Operator License Requirement & Source Water Review

Handout Material

Chief Operator

An individual who has overall responsibility for the operation of a public water system.

Military Operator-in-Training

An individual who is an active duty member of the military of the United States and has successfully completed the Bioenvironmental Engineering Apprentice (BEA) or equivalent military training, as determined by the executive director, and collects microbiological samples and determines disinfection residuals for military facilities' water distribution systems.

Operator-in-Charge

An individual who has overall responsibility for the operation of a public water system in the absence of the chief operator.

Operator-in-Training

An unlicensed individual entering the field of public water system operation for the first time who has less than one year of experience and is in training to perform process control duties in production or distribution of public drinking water.

Public Water System Operations Company

A person or other nongovernmental entity that provides operations services to one or more public water systems on a contractual basis.

Public Water System Operator

Licensed operator who performs process control duties in production or distribution of drinking water.

Work Experience

The actual performance of job tasks in a public water supply system that are considered essential for the treatment or distribution of drinking water.

Acre-foot

The volume of water that covers one acre to a depth of one foot (43,560 ft3 or 325,829 gal).

Aeration

The process of adding air to water.

Aerobic

A condition in which atmospheric or dissolved molecular oxygen is present in water.

Anaerobic

A condition in which atmospheric or dissolved molecular oxygen is not present in water.

Algae

Microscopic plants which contain chlorophyll and live floating or suspended in water.

Algal Bloom

Sudden and massive growths of algae in lakes or reservoirs.

Anion

A negatively charged ion.

Cation

A positively charged ion.

Colloids

Very small, finely divided solids that remain dispersed in a liquid for a long time due to their small size and electrical charge.

Aquifer

A natural underground layer of porous, water bearing materials, usually capable of yielding a large amount or supply of water.

Artesian Well

A well or underground basin where the water is under a pressure greater than atmospheric and will rise above the level of its upper confining surface if given the opportunity to do so.

Coliform – A group of bacteria found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals as well as plants, soil, air, and water. The presence of coliform bacteria indicates that the water may also contain pathogenic organisms.

Complete Treatment

A method of treating water that consists of the addition of coagulant chemicals, flash mixing, coagulation-flocculation, sedimentation and filtration. Also called conventional treatment.

Direct Filtration

A method of treating water which consists of the addition of coagulant chemicals, flash mixing, coagulation, minimal flocculation, and filtration.

Drawdown

The drop in water level of a well, tank, or reservoir.

Epilimnion

The upper layer of water in a thermally stratified lake or reservoir.

Metalimnion

The middle layer of a thermally stratified lake or reservoir.

Hypolimnion

The lowest layer in a thermally stratified lake or reservoir.

Evaporation

The process of water moving off land and water surfaces and into the atmosphere.

Transpiration

The process of water releasing into the air by plants, primarily through their leaves.

Evapotranspiration

The process of water going into the air from the combination of the evaporation and transpiration processes.

Advection

The process of water moving with the air currents in the atmosphere.

Condensation

The process of water vapor in the air forming tiny droplets. (Cloud formation)

Precipitation

The process of water falling in the form of rain, snow, or ice.

Interception

Water landing on vegetation and not reaching the ground.

Infiltration

Water soaking into the ground.

Subsurface flow

The process of water moving underground.

Runoff

Water which lands on the ground and flows to nearby bodies of water (streams, rivers, lakes).

Channel flow

Runoff flowing into small channels that feed into larger channels that carry streams and rivers.

Storage

Water that is taken out of circulation. It may be frozen, held in lakes, or held underground in an aquifer for later use.

Snowmelt

Water that has collected as snow or ice and is released as liquid.

Oligotrophic

A classification of a water source that is low in nutrients and contains little plant or animal life but has abundant dissolved oxygen.

Organic

Substances that come from animal or plant sources. Organic substances contain carbon.

Oxidation

Oxidation is the addition of oxygen, removal of hydrogen, or the removal of electrons from a compound or element.

Pathogenic Organisms

Organisms (bacteria, viruses, and cysts) capable of causing disease. (giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, typhoid, cholera, dysentery)

pH

is an expression of the intensity of the basic or acidic condition of a liquid.

Porosity

is the term used to describe how much water a material can hold.

Specific Capacity

A unit of well yield per unit of drawdown depth after a specific period time has passed (typically 24 hours in a confined aquifer and 72 hours in an unconfined aquifer).

Safe Drinking Water Act

Commonly referred to as SDWA. Passed by Congress in 1974. Established a cooperative program between federal, state and local agencies to ensure safe drinking water.

