Metcalf & Eddy study advice

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Jacob_PE

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I've gone through the CERM chapters on wastewater design and have reviewed its example and practice problems. While working through the NCEES depth problems it was all smooth sailing until wastewater design came up. I'm going to end up running through the CERM materials again but I also now have the metcalf & eddy fourth-international edition. Can anyone offer advice on what chapters/sections/practice problems will be the most help for our exam? I really need to get stronger at wastewater if I'm going to knock this thing out on my first try.

 
If you look at the specifications, they read as follows:

A. Wastewater flow rates (e.g., municipal, industrial, commercial)

B. Unit operations and processes

C. Primary treatment (e.g., bar screens, clarification)

D. Secondary clarification

E. Chemical treatment

F. Collection systems (e.g., lift stations, sewer network,

infiltration, inflow)

G. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System

(NPDES) permitting

H. Effluent limits

I. Biological treatment

J. Physical treatment

K. Solids handling (e.g., thickening, drying processes)

L. Digesters

M. Disinfection

N. Nitrification and/or denitrification

O. Operations (e.g., odor control, corrosion control, compliance)

P. Advanced treatment (e.g., nutrient removal, filtration, wetlands)

Q. Beneficial reuse (e.g., liquids, biosolids, gas)

When I took the exam, the one difficulty I ran into with these problems was process flow as it related to generation of sludge, Waste Activated Sludge (WAS), and some of the common parameters/measurements utilized in the design problems like Mixed Liquid Volatile Suspended Solids (MLVSS) and F:M ratio. From the Metcalf and Eddy book, I would focus on solving problems and makign sure you understand common parameters, conversions, and how these parameters are applied.

JR

 
I agree with JR. Being able to use M&E to further understand the topics JR listed definitely better prepared me for the exam. Good luck...

 
I agree with JR. Being able to use M&E to further understand the topics JR listed definitely better prepared me for the exam. Good luck...
The M&E is over 1800 pages long. Chapter 8 has the intro to the activated sludge process but the chapter had 10 long subsections. I guess our best bet is to go over as much as possible. Would be great if I knew at what subsection to move on so I'm not wasting time.

 
I just wrapped up the remaining depth problems in my NCEES sample questions book. They really aren't all that bad, just gotta think about what you need to do to get from what's given to the units of the answer. And it almost seems like you'll be surrendering points on exam day if you only bring the CERM. For instance problem 530 required the use of a DO table not found in the CERM but in the M&E. Even problem 531 forced me to look in my other books since NOAEL isn't in the CERM index. Keep that in mind fellow candidates. Sadly, I'm now heading back into my confidence sapping 6 minute solutions book.

 

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