Basic Wastewater Operator Practice Exam

The influent to the treatment plant is septic. Coming from a lift station upstream, what should the operator do?

1. Decrease the lag time for pump operation by moving the floats closer together

2. Add pH adjuster to the influent flow

3. Install larger capacity pumps in the lift stations

4. There is nothing you can do to correct this problem

The correct answer is: Decrease the lag time for pump operation by moving the floats closer together

In situations where the influent to a treatment plant is septic, it generally indicates that the wastewater has undergone anaerobic decomposition, leading to issues like odors and potential process disruption. By decreasing the lag time for pump operation, the operator can ensure that wastewater is moved through the system more quickly. This allows for fresher waste to be processed and can minimize the time that septic conditions have to develop in the lift station, which is crucial for maintaining efficient treatment and reducing odor problems. Moving the floats closer together to decrease the lag time helps to improve the response time of the pumps, thereby reducing retention time in the lift station. This action can mitigate the risk of septicity affecting downstream processes in the treatment plant. The other choices, although they may seem viable, do not address the immediate need to mitigate septic conditions effectively. Adding a pH adjuster would not be a direct remedy to manage the septic condition itself and might not be feasible or effective in treating that specific problem at the source. Installing larger pumps may help manage increased flow rates but wouldn't resolve the fundamental issue of septic influent, and simply asserting that there's nothing that can be done disregards the primary operational objective of addressing the wastewater effectively.