May 2022
Examinations
Currently, all PSI wastewater exam testing centers are open. Each location has its own Covid-19 policy, as described on the PSI website:
https://online.goamp.com/CandidateHome/displayTCList.aspx?pExamID=21568&pClientCode=ABC-MEWW.
If you are scheduled for an exam, please check the website before traveling to the site to make sure the Covid-19 policies are followed. If a candidate cannot meet the requirements of specific locations, they will need to take the exam at another location. The Department will not be making special arrangements for alternative test locations at this time.
Training, Conferences, and Virtual Classes
Check out the DEP website for a listing of upcoming training sessions, webinars and on-demand classes, https://www.maine.gov/dep/water/wwoperator. In addition, the Department emails these lists to certificated operators monthly.
Save the Date - Maine Water Utility Association (MWUA) Summer Outing
MWUA is excited to announce an in-person Summer Outing on August 11th at the Cumberland Fairgrounds in Cumberland, Maine. The Summer Outing event is a joint effort between MWUA and MEWEA.
Starting at 8:00 AM, the event will begin with two hours of training. Next on the agenda, attendees can participate in a corn hole tournament and water main tapping contest.
The highlight of the event will be a pig roast lunch. There will also be steak, hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and veggie burgers available.
MWUA & MEWEA hope you will join them for the fun, food, training, and networking event. For more info, go to www.mwua.org or contact Bruce Berger at bberger@mwua.org.
TCH Acceptance Criteria
Certified wastewater operators must obtain eighteen (18) Training Contact Hours (TCHs) of DEP-approved wastewater continuing education training during each biennial (two-year) renewal period and provide documentation of completed TCHs to renew their certification Training must be relevant to the operation, maintenance, safety, or management of a wastewater treatment plant.
Training must be presented by established providers including from government agencies, professional associations, technical schools, colleges/universities, and private instructors through classes, workshops, conferences, webinars, and in-house sessions. All training must be at least one-hour in length. The same course, (excepts for safety) cannot be used for successive renewal cycles. TCHs cannot be carried over to the next renewal cycle. Multi-month training is credited for the period that the course ended.
Safety and Treatment Plant Management Training - As an option, up to 6 of the 18 TCHs of required training per renewal cycle may be a combination of safety and/or management topics. Management training must have direct relevance to the operation of the wastewater plant.
Human Resources (HR), utility policy, and general office training are not accepted for Management TCHs. Defensive driving courses are accepted for safety TCHs only if part of an operator’s duties and not solely for commuting purposes.
For courses that are not preapproved, send requests to NEIWPCC-JETCC using the TCH Request form and include course title, agenda, instructor bio, course description and explanation of relevancy to wastewater operation, maintenance, safety, or management.
Refer to the Department’s Wastewater Operator Certification Program website for details on certification renewal requirements: https://www.maine.gov/dep/water/wwoperator/.
Here are some quick links to certification documents found on the DEP website:
Training Contact Hour (TCH) Requirements for Certification Renewal
Approving Online Sessions for Wastewater Training Contact Hours (TCH)
Training Calendar - Updated Monthly
TCH Request Form
Exam Application Form
An Excel spreadsheet that lists approved training providers and on-demand courses can be downloaded from the website.
1. A sample from the aeration tank is tested to determine the fraction of MLSS that is volatile. Given the following, compute the weight that was volatile:
Sample = 50 mL
Crucible weight = 21.6329 grams
Crucible and dry solids weight = 21.6531 grams
Crucible and ash = 21.6380 grams
A. 74.75%
B. 75.75%
C. 76.57%
D. 88.75%
2. Excessive white foam in an aeration basin can be corrected by
A. Decreasing the aeration rate
B. Decreasing the detention time
C. Increasing the MLSS
D. Decreasing the MLSS
E. Increasing the aeration rate
3. If 7 cfs is flowing through a 24-inch diameter pipe, what is the velocity of flow in the pipe?
A. 0.286 fps
B. 1.115 fps
C. 2.229 fps
D. 2.69 fps
4. A good quality activated sludge is shown by:
A. Black color and very small particle size
B. A chocolate brown MLSS that settles in one minute in a jar test
C. A chocolate color which settles out in 20-30 minutes
D. Finley dispersed brown floc with a few milky particles
5. A plant discharges 0.5 MGD of 25 mg/L BOD. The receiving stream flow is 20 MGD with an upstream BOD of 4 mg/L. Assuming even dispersion, what would be the downstream BOD?
A. 2.05 mg/L
B. 4.512 mg/L
C. 25 mg/L
D. 29 mg/L
6. Given the following information, how many gallons of primary sludge containing 5% solids must be pumped daily? Flow = 3 mgd, primary influent = 200 mg/L, primary effluent = 100 mg/L.
