WTO Regulatory Compliance & Safety Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which agency has primary enforcement authority over public water systems?
- OSHA
- EPA (Correct answer)
- CDC
- FEMA
Correct answer: EPA
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the primary federal agency responsible for setting and enforcing drinking water standards under the SDWA.
Question 2: What is the Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) for lead in drinking water?
- 0.015 mg/L
- 0.005 mg/L
- Zero (Correct answer)
- 0.010 mg/L
Correct answer: Zero
The MCLG for lead is zero because no safe level of lead exposure has been established for humans, especially children.
Question 3: A water system must issue a Tier 1 public notice within how many hours of a violation that poses an acute public health risk?
- 24 hours (Correct answer)
- 48 hours
- 72 hours
- 7 days
Correct answer: 24 hours
Tier 1 public notices for acute health risk violations must be issued within 24 hours to protect public health immediately.
Question 4: Which of the following is classified as a National Secondary Drinking Water Regulation (NSDWR)?
- Total Coliform Rule
- Lead and Copper Rule
- pH limits (Correct answer)
- Arsenic Rule
Correct answer: pH limits
pH is a secondary standard related to aesthetic qualities (taste, odor, corrosion) rather than health, making it an NSDWR.
Question 5: What does the Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) require when a system finds a Total Coliform-positive sample?
- Immediately shut down the system
- Conduct a Level 1 or Level 2 assessment (Correct answer)
- Issue a boil-water advisory automatically
- Replace all distribution pipes
Correct answer: Conduct a Level 1 or Level 2 assessment
The RTCR requires systems to conduct Level 1 or Level 2 assessments to identify sanitary defects when coliform is detected.
Question 6: Under OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom), Safety Data Sheets (SDS) must contain how many standardized sections?
- 10
- 12
- 16 (Correct answer)
- 20
Correct answer: 16
OSHA's HazCom Standard requires SDS documents to contain exactly 16 standardized sections covering hazard identification, composition, first aid, handling, and more.
Question 7: Which federal regulation establishes worker exposure limits for chemicals in the workplace, applicable to water treatment plant operators?
- SDWA
- CERCLA
- OSHA 29 CFR 1910 (Correct answer)
- Clean Water Act
Correct answer: OSHA 29 CFR 1910
OSHA 29 CFR 1910 (General Industry Standards) establishes Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) and safety requirements for workers, including water plant operators.
WTO Regulatory Compliance & Safety Standards 2
Under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), which agency has primary enforcement authority over public water systems?