| QUESTION #1658 |
9/8/2008 8:30:12 AM |
[operator training] |
I work for the City of Shelby. How would I get the information needed to get a water and wastewater license?
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ANSWER:
Hi, Rob. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality can help you through its Operator Certification Office. Go to this website for more information and contacts.
http://www.deq.state.mt.us/wqinfo/opcert/index.asp.
Steve Guettermann
Assistant Director of Outreach
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| QUESTION #1657 |
9/5/2008 9:41:35 AM |
[operator training] |
I have the downloaded version of Contamination Explorer on my laptop, and I've completed everything on it, except the quiz of three Volume Determinations in Section 1.2 in the "Replacing and Disinfecting a Line" part of the software. I still can't seem to give an answer that the software recognizes as correct, and so below is a step by step example of what I did (in hopes you can either determine if I'm performing my calculations incorrectly, or if there is an error on the software code).
Here is what I calculated for the first problem:
1) The diameter of the pipe is 8 inches, so the first step is to convert the radius of 4 inches into feet, which is .3333333 feet.
2) Multiply .3333333 times pi (3.1415). The answer is 1.0471665 feet.
3) Multiply 1.0471665 times the length of the pipe, which is 100 feet. The answer is 104.71665 cubic feet.
4) Convert cubic feet into liters by multiplying 104.71665 times 28.3168466. The answer is 2965.2452 liters.
5) I then enter 2965 as the answer, and the software says the answer is “incorrect.”
If I’m doing something wrong, can you please explain to me what it is? Either way, please contact me, since the program won't let me print my certificate of completion.
Thanks for your help.
Greg Kuschwara
holistichealth33@yahoo.com
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ANSWER:
Updated answer 09/15/2008
Okay, I have the answer!
It seems you weren't calculating the cross sectional area of the pipe correctly. You missed a "squared" step. Here's Ben's reply:
"He is not calculating the cross sectional area of the pipe correctly. He needs to use the equation pi * r2 (r-squared). He is just multiplying the radius times pi and not first squaring the radius."
You had this:
The diameter of the pipe is 8 inches, so the first step is to convert the radius of 4 inches into feet, which is .3333333 feet. Then multiply .3333333 times pi (3.1415). The answer is 1.0471665 feet.
Ben says to do this:
.3333333 * .33333333 = .1111111
.1111111 * pi = .3489 NOT 1.047
I hope that helps! Let me know.
MJ
Orignial Answer:
Greg:
I'm sorry you're having trouble. Unfortunately, the team that produced our training programs is no longer at the Water Center so we can't really provide technical support at this point. I did, however, contact the former training director and asked his advice.
He told me, regarding your problem:
"Those can be very tricky - but have been checked and double checked. If he watches the example VERY carefully before the questions, he will get the correct answer."
So, he's pretty confident that it's not an error in program. There isn't a document with all of the correct answers so I can't help you there. I did think, however, that you only have to get a certain percentage of the questions correct to pass and print out the certificate -- but I may be wrong.
I hope this helps, though. Let me know if you figure it out!
MJ
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| QUESTION #1641 |
8/5/2008 5:12:32 PM |
[operator training] |
Looking thru the pdf I see no questions. How do I recieve ceu's once I read the course information?
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ANSWER:
Norm:
Crediting issues are up to the individual states. So, you'll want to contact your state regulatory agency in Alaska to see what they will accept. Every state is different so I can't really give you an answer.
Although you didn't say which PDF you are reading (OB2005?), it probably has a corresponding software program that you can download and run it on your computer. Many of our programs have an integrating scoring system that many states will accept for credit upon completion.
Hope that helps!
MJ Nehasil
Montana Water Center
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| QUESTION #1637 |
7/31/2008 8:41:51 AM |
[operator training] |
Do you have a CD available for Grade III/ Water Treatment Plant Training? We have the Operator Basics CD for the Grade II.
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ANSWER:
Hi, Thomas. The best thing to do is check with your regulatory agency to see which of our training CDs is best for your current situation. In answer to your question, there is nothing specific for Grade III. However, a new training CD, titled Water Quality Expedition may fit your requirements, as might Contamination Explorer. The content of both can be reviewed on this web page: http://watercenter.montana.edu/training
Sincerely,
Steve Guettermann
Assistant Director for Outreach
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| QUESTION #1463 |
7/23/2008 2:04:20 PM |
[general water] |
I am a "Grandparented Operator" for a small mobile home park in Shelbyville, Indiana. I am 3 credit hours short for a WT2 certificate. IDEM ( Indiana dept environ. mgt.) suggested :
PWST063128 virtual syst. explorer - 4.00 hrs. or
PWST073246 contamination explorer - 3.00 hrs.