Use 1% - 10,000 mg/L
A. 2502 gal
B. 6000 gal
C. 10,000 gal
D. 50,000 gal
Is your facility seeking to hire new water/wastewater personnel? Do you know someone looking for employment? Here are links to job boards where you can post your job openings or see water/wastewater position openings at other organizations:
Maine:
Maine Water Environment Association (MeWEA)
Contact: Joan Kiszely (623-9511) jkiszely@mewea.org
https://www.mewea.org
Maine Water Utilities Association (MWUA)
Contact: Cindy Wade (623-9511) cwade@mwua.org
https://www.mwua.org
Maine Rural Water Association (MRWA)
Contact: Amanda Brill (248-7387) amanda.brill@mainerwa.org
https://www.mainerwa.org
Regional:
New England Water Environment Association (NEWEA)
https://www.newea.org/careers/jobs/
DEP is also hiring! Positions include environmental specialists, scientists, engineers, GIS, planning, administration, and more. Here are links to recruitment videos:
Facebook - https://fb.watch/8TXyUxG3z1/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUDsfYxM3nM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6845825768077975552
More information on applying for jobs at DEP can be found at:
https://www.maine.gov/dep/about/mdepjobs.html.
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act, the 20th century’s landmark water protection legislation. The Clean Water Act (CWA) establishes the basic structure for regulating pollution in U.S. waters. It gives Americans a right to waterways that are clean, biologically intact, and safe for use, giving an array of protections and programs to reach that goal.
Maine's U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie played a critical role in writing and securing passage of this momentous legislation for the nation. In the years since, thanks to the incredible work of countless individuals, organizations, and businesses, Maine’s rivers, lakes, streams, and coastal waters have achieved remarkable progress, which deserves celebration.
Here in Maine, clean water is central to our identity and integral to our future. Fifty years ago, the magnitude of pollution in the Androscoggin and other Maine rivers reached a tipping point, helping to galvanize passage of the Clean Water Act on October 18, 1972.
Several water organizations have joined together to launch a statewide celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act to acknowledge how much has been accomplished while committing to further progress. A calendar of events can be found at the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM), NRCM website.
The DEP intends to repeal and replace Chapter 531, REGULATIONS FOR WASTEWATER OPERATOR CERTIFICATION. The regulation was originally written in 1975, with the most recent update in 2006.
The DEP is reaching out to stakeholders to solicit input on a concept draft rule prior to initiating the formal rulemaking process. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide feedback through a remote meeting or with written comments.
Once the stakeholder process is complete, the Department will initiate the rulemaking process and present a proposed rule to the Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) for consideration.
The DEP plans to commence the formal BEP rulemaking process this summer and conclude in the fall. If approved by the BEP, the new rule will replace the existing rule.
If you have questions about the rulemaking process, please contact Matthew R. Hight, Environmental Specialist, Office of the Commissioner at 822-6321, or by email matt.hight@maine.gov.
Let’s extend a warm welcome to Ryan Barnes, Maine’s new Cybersecurity Advisor. Ryan works for the Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA), an operational component under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Part of his responsibilities include helping Maine’s water/wastewater industry protect their systems against cybersecurity attacks that threaten the nation’s critical infrastructure.
Ryan is a Maine native that comes to us with over 10 years’ experience in critical infrastructure operations, primarily with the communications and energy industries. He is also the current Director of Operations for an Air National Guard Squadron in Maine. He has traveled across the globe to provide cybersecurity solutions to critical operations in some of the most austere of environments, while also having served with notable agencies such as the White House Communications Agency.
Threats to the water/wastewater industry include ransomware attacks, stealing customers’ personal and financial data, and disabling critical web-based components, such as SCADA systems. Ryan is available to help advise facilities on ways to minimize these constantly evolving and ever-present threats at no cost to the facility. His tasks include establishing trust, partnerships, education, and awareness with the water/wastewater community. Ryan can be reached at ryan.barnes@cisa.dhs.gov or by calling 202-676-7629. Let him know if you would like to be added to his distribution list to receive cybersecurity updates particular to Maine.
CISA recommends that critical infrastructure partners regularly check the Shields-Up page located at www.cisa.gov/shields-up for up-to-date information regarding critical infrastructure protection, and to Subscribe to Alerts on the same page to receive timely and actionable information for risk management.
Advice on the numerous services available from CISA can be found at https://www.cisa.gov/cyber-resource-hub.
After 30 years with NEIWPCC-JETCC, Leeann Hanson retired on April 29th. As Program Manager for NEIWPCC’s South Portland Office, Leeann has been a champion for training and an advocate for environmental professionals throughout Maine and all across New England. We would like to congratulate Leeann on her retirement and wish her all the best in her future endeavors!!
