UMC Environmental Sustainability and Water Conservation

Question 1

Which term describes water that is lost from a distribution system before reaching the customer, including leaks, meter inaccuracies, and unbilled authorized consumption?

Accepted Answer

Non-revenue water

Answer

Non-revenue water (NRW) is water produced and supplied by a utility that does not generate revenue, encompassing real losses (leaks), apparent losses (meter error, theft), and unbilled authorized use.

Question 2

A utility implements increasing block rates where each higher tier of consumption is priced at a higher rate. What is the primary conservation goal of this rate structure?

Accepted Answer

Discourage excessive water use by making high consumption more expensive

Answer

Increasing (tiered) block rates are designed to discourage excessive consumption by charging progressively higher prices for each additional unit used beyond the baseline tier.

Question 3

Under the EPA's Water Security Initiative, what is the primary purpose of a water audit for a distribution system?

Accepted Answer

To quantify system losses and identify opportunities to reduce non-revenue water

Answer

A distribution system water audit systematically quantifies all water entering and leaving the system to identify and reduce losses, following the IWA/AWWA water audit methodology.

Question 4

Reclaimed water (recycled water) from a wastewater treatment plant is most commonly reused for which application under current U.S. utility practice?

Accepted Answer

Landscape irrigation and industrial cooling

Answer

Reclaimed water is most widely used for non-potable applications such as landscape irrigation, agricultural use, and industrial cooling, reducing demand on potable water supplies.

Question 5

Which federal law is the primary regulatory framework governing the quality of drinking water provided by public water systems in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

Answer

The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), administered by the EPA, sets national standards for public drinking water quality and regulates public water systems.

(UMC) Utility Management Certification Practice Test

(UMC) Utility Management Certification Practice Test

UMC Environmental Sustainability and Water Conservation