Water and Wastewater Reference Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions - Reference

Do you offer water or wastewater correspondence courses?
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USABlueBook does not offer correspondence courses, but we do have several books, study guides and flash cards that will help you prepare for you for your operator certification exam. Due to the fact that operator certification exams differ between the states and providences, we can‘t suggest one specific book. If you choose to try self-instruction here are some suggestions:

In order to achieve uniformity in the types of questions and format of the exams, states and providences work with the ABC (Association of Boards of Certification). The AWWA and WEF study guides include questions that are similar to the question that will be on your exam.

The “Cal State” training manuals are used as texts for certification training classes in some states. Just remember there is no guaranty that every question on your exam will be covered in these manuals, but it will cover a lot of the information.

WEF has several study guides that offer hundreds of sample questions to help you prepare for you exam.

There also are some math problems on the exam, particularly in the advanced certification classes. We offer a few workbooks that cover math for water and wastewater.

What book would be best for operating an Activated Sludge process?
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We offer several items that will give you the information you need to operate an activated sludge process. We offer several books, charts, and we even have a software program the can help you operate your activated sludge plant at optimum efficiency. If you aren’t sure which what will work best for you, contact our Technical Support team to help you choose the right guide.

Can I get a free sample of the maintenance program to see if it fits my needs?
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Yes. USABlueBook has a software demo disk which demos the following software programs: Maintenance Program, Valve Management, Meter Management, Hydrant Management, Backflow Prevention/Cross-Connection Control Program, Work Order, Wastewater Lab & Operations, Water Plant Operations and Utility Billing. This demo disk work the same way the actual software does, however when you shut your computer down it doesn’t save your information. Reference #68585 for your free demo disk that will show you all of the great features of these software programs.

What book would the best and easiest to understand for math for Water Operators?
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USABlueBook offers a few books that will help understand math for Water Operators. Simplified Math for Waterworks Operators would be a great book that will help you understand math for waterworks, this helpful book has sample problems that illustrate actual applications. We also carry Basic Math Concepts for Water and Wastewater Plant Operators which is a great book that covers basic math for Water and Wastewater Operators, this book has practice problems to help you master your skills.

I’m having trouble with my treatment pond. What book would you recommend?
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If you are looking for a general guidebook for treatment ponds, Lake and Pond Management Guidebook would be a great book to help you manage your treatment pond. It offers over 300 ideas and projects that will help you improve and maintain your pond. We also carry How to Identify and Control Water Weeds and Algae, which is a great book if you have weed or algae problems. This book has over 100 color drawings that will help you identify your problem plants; it also offers solutions for controlling the algae and plant growth.

I’m having trouble controlling the filamentous bacteria growth in my aeration tanks. What book is the most informative?
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AWWA’s Wastewater Microbiology - A Handbook for Operators is a very informative book that will help you understand how microorganisms are used in treatment processes. This book also includes a glossary of terms, photographs or microorganisms, and a CD-ROM that shows many of the common microorganisms.

I operate a very small plant in our local community. Do you carry a book that could help me?
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We have several books that offer assistance operating small water and wastewater plants. CAL State offers: Small Water System Operation and Maintenance and Small Wastewater System Operation and Maintenance. Both of these training manuals are great tools to assist in operating a smaller water or wastewater plant. We also offer Introduction to Small Wastewater Systems, which is designed to assist owners and operators of wastewater plants in a community with less than 3,000 people. If you are looking for an alternative to a book, we carry a CD-ROM titled Small Water System Training it covers a wide variety of topics you will need to know to operate a small plant.

What is the benefit of showing a video on safety to my employees?
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Showing a training video is an excellent cost effective way to train your employees. You can show a training video in a fraction of the time it would take to have an employee read material covered in a video. Most employees are more likely to retain the information if it is seen, rather than the information if it is read. You can show a video to a large group of employees or just one. You can also use the videos as refresher course for more tenured employees. Most of our training videos offer booklets that supplement the videos; these are great booklets to give to employees so they will always have the information handy.

I will be repainting all of the piping at my plant. Do you have a book that shows what colors all of the piping should be in a wastewater plant?
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Yes. we carry: Recommended Standards for Wastewater Facilities, which is an informative guide that will not only show you the colors of piping should be in a wastewater plant, it also offers useful information on: engineering reports, design of sewers, pumping stations. We also carry Recommended Standards for Water Works.

The State Regulator says we need to disinfect any new water line installed in our town. I will be heading the crew that will perform this task. Do you have any literature that will be helpful to me and my crew?
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We carry several books that will help you with your task of disinfecting a new water line. You could try Water Chlorination/Chloramination Practices and Principles, which will cover topics on ways to disinfect, proper handling, storage, feed equipment and safety practices. We also carry Chlorine Safety for Water and Wastewater Operators DVD which is a helpful DVD that anybody working with chlorine should view. This helpful DVD reviews many safety precautions and procedures every operator should view.

Items sold by USABlueBook are intended for use only by professionals in the water and wastewater treatment industry.
Many items sold by USABlueBook require supplemental training, licenses or permits for proper use and may be harmful if not used properly.