Leeann’s enthusiasm, energy, and commitment to water and wastewater professionals in Maine will be sorely missed. As a pioneer of the Management Candidate School (MCS) and Wastewater Operator School (WOS), Leeann helped shepherd through hundreds of technicians and managers that have gone on to career success. She worked tirelessly to organize countless training sessions, develop new training topics, recruit new trainers, as well as organizing the biennial North Country Convention.
When Leeann called to ask you to volunteer to teach a session, it was hard to say “no”. When the pandemic hit, she pivoted seamlessly to online webinars to keep us all on track with training.
We would also like to congratulate Peter Zaykoski for his promotion to Program Manager for NEIWPCC’s South Portland Office. Peter joined NEIWPCC in 2018 and currently resides in Biddeford.
Peter comments, “First, many congratulations to Leeann on an impressive career and on all the work she has done for the JETCC program. “Big shoes to fill.” This is the one phrase that keeps coming up each time I talk about my transition and the prospect of taking on Leeann’s work. While there is sure to be a vacuum created by her departure, I am grateful that I had some time before she retired to learn from her and plan the work to minimize any disruptions. I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all in the coming months and building on the foundation that Leeann has created over the last three decades.”
Peter, alongside Spring Connolly, will lead NEIWPCC-JETCC into the future. If you want to reach Peter with training ideas, he can be reached at 207-253-8020, pzaykoski@neiwpcc.org.
The EPA planned to email the DMR-QA Study 42 DMR-QA announcement to participants in the second half of April. The EPA sends email by general delivery, so make sure to check your spam folder in case it ends up there.
The DEP also plans to email the announcements to facilities, and it will be posted on the EPA DMR-QA website: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/discharge-monitoring-report-quality-assurance-study-program#study. If you still have not received the package, please contact the state DMR-QA Coordinator, Brett Goodrich at Brett.A.Goodrich@maine.gov or 207- 287-9034.
Important dates to note:
April 15, 2022 DMR-QA Study 42 begins.
April 29, 2022 Submit address verification BY EMAIL to DEP
July 15, 2022 DMR-QA Study 42 ends.
September 9, 2022 Submit DMR-QA 42 Results BY EMAIL to DEP
November 4, 2022 Submit corrective action reports and retest results to DEP for failed test.
New to DMR-QA? There are some excellent guidance documents and videos out there to help you. Check out your PT’s website for more information. There are useful training videos provided by the PT labs available for free on YouTube. Most of the PT labs offer technical assistance, both on the phone and online, for their customers, so don’t hesitate to contact them if you need guidance.
A few other recommendations for DMR-QA success:
- Read the instructions before you perform the test! The procedures may have changed since the last time you ran the analysis.
- Run the tests as you normally do on a day-to-day basis. Don’t vary your routine or have a different person run the test if they normally do not perform the analysis.
- Don’t share test results with other labs! This is a performance test and the results should be kept confidential.
- Follow all quality procedures as stated in your QA/QC manual.
- If you are new to DMR-QA, make sure you have you EPA Lab Code when ordering your samples.
Contact the DMR-QA Coordinator if you have any questions or require further information.
1. A. 74.75%
Total solids = 21.6531-21.6329 = 0.0202 grams
Volatile solids = 21.6531-21.6380 = 0.0151 grams
Volatile % = 0.0151/0.0202 * 100 = 74.75%
2. C. Increasing the MLSS
3. C. 2.229 fps
Flow (Q) = Velocity (V) X Area (A). Solve for velocity: Velocity = Q/A
Area = 0.785 X 2 ft X 2 ft = 3.14 sf
Velocity = 7 cfs/3.14 sf = 2.229 fps
4. A good quality activated sludge is shown by:
C. A chocolate color which settles out in 20-30 minutes
5. B. 4.5 mg/L
Plant BOD = 0.5 mgd X 25 mg/L X 8.34 = 104.25 lb
Stream BOD = 20 mgd X 4 mg/L X 8.34 = 667.2 lb
Total BOD in stream = 104.25 + 6676.2 = 771.45 lb
mg/L in stream = 771.45 lb/(2.05 mgd X 8.34) = 4.5 mg/L
6. B. 6000 gal
Primary sludge concentration = 5% = 50,000 mg/L
Primary sludge pounds = 3 mgd X 50,000 mg/L X 8.34 = 2502 lbs
Determine how many gallons in 2502 lb at 50,000 mg/L:
2502 lb/ (8.34 X 50,000 mg/L) = 0.006 mg = 6000 gal
|
