July 2018
July 17 & 18 - MRWA - Lab Procedures With Voluntary NEWEA Certification, Berwick, DEP 9 TCH, WOB 9 TCH
August 10 - NEWEA - Water Reuse Specialty Conference & Tour, Storrs CT, TCH TBD
August 14 - NEWEA - Teacher & Public Outreach Training, Deer Island MA
August 29 & 30 - MRWA - Privy Protocol: Don't Squat With Your Spurs On, Richmond, DEP 6.25 TCH (DEP TCH's awarded only for operators of municipal septic systems), WOB 6.25 TCH
September 20 & 21 - MEWEA - 2018 Fall Convention, Newry, Variable TCH
1. A measurement is, by definition?
a. An estimate of a value
b. A qualitative comparison
c. A feedback loop
d. The comparison of a quantity with a standard unit of measure
2. Accuracy of an instrument relates to the closeness of a measurement to?
a. An actual value
b. An estimate
c. The precision
d. The standard deviation
3. A digital readout display provides?
a. An indirect reading
b. A direct, numerical readout of the measured value
c. Calibration of a signal
d. The effective range of a signal
4. A process variable in wastewater treatment refers to?
a. Math calculations
b. The daily operations logbook
c. Logging into SCADA from a notebook or cellphone
d. A physical or chemical quantity, such as flow rate or DO, which is measured and/or controlled in a wastewater process
5. Analog refers to?
a. Direct numerical readouts
b. The readout of an instrument by a pointer against a dial or marked scale, such as simple level or pressure gauges
c. An analogy
d. A measure of current in an electrical system
6. An example of a Controller includes?
a. A thermometer
b. A Fecal coliform water bath that controls the temperature
c. An electrical panel that controls the starting and stopping of an electric motor
d. A standardized control chart
7. H-O-A switch stands for?
a. Hands-Off-Automatic
b. Hands-On Automatic
c. Header-Out-Activity
d. Heat-Only-Activated
8. A Control Loop is?
a. The organization chart showing who is in control of specific duties and personnel
b. The time period between the moment a process change is made and when the change is looped by the measuring instrument
c. A device which conducts periodic or continuous measurement of some factor, such as control of photocells, conductivity or complex instruments
d. The path between the sensor that measures a process variable, and the controller, which controls or adjusts the process variable
9. A Feedback Control Loop refers to?
a. Feeding the activated sludge process during wet weather flow when the influent BOD is very dilute and needs to go back to the influent tank
b. The circulating action between a sensor measuring a process variable and the controller which controls or adjusts the process variable.
c. A control system where the input of some mechanism or system controls the output and is used to respond in advance of an expected output effect
d. A device or meter that continuously measures and calculates (adds) a process rate variable in cumulative fashion. Also called integrator control.
10. A chlorinator calls for a chlorine dosage of 7.0 mg/L for a flow of 1.2 MGD. How many pounds of chlorine will be needed for 5 days?
a. 70 lb
b. 350 lb
c. 12,000 lb
d. 19,944 lb
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation Municipal Planning Assistance Program and Maine Department of Marine Resources, Maine Coastal Program are seeking applications for a new round of Coastal Community Grants for FY 2019. Please note this is not a DEP program.
Coastal Community Grants are an important element of the Municipal Planning Assistance Program’s mission to improve economic conditions by providing technical and financial assistance to Maine municipalities.
The grants are for municipal and regional projects in Maine’s Coastal Zone. Funding for these technical assistance grants comes from Maine Coastal Program’s annual grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Eligible projects must be designed to improve water quality in priority coastal watersheds, or to increase resiliency/adaptation to erosion and flooding, while preserving coastal natural resources.
Those eligible to apply include towns and unorganized territories in Maine’s coastal zone, groups of towns and unorganized territories in Maine’s coastal zone, coastal Regional Planning Commissions, and coastal Councils of Government. The Coastal Communities grants have a maximum award of $100,000.
Coastal Communities Grant applications are due Friday, July 27, 2018 at 2 P.M.
