the environment

Emerging contaminants have been known to cause (check all that apply).

• Immunological disorders

• Reproductive System disorders

• Metabolic disorders

  • Neurological disorders

Emerging contaminants are characterized by all the following except:

• a lack of published health standards

• chemical or material

• perceived, potential, or real threat to human health or the environment

Which of the following tertiary processes are effective in removing PFAS? Check all that apply.

• Granular Activated Carbon

• Ion Exchange Resins

What rule classifies biosolids where they should be disposed?

CFR 40 Part 503

Which of the following is not considered a legacy contaminant?

PFAS

The most promising avenue to treat emerging contaminants includes

Tertiary (Advanced) treatments

Prominent classes of contaminants of emerging concern are (check all that apply)

Disinfection byproducts

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products

Perfluorinated compounds (PFAS)

_____________ is a group of man-made chemicals that are persistent in the environment and human body.

PFAS

This legislation authorizes the EPA to set forth and enforce drinking water standards and maintain the Contaminant Candidate List.

Safe Drinking Water Act

According to The Safe Drinking Water Act, any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter in water is 

A contaminant