Please let me know what I need to do to take on of these, then confirm the course completion to IDEM.
Thanks.
John Coers
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ANSWER:
Hi John:
You'll want to download either or both courses from our website at http://watercenter.montana.edu/training/default.htm. Both programs have an integrated scoring system that tracks your progress. When you successfully complete the program you will be able to print out a completion certificate which you can then submit to your state agency.
Be sure to check with your state agency to make sure they will accept either of these programs for credit. And, if they do, will they accept partial credit or will you need to complete the entire program?
Hope this helps!
MJ Nehasil
Montana Water Center
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| QUESTION #1354 |
1/16/2008 4:44:53 PM |
[general water] |
What is the general breakdown of water use in Montana? What percentage, for example, is used by agriculture for irrigation; by utilities for hydro-power; by utilities for cooling coal-fired plants; and by the public for drinking and recreation?
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ANSWER:
The link below will answer your question.
http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/usgspubs/sir/sir20045223
Steve Guettermann
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| QUESTION #1345 |
1/16/2008 7:42:41 AM |
[fisheries] |
I manage a fish stock center for research purposes & was interested in obtaining information about your feeding regiment for the trout. In particular, i would like to know what you feed them & if you do any testing routinely of the food for endocrine active compounds, xenobiotic levels or anything else. If there is some one I can contact to find more information on this topic your help is greatly appreciated.
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ANSWER:
Not sure how much help this will be, but in response to your 2 questions:
1) The food we use is just standard trout food from "Silver Cup"
2) We don't do any testing ourselves.
Any other questions feel free to ask. I will say that when I was working at UT in Port Aransas we got all our dry food from "Rangen". You might check with them, too. They are closer.Good luck!
Trey Kucherka
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| QUESTION #1329 |
12/2/2007 9:45:23 AM |
[operator training] |
I am currently taking your Virtual System Explorer. I just completed the System 1 Video Tour. The time it should have taken was approximately 13 minutes. It took me an hour.
The video kept starting and stopping. Any suggestions. I have a E-Machine desktop with 2GB of memory and the operating system is Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium.
One of the segments did run without incident. The others did not.
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ANSWER:
I am sorry to hear you are having difficulties. Are you running it online, or from a DVD or downloaded version off your hard drive? If you are running it online, I would say that is the most likely cause of the videos "bogging down." Even on a pretty fast connection, huge video files like that could cause slow downs.
VSE was created to run on pretty slow machines, your machine sounds like it is way more than adequate. Your reference to Windows Vista is a bit disconcerting to me... Frankly, Vista has created so many problems with other pieces of software (Even their own software) that I am worried that it could pose incompatibilities with our stuff. It was of course not around when Virtual System Explorer went to press, so we had no way of testing it...
I'd first try to run the program from your hard drive as a download and see if that helps. That is the fastest way for your computer to handle large amounts of data, even faster than running it off the DVD. If that doesn't work, please give us a call and we'll try to do what we can over the phone. If it is a Windows Vista problem, there may be nothing we can do other than suggest running the program on a machine with XP or the like.
Thanks, and good luck.
Ben Cichowski
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| QUESTION #1298 |
8/2/2007 9:44:40 AM |
[drinking water] |
What liabilities would a small water system incure from excesive pressures in the distrubution system (spikes from PRV failure or system operation)?
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ANSWER:
If he means legal liabilities, my guess - it's only a guess - is that the utility could probably be found to be at fault if its persistent excessive pressure caused a commercial or industrial customer to have to replace equipment frequently - if its own backflow preventers kept blowing out, for example. If he means what bad things happen when there is too much system pressure - pipe joints pull apart, fixtures get pushed off, any water hammer is very damaging, leakage is high and generally water is wasted, in the distribution system and by the customers.
If the excessive pressure is a spike from equipment failure that could not be foreseen - the PRV had been inspected and was in good shape before failing - there would probably be a settlement with the utility's insurer paying up a nominal amount.
Director of the Montana Water Center.
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| QUESTION #1291 |
6/19/2007 2:49:02 PM |
[drinking water] |
What Montana regulations apply if a property owner wants to build two guest cabins and add them to his existing well? Where can we find the rules for a multi-user system?
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ANSWER:
In addition, you should be aware of the following: Depending on your use for the guest cabins, you may need a permit or two, along with an operator certification. If you serve more than 25 people 60 days a year, then you will be a public drinking water system.
Here is a link that explains Montana Water Rights.
http://www.leg.mt.gov/content/publications/lepo/2006waterrights.pdf
Page 2 lists contact information for the DNRC. I suggest you call the number listed there and you will be transfered to the best person who can answer your question. It probably comes down to how much water you are entitled to and how much water the other cabins will take.
Steve Guettermann
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