Sanitary Survey

A detailed evaluation and/or inspection of a source of water supply and all conveyances, storage, treatment, and distribution facilities to ensure protection of the water supply from all pollution sources.

Stratification

The formation of separate layers in a lake or reservoir.

THM Precursor

Natural organic compounds found in all surface and ground waters. These compounds may react with chlorine to form trihalomethanes.

Trihalomethanes

Derivatives of methane (CH4) in which three halogen atoms (chlorine or bromine) are substituted for three of the hydrogen atoms. Often formed during chlorination by reactions with natural organic materials in the water. THM’s are carcinogenic.

Turbidity

A cloudy appearance of water due to the presence of suspended or colloidal matter.

Water Table

The upper surface of the zone of saturation of groundwater in an unconfined aquifer.

Gaining Stream

A high water table provides flow into a stream so that it “gains” water from the aquifer

Losing Stream

A low water table causes a stream to “lose” water into the aquifer.

Groundwater as a Source Things to Consider:

Extent of surface drainage contributing to water supply

Groundwater as a Source Things to Consider:

Possibility of surface drainage entering well

Groundwater as a Source Things to Consider:

Location of possible pollution sources

Groundwater as a Source Things to Consider:

Well head protection at top and sides

Groundwater as a Source Things to Consider:

Depth to perforations or well screens

Groundwater as a Source Things to Consider:

Well capacity, drawdown, and recovery rate

Surface Water as a Source Things to Consider:

Nature of watershed (vegetation, crops, forest)

Surface Water as a Source Things to Consider:

Wastewater facilities discharging to watershed

Surface Water as a Source Things to Consider:

Proximity of potential fecal contamination

Surface Water as a Source Things to Consider:

Proximity to industrial wastes and discharges

Surface Water as a Source Things to Consider:

Character of physical and biological parameters

Surface Water as a Source Things to Consider:

Quantity of water available

Public Water System A system is considered a public water system if: It has at least ___ service connections

15

Public Water System A system is considered a public water system if: Regularly serves an average of ____ individuals daily at least ____ days out of the year.

25, 60

Non-community Water System

Any public water system that is not a community system is a non-community system

Non-transient Non-community

Regularly serves more than 25 of the same people more than 6 months each year Example: School, Factory

Transient Non-community

Does not serve more than 25 of the same people more than 6 months each year Example: Campground, Service Station

Three Main Water Treatment Objectives:

Produce safe drinking water, Produce aesthetically pleasing drinking water, Produce drinking water at a reasonable cost

Riparian doctrine

All landowners whose property touches a water supply have equal rights to the water

Riparian doctrine

Reasonable and beneficial use is allowed as long as it doesn’t interfere with the rights of down-stream users

Riparian doctrine

“Rule of Reasonable Sharing”

Prior Appropriation Doctrine

Followed in western states with limited water resources

Prior Appropriation Doctrine

Concept begin during gold rush of 1849 in California

Prior Appropriation Doctrine

“First in Time – First in Right”

Priority in Time

Priority given to longest user of water source

Beneficial Use

Water must be used for a beneficial use

Absolute Ownership

Landowner owns everything beneath the land down to the center of the earth

Absolute Ownership

Rule of capture allows landowner to use all water he is able to capture from below his land’s surface

Absolute Ownership

Water can be used for any purpose or sold

Absolute Ownership

No liability for lowering water table

Reasonable Use

Landowner has right to pump water from beneath owned land

Reasonable Use

If pumping interferes with a neighbor’s use, the pumping can continue only for a beneficial purpose

Reasonable Use

Non-wasteful use is considered a beneficial use

Correlative Rights

All landowners overlying an aquifer have rights to the water below the surface of the ground

Correlative Rights

Water rights are granted in proportion to the amount of land area overlying the aquifer

Correlative Rights

Water rights are granted in proportion to the amount of land area overlying the aquifer

Appropriation-permit Systems

Based on the “Rule of Priority”

Appropriation-permit Systems

Longest or oldest user has priority

Appropriation-permit Systems

Permits are granted to withdraw from the aquifer

Appropriation-permit Systems

Number of permits are limited to prevent overdraft of the aquifer

Appropriation-permit Systems

This system requires an administrative body to regulate groundwater withdrawal

Unconsolidated Formations Formations with individual grains: Sand Gravel

Course formations allow higher rates of groundwater flow

Consolidated Formations Formations consisting of fractured rock: Limestone Volcanic Rock

Vulnerable to microbiological contamination

Drilled Wells

Most common type of well installed for public water systems

Drilled Wells

Range in diameter and depth diameters up to 4 feet depths from 50 feet to several thousand feet