Environmental Compliance Inspector Water Quality Compliance Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An inspector is reviewing a facility's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, which authorizes the discharge of treated wastewater into a river. The permit's discharge limits are primarily based on technology-based standards set by the EPA for that specific industrial category. What are these national, technology-based standards formally known as?
- Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
- Water Quality Standards (WQS)
- Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELGs) (Correct answer)
- Safe Drinking Water Standards (SDWS)
Correct answer: Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELGs)
Effluent Limitation Guidelines (ELGs) are national, technology-based regulations developed by the EPA for specific industrial categories. [3, 9, 18] These guidelines establish the maximum allowable levels of pollutants that can be discharged from a facility into a body of water and are a primary component in setting the limits within an NPDES permit. [3, 9, 18] TMDLs are calculations for restoring impaired waters, WQS are state-level standards for water bodies, and SDWS apply to public drinking water, not wastewater discharge.
Question 2: A state environmental agency has identified a lake as 'impaired' because it does not meet water quality standards for phosphorus, even after all permitted point sources have installed required pollution control technology. Under the Clean Water Act, what must the state now develop for this lake?
- A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit
- A new set of Water Quality Criteria
- An Effluent Limitation Guideline (ELG)
- A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires states to identify waters that are not meeting quality standards and are considered 'impaired.' [4, 6] For these impaired waters, the state must develop a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL). [4, 10] A TMDL is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant (in this case, phosphorus) that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, serving as a plan to restore the waterbody. [14]
Question 3: Which federal law is primarily focused on protecting the quality of public drinking water supplies, including sources like rivers, lakes, and groundwater, by authorizing the EPA to set enforceable health standards for contaminants?
- Clean Water Act (CWA)
- Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) (Correct answer)
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
Correct answer: Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), passed in 1974, is the main federal law that ensures the quality of America's drinking water. [11, 13, 21] It requires the EPA to establish and enforce standards for public water systems to protect public health from contaminants in drinking water. [11, 27] The Clean Water Act primarily regulates discharges into surface waters, not the quality of finished drinking water.
Question 4: An inspector is visiting a manufacturing plant that has stormwater runoff from its industrial activity areas, such as material storage yards and loading docks. This runoff flows through a ditch directly into a nearby creek. Under the Clean Water Act's NPDES program, what is this type of discharge most likely to require?
- A permit for indirect discharge to a POTW
- A Section 404 dredge and fill permit
- A stormwater discharge permit (Correct answer)
- A No Exposure Certification (NEC)
Correct answer: A stormwater discharge permit
Stormwater discharges associated with industrial activity that flow to surface waters are regulated under the NPDES program. [24, 31, 36] Facilities must obtain a stormwater discharge permit, which requires them to develop and implement a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to manage runoff and minimize pollutants. [2, 31] A No Exposure Certification is only possible if all industrial materials and activities are protected from contact with precipitation.
Question 5: During a review of a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW), an inspector notes that a significant industrial user (SIU) is discharging pollutants that are interfering with the POTW's treatment process. Which component of the Clean Water Act specifically addresses the regulation of industrial discharges to municipal sewer systems?
- The National Pretreatment Program (Correct answer)
- The Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program
- The Safe Drinking Water Program
- The Section 319 Nonpoint Source Program
Correct answer: The National Pretreatment Program
The National Pretreatment Program, a component of the NPDES program, controls pollutants from industrial users that are discharged to POTWs. [18] The program's goal is to prevent 'pass through' of pollutants that are not adequately treated by the POTW and to prevent 'interference' with the POTW's operations or sludge. [39] Indirect dischargers, like the SIU in this scenario, must comply with these pretreatment standards.
Question 6: An environmental compliance inspector is verifying the records for a public water system. The system is required to provide its customers with an annual report on the quality of the water it delivers. What is this report officially called?
- Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR)
- Source Water Assessment Report (SWAR)
- Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) (Correct answer)
- Water Quality Standards Report (WQSR)
Correct answer: Consumer Confidence Report (CCR)
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, community water systems are required to prepare and distribute an annual water quality report called a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) to their customers. [11, 21] This report provides information on the source of the water, the levels of any detected contaminants, and compliance with drinking water rules. [11, 21]
