All Flashcards
What is the primary goal of the Clean Water Act (CWA)?
To restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of U.S. waters.
What are key provisions of the Clean Water Act?
EPA sets water quality standards, regulates point and nonpoint sources, NPDES permit program, protection of wetlands.
What is the primary goal of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)?
To protect public health by regulating public drinking water supplies and ensuring water is safe.
What are key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act?
EPA sets national standards for drinking water quality, public water systems must monitor and test water, MCLs are set.
What are the steps of primary sewage treatment?
Screening to remove large objects, sedimentation to settle heavy particles.
What are the steps of secondary sewage treatment?
Biological breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms in aerated lagoons or activated sludge tanks.
What are the steps of tertiary sewage treatment?
Filtration, disinfection (chlorine or UV), and nutrient removal.
How does a septic tank treat wastewater?
Separation of solids/liquids, anaerobic digestion of sludge, effluent discharge to drainage field.
What is involved in septic tank maintenance?
Regular pumping to remove sludge, inspections of tank and drainage field.
What is the process of setting water quality standards?
EPA establishes standards based on scientific data and risk assessment, considering various uses of the water body.
How does the NPDES permit program work?
Regulates point source discharges by requiring permits that specify limits on pollutants and monitoring requirements.
What is involved in monitoring drinking water quality?
Public water systems regularly test water samples for regulated contaminants and report results to the EPA and the public.
How does anaerobic digestion generate energy?
Anaerobic bacteria break down organic matter, producing biogas (primarily methane) that can be burned to generate electricity.
What is the process of setting Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs)?
EPA assesses health risks associated with contaminants, considers available treatment technologies, and sets enforceable MCLs.
Define effluent.
Treated wastewater discharged from a treatment facility.
Define biosolids.
Solid organic matter recovered from a sewage treatment process that can be used as fertilizer.
Define sludge.
Solid waste that settles to the bottom of a septic tank or sewage treatment plant.
Define leachate.
Liquid that has percolated through a solid and leached out some of its constituents; often refers to liquid from landfills.
Define groundwater pollution.
Contamination of underground water sources, making them unsafe for use.
Define point source pollution.
Pollution that comes from a single, identifiable source.
Define nonpoint source pollution.
Pollution that comes from diffuse sources and is harder to trace.
Define MCL (Maximum Contaminant Level).
The maximum permissible level of a contaminant in drinking water, set by the EPA.
Define septic tank.
An underground wastewater treatment system for individual properties without access to a central sewer system.
Define drainage field (leach field).
A component of a septic system where effluent is discharged for further filtration and bacterial decomposition.