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Quiz about Sanitary Sewers and Wastewater Treatment
Quiz about Sanitary Sewers and Wastewater Treatment

Sanitary Sewers and Wastewater Treatment Quiz


What happens after you flush? What are some creative things environmental engineers have come up with to transport and treat waste water. Learn some interesting things about the world of waste water treatment!

A multiple-choice quiz by Wham_Bam_Slam. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
333,982
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
1119
Last 3 plays: japh (6/10), bkhakbaz (7/10), Guest 165 (10/10).
This quiz has 2 formats: you can play it as a or as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key.
1. What's the most common size of a sanitary sewer? Hint

twenty four inches in diameter
big enough to hold a Teenage Mutant Turtle
forty eight inches in diameter
eight inches in diameter

2. How does the repairer know where to dig to fix a broken section of sewer? Hint

A small camera is put through the sewer, and when they find the problem area, they measure the distance from the manhole. That's where they dig.
They use "witch sticks" to find holes and then dig
They always have to fix the entire line
They look for holes in the ground above the broken pipe

3. If a woman washing the dishes discovers that her wedding ring went through the sink trap and down the drain is it lost forever? Hint

It's down the drain and gone for good
It would eventually corrode away to nothing
If it's been in the sewer, why would she want it back?
Not necessarily; many rings have been found in the sewers and handed to the police

4. What is a combined sewer? Hint

A mixture of different pipe sizes
A spot where a lot of different sized lines combine together and go into a combined sewer
A pipe made of concrete and plastic
A sewer that receives both sanitary sewage and storm water

5. What is the first step taken when flow enters a waste water treatment plant? Hint

Sludge is removed
Chlorine is mixed in with the waste water
It passes through bar screens to remove large items
Odor controlling chemicals are added

6. What is the main thing that waste water treatment plants do? Hint

Use chemicals to clean the waste water
Speed up the biological decomposition of waste in water
It's a secret
Collect everything and haul it to a landfill

7. How do waste water treatment plants commonly deal with the potential of infectious bacteria in the waste water? Hint

They disinfect it with chlorine or ultraviolet light
Expose the waste water to the sun's ultraviolet rays for extended periods of time
Clean it with different types of soap
Boil the waste water for at least 10 minutes

8. What is the main reason large cities start to need waste water treatment? Hint

Disease
Water for recycling
Odors
Sludge for fertilizer

9. What is one of the most energy efficient pumps known to man, often used to move waste water through a treatment plant? Hint

Pumps driven by electric motors
Centrifugal pumps driven by diesel generators
Archimedes screw pumps
Pumps driven by gasoline

10. Am I allowed to see a waste water treatment plant in operation? Hint

Yes, but only during earth week
No, its too dangerous
Yes, many plants offer tours through the year. Call first to schedule a tour.
No, national security no longer allows tours to be given


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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What's the most common size of a sanitary sewer?

Answer: eight inches in diameter

Most sanitary sewer lines are eight inches in diameter. Yes, some are larger, but that is only because the lines downstream near the treatment plants transport more flow. Storm sewers, which collect and transport rain water, are much larger.
2. How does the repairer know where to dig to fix a broken section of sewer?

Answer: A small camera is put through the sewer, and when they find the problem area, they measure the distance from the manhole. That's where they dig.

Sewers are often televised. Some folks call the videos dirty movies.
3. If a woman washing the dishes discovers that her wedding ring went through the sink trap and down the drain is it lost forever?

Answer: Not necessarily; many rings have been found in the sewers and handed to the police

Rings valued at well over $70,000 have been found in sanitary sewers and never reclaimed. Never enter a sewer because the environment can be extremely hazardous. The air is typically too low in oxygen to support human breathing, and gases such as hydrogen sulfide and methane can develop to strong enough levels that you would die. Without strong ventilation, you would slowly lose consciousness, without even realizing it, pass out, and then finally, pass on.
4. What is a combined sewer?

Answer: A sewer that receives both sanitary sewage and storm water

Combined sewers are not allowed in most areas any longer. However, many old large cities have combined sewers. It's not cost-effective to treat rain water (storm water) as if it was waste water.
5. What is the first step taken when flow enters a waste water treatment plant?

Answer: It passes through bar screens to remove large items

Common items removed by bar screens include Matchbox cars, dead pet turtles, etc. that can fit through a drain in your home. Sometimes kids throw larger things such as tree branches and car parts into manholes. Those things obviously need to be removed as well. These could cause damage to pumps.
6. What is the main thing that waste water treatment plants do?

Answer: Speed up the biological decomposition of waste in water

Chemicals are expensive and therefore, not heavily used to speed the biological decomposition of waste water. Instead, the focus tends to be towards maintaining a large healthy population of micro-organisms that need food and air. So air is typically blown into large waste water tanks so the micro-organisms can breath as they eat their "food".
7. How do waste water treatment plants commonly deal with the potential of infectious bacteria in the waste water?

Answer: They disinfect it with chlorine or ultraviolet light

Chlorination and ultraviolet light are currently the predominant types of disinfection provided.
8. What is the main reason large cities start to need waste water treatment?

Answer: Disease

Waste water treatment typically isn't on the top of the priority list when human beings first settle in an area. If it goes unchecked, sooner or later people will start to get sick with diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery, polio, and hepatitis. Waste water treatment is the single reason large cities are able to exist.
9. What is one of the most energy efficient pumps known to man, often used to move waste water through a treatment plant?

Answer: Archimedes screw pumps

Yes, the inclined screw pump, commonly called Archimedes screw pumps, are still one of the most energy efficient pumps known to man today. Even though Archimedes name is associated with them, he didn't invent them. The Egyptians did, for land irrigation purposes. However, Archimedes did help improve them.
10. Am I allowed to see a waste water treatment plant in operation?

Answer: Yes, many plants offer tours through the year. Call first to schedule a tour.

The tours will surprise you! Don't be surprised if you walk away with a smile on your face with the feeling you learned a lot of useful things. Don't be surprised if you see large trucks, Archimedes screw pumps, entire systems run using computer networks and high end software programs that monitor everything, laboratory testing, and fertilizer for farmland or even your home. You'll be amazed with the speed and efficiency of the waste water treatment processes being used today.
Source: Author Wham_Bam_Slam

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Most Recent Scores
May 25 2023 : japh: 6/10
May 22 2023 : bkhakbaz: 7/10
May 16 2023 : Guest 165: 10/10
May 13 2023 : kmarti14: 9/10
May 02 2023 : Guest 204: 8/10
Apr 29 2023 : DwightJay: 9/10
Apr 25 2023 : Guest 112: 1/10
Mar 31 2023 : Guest 166: 6/10
Mar 30 2023 : Guest 174: 10/10

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