The FY19 Coastal Community Grant Program Statement can be found at: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/municipalplanning/financial_assistance.shtml
Contact:
Ruta Dzenis, Ruta.Dzenis@maine.gov, (207) 287-2851
More information about the Maine Coastal Program can be found at: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/mcp/index.htm
More information about the Municipal Planning Assistance Program can be found at: http://www.maine.gov/dacf/municipalplanning/
GIS Maps – Maps developed for each state showing the 100 – year and 500 – year flood zone layers along with coastal inundation due to storm surge. A data layer is added showing water and wastewater utility locations, to help you plan for potential problems. For maps that just show you the storm surge, hurricane frequencies and flood plain information without the utilities, visit: https://toolkit.climate.gov/tool/storm-surge-inundation-and-hurricane-strike-frequency-map
Closely monitor your local weather forecasts for more information. Links for many weather information specifics can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/weather-and-hydrologic-forecasting-water-utility-incident-preparedness-and
All water emergency responders should download the app Water Utility on the Go for your smart phones or tablets to use during a response. It available free, from the Applestore or GooglePlay Store. Get familiar with this easy-to-use app prior to an event and learn about the valuable resources and tools it has available to you when dealing with an emergency. For more information: https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/water-utility-response-go-mobile-application-and-website One of its most useful features are the forms for documenting damage and actions taken by the utility, including photos. This can be used to make claims and share information and status with different organizations and agencies as needed. It has information links to weather tracking info, ER contacts at various agencies (by state), checklists for what utilities can be doing before/after incidents, and ICS forms.
EPA’s Incident Action Checklists (for 12 different types of threats/disasters such as floods, hurricanes, winter storms, tornados): https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/incident-action-checklists-water-utilities These are good for use when preparing, responding and recovering from an event. It is recommended that utilities review and keep these with their Emergency Response Plans.
In cases where shared resources may be necessary, we strongly encourage that you reach out to your State’s WARN, the mutual aid program for water/wastewater utilities, found below:
Connecticut http://www.ctwarn.org/
Maine http://www.mewarn.org
Massachusetts http://www.mawarn.org/
New Hampshire https://t2.unh.edu/ma
Rhode Island http://www.riwarn.org
Vermont http://www.vtwarn.org
More information on WARNs in general is available at:
https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/mutual-aid-and-assistance-drinking-water-and-wastewater-utilities
EPA New England’s Generator Preparedness Guide for Water Sector (brochure): Utilities should review and complete the generator form with a licensed electrician and then keep it with their Emergency Response Plan: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-03/documents/waterwastewatersystemgeneratorpreparedness.pdf
You will find a collection of the many other related EPA emergency response and preparedness “tools” at https://www.epa.gov/waterresilience
New Computer Based Wastewater Exams Offered at Northern Maine Community College
Wastewater certification exams will now be offered at Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) in Presque Isle. Exams will be available by Computer Based Testing (CBT). CBT is a delivery method to take certification exams in a secure, proctored environment at a dedicated testing center. CBT will be available throughout the year at NMCC on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and every other Thursday on days when NMCC is open. Going forward, all wastewater operator exams will be by CBT, and there will no longer be a paper-based testing option.
Spray Irrigation Treatment System (SITS) exams are not part of the CBT option. SITS will continue to be a paper based exam offered on an as-needed basis at the DEP offices in Portland, Bangor, Augusta, and Presque Isle.
To register for CBT or SITS, download the application form from the NEIWPCC-JETCC website, http://www.jetcc.org and follow the directions on the form.
Portland Testing Center Closed in July
The Portland, Maine testing center will be closed June 29 – August 3 for updating. Applicants can schedule exams in Portland after August 3 online at www.goamp or by calling (800) 345-6559. The other testing centers, Holden (Bangor), Farmington, Presque Isle, and Portsmouth, NH will have their regular testing times and not be affected.
DMR-QA Study 38 closes July 6. All results should be sent to your Proficiency Testing (PT) lab for grading.
Final reports are due to DEP by August 31. Complete pages 12 -14 of the EPA’s Study 38 package, and send to DEP with a copy of the lab report that shows whether or not you passed the test. You can send reports by email or regular mail. For any failures, you must retest by August 17, and send retest results, with a Corrective Action report, to DEP by October 26.
Contact Judy Bruenjes, judy.k.brunjes@maine.gov, 207-287-7806 with any questions.
Don’t Forget to Complete Page 2!
If your DMR has many parameters, it may be displayed on two pages in NetDMR. Sometimes Operators, especially those who are new to completing NetDMR forms, don’t realize there is a second page and inadvertently submit the incomplete report. This would lead to a violation due to missing data.
A tip to avoid this from happening is to use “Printer Friendly View” which appears at the top of the DMR you are editing. This puts all the information on one page, but you must scroll to the bottom to complete the form.
You can also press “Collapse Header” to hide the facility information for easy data entry.
When printing your monthly report, use the COR pdf rather than the DMR form. It helps to print Landscape orientation, and use 11 X 17 paper size rather than 8.5 X 11.
1. d
2. a
3. b
4. d
5. b
6. c
7. a
8. d
9. b
10. b
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