Practice Test Geeks(UMC) Utility Management Certification Practice Test
← All UMC Flashcard Decks

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management Flashcards

7 cards from real UMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management flashcards as text

  1. Under the Clean Water Act, what is the primary regulatory mechanism utilities use to discharge treated wastewater into surface waters?

    Answer: National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit

    The NPDES permit program under the Clean Water Act controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into navigable waters.

  2. A utility discovers that a chemical spill has contaminated groundwater near a wellfield. Which federal law most directly governs the cleanup liability and response actions?

    Answer: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)

    CERCLA (Superfund) governs cleanup of hazardous substance releases and assigns liability for remediation costs.

  3. What does a 'consent order' from a state environmental agency typically require a utility to do?

    Answer: Comply with a legally binding corrective action plan under regulatory oversight

    A consent order is an enforceable legal agreement between a utility and a regulatory agency outlining specific corrective actions and deadlines.

  4. Which risk assessment method assigns numerical probabilities to failure events and calculates expected consequences?

    Answer: Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA)

    Quantitative Risk Assessment uses numerical probabilities and consequence values to calculate risk scores for prioritizing mitigation efforts.

  5. Under EPA's Lead and Copper Rule, what action is required when a utility's 90th percentile lead level exceeds the action level?

    Answer: Notify the state and begin a public education program while optimizing corrosion control

    When the action level is exceeded, utilities must notify the state, initiate or optimize corrosion control treatment, and conduct public education outreach.

  6. A utility manager is reviewing an insurance policy that covers losses from a cyberattack on SCADA systems. This coverage falls under which risk management strategy?

    Answer: Risk transfer

    Purchasing insurance transfers the financial consequences of a risk to a third party (the insurer), making it a risk transfer strategy.

  7. Which federal regulation requires water utilities to conduct vulnerability assessments and submit them to EPA?

    Answer: America's Water Infrastructure Act (AWIA) of 2018

    AWIA 2018 requires community water systems serving more than 3,300 people to conduct risk and resilience assessments and certify completion to EPA.