Florida Wastewater Practice Test

How many total gallons per day of sludge are removed from a primary clarifier using a triple piston pump with given parameters?

1. 150,000 GPD

2. 178,796 GPD

3. 200,000 GPD

4. 123,456 GPD

The correct answer is: 178,796 GPD

To determine how many gallons per day (GPD) of sludge are removed from a primary clarifier using a triple piston pump, you would typically use specific parameters related to the pump's capacity and the operational conditions, such as the number of strokes per minute, stroke volume, and the total operating hours per day. In this scenario, the calculated amount of 178,796 GPD reflects the effective performance of the triple piston pump based on these operational parameters. This value likely results from precise calculations that include the volume of sludge being pumped per stroke multiplied by the number of strokes per minute, then adjusted for the total operational time during the day. When analyzing the total flow from pump systems, it is critical to fact-check the parameters used (like the piston size or operational speed) to ensure they align with the expected removal rates for such applications. The correct answer indicates that the system is efficiently removing a significant volume of sludge necessary for maintaining the functionality of the wastewater treatment process. The other choices likely reflect either overestimations or underestimations based on miscalculated parameters or assumptions that do not hold for the described setup. Thus, the option indicating 178,796 GPD aligns with the conditions and performance expected of the pump in operation.